Psalm 107

International Children’s Bible

⁴ Some people had wandered in the desert lands.
    They found no city to live in.
⁵ They were hungry and thirsty.
    They were discouraged.
⁶ In their misery they cried out to the Lord.
    And he saved them from their troubles.
⁷ He led them on a straight road
    to a city where they could live.
⁸ Let them give thanks to the Lord for his love
    and for the miracles he does for people.
⁹ He satisfies the thirsty.
    He fills up the hungry.

¹⁰ Some sat in gloom and darkness.
    They were prisoners suffering in chains.
¹¹ They had turned against the words of God.
    They had refused the advice of God Most High.
¹² So he broke their pride by hard work.
    They stumbled, and no one helped.
¹³ In their misery they cried out to the Lord.
    And he saved them from their troubles.
¹⁴ He brought them out of their gloom and darkness.
    He broke their chains.
¹⁵ Let them give thanks to the Lord for his love
    and for the miracles he does for people.
¹⁶ He breaks down bronze gates.
    And he cuts apart iron bars.

¹⁷ Some became fools who turned against God.
    They suffered for the evil they did.
¹⁸ They refused to eat anything.
    So they almost died.
¹⁹ In their misery they cried out to the Lord.
    And he saved them from their troubles.
²⁰ God gave the command and healed them.
    So they were saved from dying.
²¹ Let them give thanks to the Lord for his love
    and for the miracles he does for people.
²² Let them offer sacrifices to thank him.
    With joy they should tell what he has done.

²³ Others went out to sea in ships.
    They did business on the great oceans.
²⁴ They saw what the Lord could do.
    They saw the miracles he did.
²⁵ He spoke, and a storm came up.
    It blew up high waves.
²⁶ The ships tossed as high as the sky and fell low in the waves.
    The storm was so bad the men lost their courage.
²⁷ They stumbled and fell like men who were drunk.
    They did not know what to do.
²⁸ In their misery they cried out to the Lord.
    And he saved them from their troubles.
²⁹ He made the storm be still.
    He calmed the waves.
³⁰ They were happy that it was quiet.
    And God guided them to the port they wanted.
³¹ Let them give thanks to the Lord for his love
    and for the miracles he does for people.
³² Let them praise his greatness in the meeting of the people.
    They should praise him in the meeting of the elders.

³³ He changed rivers into a desert,
    and springs of water into dry ground.
³⁴ He made fertile land salty
    because the people there did evil.
³⁵ He changed the desert into pools of water
    and dry ground into springs of water.
³⁶ He had the hungry settle there.
    They built a city to live in.
³⁷ They planted seeds in the fields and vineyards.
    And they had a good harvest.
³⁸ God blessed them, and they grew in number.
    Their cattle did not become fewer.

³⁹ Because of disaster, troubles and sadness,
    their families grew smaller and weaker.
⁴⁰ He showed he was displeased with their important men.
    He made them wander in a pathless desert.
⁴¹ But he lifted the poor out of their suffering.
    And he made their families grow like flocks of sheep.
⁴² Good people see this and are happy.
    But the wicked say nothing.

⁴³ Whoever is wise will remember these things.
    He will think about the love of the Lord.