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BOOK V

(Psalms 107-150)

Psalm 107

Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Many Troubles

¹ O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
   for his steadfast love endures for ever.
² Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
   those he redeemed from trouble
³ and gathered in from the lands,
   from the east and from the west,
   from the north and from the south.^*

⁴ Some wandered in desert wastes,
   finding no way to an inhabited town;
⁵ hungry and thirsty,
   their soul fainted within them.
⁶ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
   and he delivered them from their distress;
⁷ he led them by a straight way,
   until they reached an inhabited town.
⁸ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
   for his wonderful works to humankind.
⁹ For he satisfies the thirsty,
   and the hungry he fills with good things.

¹⁰ Some sat in darkness and in gloom,
   prisoners in misery and in irons,
¹¹ for they had rebelled against the words of God,
   and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
¹² Their hearts were bowed down with hard labour;
   they fell down, with no one to help.
¹³ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
   and he saved them from their distress;
¹⁴ he brought them out of darkness and gloom,
   and broke their bonds asunder.
¹⁵ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
   for his wonderful works to humankind.
¹⁶ For he shatters the doors of bronze,
   and cuts in two the bars of iron.

¹⁷ Some were sick^* through their sinful ways,
   and because of their iniquities endured affliction;
¹⁸ they loathed any kind of food,
   and they drew near to the gates of death.
¹⁹ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
   and he saved them from their distress;
²⁰ he sent out his word and healed them,
   and delivered them from destruction.
²¹ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
   for his wonderful works to humankind.
²² And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices,
   and tell of his deeds with songs of joy.

²³ Some went down to the sea in ships,
   doing business on the mighty waters;
²⁴ they saw the deeds of the Lord,
   his wondrous works in the deep.
²⁵ For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
   which lifted up the waves of the sea.
²⁶ They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths;
   their courage melted away in their calamity;
²⁷ they reeled and staggered like drunkards,
   and were at their wits’ end.
²⁸ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
   and he brought them out from their distress;
²⁹ he made the storm be still,
   and the waves of the sea were hushed.
³⁰ Then they were glad because they had quiet,
   and he brought them to their desired haven.
³¹ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
   for his wonderful works to humankind.
³² Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
   and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

³³ He turns rivers into a desert,
   springs of water into thirsty ground,
³⁴ a fruitful land into a salty waste,
   because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
³⁵ He turns a desert into pools of water,
   a parched land into springs of water.
³⁶ And there he lets the hungry live,
   and they establish a town to live in;
³⁷ they sow fields, and plant vineyards,
   and get a fruitful yield.
³⁸ By his blessing they multiply greatly,
   and he does not let their cattle decrease.

³⁹ When they are diminished and brought low
   through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
⁴⁰ he pours contempt on princes
   and makes them wander in trackless wastes;
⁴¹ but he raises up the needy out of distress,
   and makes their families like flocks.
⁴² The upright see it and are glad;
   and all wickedness stops its mouth.
⁴³ Let those who are wise give heed to these things,
   and consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

The Parable of the Rich Fool

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’ ¹⁴But he said to him, ‘Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?’ ¹⁵And he said to them, ‘Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.’ ¹⁶Then he told them a parable: ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. ¹⁷And he thought to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” ¹⁸Then he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ²⁰But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” ²¹So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.’