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Psalm 107

1  O give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious, ♦︎
   for his steadfast love endures for ever.
2  Let the redeemed of the Lord say this, ♦︎
   those he redeemed from the hand of the enemy,
3  And gathered out of the lands
      from the east and from the west, ♦︎
   from the north and from the south.
4  Some went astray in desert wastes ♦︎
   and found no path to a city to dwell in.
5  Hungry and thirsty, ♦︎
   their soul was fainting within them.
6  So they cried to the Lord in their trouble ♦︎
   and he delivered them from their distress.
7  He set their feet on the right way ♦︎
   till they came to a city to dwell in.
8  Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness ♦︎
   and the wonders he does for his children.
9  For he satisfies the longing soul ♦︎
   and fills the hungry soul with good.
10  Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, ♦︎
   bound fast in misery and iron,
11  For they had rebelled against the words of God ♦︎
   and despised the counsel of the Most High.
12  So he bowed down their heart with heaviness; ♦︎
   they stumbled and there was none to help them.
13  Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, ♦︎
   and he delivered them from their distress.
14  He brought them out of darkness and out of the shadow of death, ♦︎
   and broke their bonds asunder.
15  Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness ♦︎
   and the wonders he does for his children.
16  For he has broken the doors of bronze ♦︎
   and breaks the bars of iron in pieces.
17  Some were foolish and took a rebellious way, ♦︎
   and were plagued because of their wrongdoing.
18  Their soul abhorred all manner of food ♦︎
   and drew near to the gates of death.
19  Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, ♦︎
   and he delivered them from their distress.
20  He sent forth his word and healed them, ♦︎
   and saved them from destruction.
21  Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness ♦︎
   and the wonders he does for his children.
22  Let them offer him sacrifices of thanksgiving ♦︎
   and tell of his acts with shouts of joy.
23  Those who go down to the sea in ships ♦︎
   and ply their trade in great waters,
24  These have seen the works of the Lord ♦︎
   and his wonders in the deep.
25  For at his word the stormy wind arose ♦︎
   and lifted up the waves of the sea.
26  They were carried up to the heavens
      and down again to the deep; ♦︎
   their soul melted away in their peril.
27  They reeled and staggered like a drunkard ♦︎
   and were at their wits’ end.
28  Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, ♦︎
   and he brought them out of their distress.
29  He made the storm be still ♦︎
   and the waves of the sea were calmed.
30  Then were they glad because they were at rest, ♦︎
   and he brought them to the haven they desired.
31  Let them give thanks to the Lord for his goodness ♦︎
   and the wonders he does for his children.
32  Let them exalt him in the congregation of the people ♦︎
   and praise him in the council of the elders.
33  The Lord turns rivers into wilderness ♦︎
   and water springs into thirsty ground;
34  A fruitful land he makes a salty waste, ♦︎
   because of the wickedness of those who dwell there.
35  He makes the wilderness a pool of water ♦︎
   and water springs out of a thirsty land.
36  There he settles the hungry ♦︎
   and they build a city to dwell in.
37  They sow fields and plant vineyards ♦︎
   and bring in a fruitful harvest.
38  He blesses them, so that they multiply greatly; ♦︎
   he does not let their herds of cattle decrease.
39  He pours contempt on princes ♦︎
   and makes them wander in trackless wastes.
40  They are diminished and brought low, ♦︎
   through stress of misfortune and sorrow,
41  But he raises the poor from their misery ♦︎
   and multiplies their families like flocks of sheep.
42  The upright will see this and rejoice, ♦︎
   but all wickedness will shut its mouth.
43  Whoever is wise will ponder these things ♦︎
   and consider the loving-kindness of the Lord.

12¹and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, ‘There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. ²The rich man had very many flocks and herds; ³but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meagre fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. ⁴Now there came a traveller to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.’ ⁵Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, ‘As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; ⁶he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.’

7 Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; ⁸I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. ⁹Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. ¹⁰Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. ¹¹Thus says the Lord: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbour, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun. ¹²For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’ ¹³David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan said to David, ‘Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die. ¹⁴Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord,^* the child that is born to you shall die.’ ¹⁵Then Nathan went to his house.

Bathsheba’s Child Dies

The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became very ill. ¹⁶David therefore pleaded with God for the child; David fasted, and went in and lay all night on the ground. ¹⁷The elders of his house stood beside him, urging him to rise from the ground; but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. ¹⁸On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, ‘While the child was still alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us; how then can we tell him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm.’ ¹⁹But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, he perceived that the child was dead; and David said to his servants, ‘Is the child dead?’ They said, ‘He is dead.’

20 Then David rose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes. He went into the house of the Lord, and worshipped; he then went to his own house; and when he asked, they set food before him and he ate. ²¹Then his servants said to him, ‘What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while it was alive; but when the child died, you rose and ate food.’ ²²He said, ‘While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, “Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me, and the child may live.” ²³But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.’

Solomon Is Born

24 Then David consoled his wife Bathsheba, and went to her, and lay with her; and she bore a son, and he named him Solomon. The Lord loved him, ²⁵and sent a message by the prophet Nathan; so he named him Jedidiah,^* because of the Lord.

The Conversion of Saul

9Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ²and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ⁵He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ⁶But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ ⁷The men who were travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. ⁸Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ He answered, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ ¹¹The Lord said to him, ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, ¹²and he has seen in a vision^* a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.’ ¹³But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; ¹⁴and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.’ ¹⁵But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; ¹⁶I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.’ ¹⁷So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul^* and said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁸And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, ¹⁹and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul Preaches in Damascus

For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus,