Psalm 107:1-43 VOICE

[1] Erupt with thanks to the Eternal, for He is good and His loyal love lasts forever. [2] Let all those redeemed by the Eternal- those rescued from times of deep trouble-join in giving thanks. [3] He has gathered them across the earth, from east and west, from [north and south]. [4] Some drifted around in the desert and found no place where they could live. [5] Their bellies growled with hunger; their mouths were dry with thirst; their souls grew weak and weary. [6] In their distress, they called out to the Eternal, and He saved them from their misery. [7] He showed them the best path; then He led them down the right road until they arrived at an inhabited town. [8] May they erupt with praise and give thanks to the Eternal in honor of His loyal love And all the wonders He has performed for humankind! [9] He has quenched their thirst, and He has satisfied their hunger with what is good. [10] Some people were locked up in dark prisons, confined in gloom as bleak as death. They were captives bound by iron chains and misery, [11] All because they had rebelled against the directives of the True God and had rejected the wisdom of the Most High. [12] So they suffered the heaviness of slave labor; when they stumbled and fell, there was no one to help them up. [13] In their distress, they called out to the Eternal; He saved them from their misery. [14] He rescued them from the darkness, delivered them from the deepest gloom of death; He shattered their iron chains. [15] May they erupt with praise and give thanks to the Eternal in honor of His loyal love And all the wonders He has performed for humankind! [16] He has broken down the bronze gates and severed the iron bars that imprisoned them. [17] Some people became fools infected by their rebellious ways, and sickness followed because of their sins. [18] Afflicted and weak, they refused any sort of food as they approached the gates of death. [19] In their distress, they called out to the Eternal, and He saved them from their misery. [20] He gave the order and healed them and rescued them from certain death. [21] May they erupt with praise and give thanks to the Eternal in honor of His loyal love And all the wonders He has performed for humankind! [22] Let them present to Him thanksgiving sacrifices and tell stories of His great deeds through songs of joy. [23] Some set out to sea in ships, traveling across mighty seas in order to trade in foreign lands. [24] They witnessed the powerful acts of the Eternal, marveled at the great wonders He revealed over the deep waters. [25] For He spoke and summoned a violent wind that whipped up the waves of the sea. [26] Relentless waves lifted the ships high in the sky, then drove them down to the depths; the sailors' courage dissolved into misery. [27] They staggered and stumbled around like drunkards, and they had no idea what to do. [28] In their distress, they called out to the Eternal, and He saved them from their misery. [29] He commanded the storm to calm down, and it became still. A hush came over the waves of the sea, [30] The sailors were delighted at the quiet, and He guided them to their port. [31] May they erupt with praise and give thanks to the Eternal in honor of His loyal love And all the wonders He has performed for humankind! [32] Let them glorify Him in the assembly of His people and worship Him in the presence of the elders. [33] God transforms wild, flowing rivers into dry, lonely deserts, lively springs of water into thirsty ground. [34] He turns lush gardens into lifeless wastelands, all because of the wickedness of those who reside there. [35] Yet He transforms a dry, lonely desert into pools of living water, parched ground into lively springs. [36] And He allows those who are hungry to live there so that they might build a livable city. [37] There they sow fields and plant vineyards and gather up an abundant harvest. [38] He anoints them with His blessings, and they greatly increase in number. He does not allow their herds to dwindle. [39] When His people lessen in number and are humbled through persecution, suffering, and brokenheartedness, [40] He pours out contempt on those responsible leaders and then makes them drift around in an uncharted wasteland. [41] But He raises the poor away from their suffering and multiplies their families like a flock. [42] The righteous see God's actions, and they take delight in what He does, but the unrighteous don't dare to speak. [43] Is there anyone wise? If so, may the wise take notice of these things and reflect upon the loyal love of the Eternal.