Book Five (Psalms 107–150)

1Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

2Has the LORD redeemed you? Then speak out!

Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.

3For he has gathered the exiles from many lands,

from east and west,

from north and south.a

4Some wandered in the wilderness,

lost and homeless.

5Hungry and thirsty,

they nearly died.

6“LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble,

and he rescued them from their distress.

7He led them straight to safety,

to a city where they could live.

8Let them praise the LORD for his great love

and for the wonderful things he has done for them.

9For he satisfies the thirsty

and fills the hungry with good things.

10Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom,

imprisoned in iron chains of misery.

11They rebelled against the words of God,

scorning the counsel of the Most High.

12That is why he broke them with hard labor;

they fell, and no one was there to help them.

13“LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble,

and he saved them from their distress.

14He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom;

he snapped their chains.

15Let them praise the LORD for his great love

and for the wonderful things he has done for them.

16For he broke down their prison gates of bronze;

he cut apart their bars of iron.

17Some were fools; they rebelled

and suffered for their sins.

18They couldn’t stand the thought of food,

and they were knocking on death’s door.

19“LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble,

and he saved them from their distress.

20He sent out his word and healed them,

snatching them from the door of death.

21Let them praise the LORD for his great love

and for the wonderful things he has done for them.

22Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving

and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.

23Some went off to sea in ships,

plying the trade routes of the world.

24They, too, observed the LORD’s power in action,

his impressive works on the deepest seas.

25He spoke, and the winds rose,

stirring up the waves.

26Their ships were tossed to the heavens

and plunged again to the depths;

the sailors cringed in terror.

27They reeled and staggered like drunkards

and were at their wits’ end.

28“LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble,

and he saved them from their distress.

29He calmed the storm to a whisper

and stilled the waves.

30What a blessing was that stillness

as he brought them safely into harbor!

31Let them praise the LORD for his great love

and for the wonderful things he has done for them.

32Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation

and before the leaders of the nation.

33He changes rivers into deserts,

and springs of water into dry, thirsty land.

34He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands,

because of the wickedness of those who live there.

35But he also turns deserts into pools of water,

the dry land into springs of water.

36He brings the hungry to settle there

and to build their cities.

37They sow their fields, plant their vineyards,

and harvest their bumper crops.

38How he blesses them!

They raise large families there,

and their herds of livestock increase.

39When they decrease in number and become impoverished

through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,

40the LORD pours contempt on their princes,

causing them to wander in trackless wastelands.

41But he rescues the poor from trouble

and increases their families like flocks of sheep.

42The godly will see these things and be glad,

while the wicked are struck silent.

43Those who are wise will take all this to heart;

they will see in our history the faithful love of the LORD.