Psalm 107:1-43 NIrV

[1] Give thanks to the LORD, because he is good. His faithful love continues forever. [2] Let those who have been set free by the LORD tell their story. He set them free from the power of the enemy. [3] He brought them back from other lands. He brought them back from east and west, from north and south. [4] Some of them wandered in deserts that were dry and empty. They couldn’t find a city where they could make their homes. [5] They were hungry and thirsty. Their lives were slipping away. [6] Then they cried out to the LORD because of their problems. And he saved them from their troubles. [7] He led them straight to a city where they could make their homes. [8] Let them give thanks to the LORD for his faithful love. Let them give thanks for the wonderful things he does for people. [9] He gives those who are thirsty all the water they want. He gives those who are hungry all the good food they can eat. [10] Others lived in the deepest darkness. They suffered as prisoners in iron chains. [11] That’s because they hadn’t obeyed the commands of God. They had refused to follow the plans of the Most High God. [12] So he made them do work that was hard and bitter. They tripped and fell, and there was no one to help them. [13] Then they cried out to the LORD because of their problems. And he saved them from their troubles. [14] He brought them out of the deepest darkness. He broke their chains off. [15] Let them give thanks to the LORD for his faithful love. Let them give thanks for the wonderful things he does for people. [16] He breaks down gates that are made of bronze. He cuts through bars that are made of iron. [17] Others were foolish. They suffered because of their sins. They suffered because they wouldn’t obey the LORD. [18] They refused to eat anything. They came close to passing through the gates of death. [19] Then they cried out to the LORD because of their problems. And he saved them from their troubles. [20] He gave his command and healed them. He saved them from the grave. [21] Let them give thanks to the LORD for his faithful love. Let them give thanks for the wonderful things he does for people. [22] Let them sacrifice thank offerings. Let them talk about what he has done as they sing with joy. [23] Some people sailed out on the ocean in ships. They traded goods on the mighty waters. [24] They saw the works of the LORD. They saw the wonderful deeds he did on the ocean. [25] He spoke and stirred up a storm. It lifted the waves high. [26] They rose up to the heavens. Then they went down deep into the ocean. In that kind of danger the people’s boldness melted away. [27] They were unsteady like people who have become drunk. They didn’t know what to do. [28] Then they cried out to the LORD because of their problems. And he brought them out of their troubles. [29] He made the storm as quiet as a whisper. The waves of the ocean calmed down. [30] The people were glad when the ocean became calm. Then he guided them to the harbor they were looking for. [31] Let them give thanks to the LORD for his faithful love. Let them give thanks for the wonderful things he does for people. [32] Let them honor him among his people who gather for worship. Let them praise him in the meeting of the elders. [33] He turned rivers into a desert. He turned flowing springs into thirsty ground. [34] He turned land that produced crops into a salty land where nothing could grow. He did it because the people who lived there were evil. [35] He turned the desert into pools of water. He turned the dry and cracked ground into flowing springs. [36] He brought hungry people there to live. They built a city where they could make their homes. [37] They planted fields and vineyards that produced large crops. [38] He blessed the people, and they greatly increased their numbers. He kept their herds from getting smaller. [39] Then the number of God’s people got smaller. They were made humble by trouble, suffering and sorrow. [40] The God who looks down on proud nobles made them wander in a desert where no one lives. [41] But he lifted needy people out of their suffering. He made their families increase like flocks of sheep. [42] Honest people see it and are filled with joy. But no one who is evil has anything to say. [43] Let those who are wise pay attention to these things. Let them think about the loving deeds of the LORD.