BOOK FIVE
107
The Loʀᴅ Rescues People from Many Troubles.
1 O give thanks to the Loʀᴅ, for He is good;
For His compassion and lovingkindness endure forever!
2 Let the redeemed of the Loʀᴅ say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary,
3 And gathered them from the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the south.
4 They wandered in the wilderness in a [solitary] desert region;
And did not find a way to an inhabited city.
5 Hungry and thirsty,
They fainted.
6 Then they cried out to the Loʀᴅ in their trouble,
And He rescued them from their distresses.
7 He led them by the straight way,
To an inhabited city [where they could establish their homes].
8 Let them give thanks to the Loʀᴅ for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonderful acts to the children of men!
9 For He satisfies the parched throat,
And fills the hungry appetite with what is good.
10 Some dwelt in darkness and in the deep (deathly) darkness,
Prisoners [bound] in misery and chains, [Luke 1:79]
11 Because they had rebelled against the precepts of God
And spurned the counsel of the Most High.
12 Therefore He humbled their heart with hard labor;
They stumbled and there was no one to help.
13 Then they cried out to the Loʀᴅ in their trouble,
And He saved them from their distresses.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the deep (deathly) darkness
And broke their bonds apart. [Ps 68:6; Acts 12:7; 16:26]
15 Let them give thanks to the Loʀᴅ for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonderful acts to the children of men!
16 For He has shattered the gates of bronze
And cut the bars of iron apart.
17 Fools, because of their rebellious way,
And because of their sins, were afflicted.
18 They detested all kinds of food,
And they drew near to the gates of death.
19 Then they cried out to the Loʀᴅ in their trouble,
And He saved them from their distresses.
20 He sent His word and healed them,
And rescued them from their destruction. [2 Kin 20:4, 5; Matt 8:8]
21 Let them give thanks to the Loʀᴅ for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonderful acts to the children of men! [Heb 13:15]
22 And let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And speak of His deeds with shouts of joy!
23 Those who go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on great waters;
24 They have seen the works of the Loʀᴅ,
And His wonders in the deep.
25 For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind,
Which lifted up the waves of the sea.
26 They went up toward the heavens [on the crest of the wave], they went down again to the depths [of the watery trough];
Their courage melted away in their misery.
27 They staggered and trembled like a drunken man,
And were at their wits’ end [all their wisdom was useless].
28 Then they cried out to the Loʀᴅ in their trouble,
And He brought them out of their distresses.
29 He hushed the storm to a gentle whisper,
So that the waves of the sea were still. [Ps 65:7; 89:9; Matt 8:26]
30 Then they were glad because of the calm,
And He guided them to their desired haven (harbor).
31 Let them give thanks to the Loʀᴅ for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonderful acts to the children of men!
32 Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people,
And praise Him at the seat of the elders.
33 He turns rivers into a wilderness,
And springs of water into a thirsty ground; [1 Kin 17:1, 7]
34 A productive land into a [barren] salt waste,
Because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it. [Gen 13:10; 14:3; 19:25]
35 He turns a wilderness into a pool of water
And a dry land into springs of water; [Is 41:18]
36 And there He has the hungry dwell,
So that they may establish an inhabited city,
37 And sow fields and plant vineyards,
And produce an abundant harvest.
38 Also He blesses them so that they multiply greatly,
And He does not let [the number of] their cattle decrease.
39 When they are diminished and bowed down (humbled)
Through oppression, misery, and sorrow,
40 He pours contempt on princes
And makes them wander in a pathless wasteland.
41 Yet He sets the needy securely on high, away from affliction,
And makes their families like a flock.
42 The upright see it and rejoice;
But all unrighteousness shuts its mouth.
43 Who is wise? Let him observe and heed these things;
And [thoughtfully] consider the lovingkindness of the Loʀᴅ.