BOOK FIVE
(Psalms 107–150)
In Praise of God's Goodness
1 “Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good;
his love is eternal!”
2 Repeat these words in praise to the Lord,
all you whom he has saved.
He has rescued you from your enemies
3 and has brought you back from foreign countries,
from east and west, from north and south.
4 Some wandered in the trackless desert
and could not find their way to a city to live in.
5 They were hungry and thirsty
and had given up all hope.
6 Then in their trouble they called to the Lord,
and he saved them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight road
to a city where they could live.
8 They must thank the Lord for his constant love,
for the wonderful things he did for them.
9 He satisfies those who are thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
10 Some were living in gloom and darkness,
prisoners suffering in chains,
11 because they had rebelled against the commands of Almighty God
and had rejected his instructions.
12 They were worn out from hard work;
they would fall down, and no one would help.
13 Then in their trouble they called to the Lord,
and he saved them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of their gloom and darkness
and broke their chains in pieces.
15 They must thank the Lord for his constant love,
for the wonderful things he did for them.
16 He breaks down doors of bronze
and smashes iron bars.
17 Some were fools, suffering because of their sins
and because of their evil;
18 they couldn't stand the sight of food
and were close to death.
19 Then in their trouble they called to the Lord,
and he saved them from their distress.
20 He healed them with his command
and saved them from the grave.
21 They must thank the Lord for his constant love,
for the wonderful things he did for them.
22 They must thank him with sacrifices,
and with songs of joy must tell all that he has done.
23 Some sailed over the ocean in ships,
earning their living on the seas.
24 They saw what the Lord can do,
his wonderful acts on the seas.
25 He commanded, and a mighty wind began to blow
and stirred up the waves.
26 The ships were lifted high in the air
and plunged down into the depths.
In such danger the sailors lost their courage;
27 they stumbled and staggered like drunks—
all their skill was useless.
28 Then in their trouble they called to the Lord,
and he saved them from their distress.
29 He calmed the raging storm,
and the waves became quiet.
30 They were glad because of the calm,
and he brought them safe to the port they wanted.
31 They must thank the Lord for his constant love,
for the wonderful things he did for them.
32 They must proclaim his greatness in the assembly of the people
and praise him before the council of the leaders.
33 The Lord made rivers dry up completely
and stopped springs from flowing.
34 He made rich soil become a salty wasteland
because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
35 He changed deserts into pools of water
and dry land into flowing springs.
36 He let hungry people settle there,
and they built a city to live in.
37 They sowed the fields and planted grapevines
and reaped an abundant harvest.
38 He blessed his people, and they had many children;
he kept their herds of cattle from decreasing.
39 When God's people were defeated and humiliated
by cruel oppression and suffering,
40 he showed contempt for their oppressors
and made them wander in trackless deserts.
41 But he rescued the needy from their misery
and made their families increase like flocks.
42 The righteous see this and are glad,
but all the wicked are put to silence.
43 May those who are wise think about these things;
may they consider the Lord's constant love.
الكتاب الخامس (107—150)
الرب يخلّصنا من الضيق
1 إحمدوا الرّبَّ لأنَّهُ صالحٌ،
لأِنَّ إلى الأبدِ رحمتَهُ.
2 لِـيقُلْ ذلِكَ الّذينَ افْتَداهُم،
افْتَداهُمُ الرّبُّ مِنْ يَدِ الضِّيقِ
3 وجَمَعَهُم مِنْ كلِّ البُلدانِ،
مِنَ المشرِقِ والمغرِبِ، والشِّمالِ والجَنوبِ.
4 بعضُهُم تاهَ في برِّيَّةٍ مُقفِرَةٍ
ولم يجدوا طريقا لهُم
إلى مدينةٍ يُقيمونَ بها.
5 كانوا جياعا عِطاشا
تخورُ نُفوسُهُم فيهِم،
6 فصرَخوا إلى الرّبِّ في ضيقِهِم،
فأنقَذَهُم مِنْ سُوءِ حالِهِم
7 وهَداهُم طريقا مُستقيما
توصِلُهم إلى مدينةٍ لِلإقامةِ.
8 فَليَحمَدوا الرّبَّ على رَحمتِهِ
وعلى عَجائِبِه لِبَني البشَرِ،
9 لأنَّه أشبَعَ النَّفْسَ المُشتَهيةَ
وملأَ النَّفْسَ الرَّاغِبةَ خَيرا.
10 بعضُهُم في الظَّلامِ وظِلِّ الموتِ
جلَسوا أسرى يُعانونَ القُيودَ،
11 لأنَّهُم عَصَوا كلامَ اللهِ
واسْتَهانُوا بِمَشورَةِ العليِّ.
12 أذَلَّ قُلوبَهُم بالتَّعَبِ،
وتساقَطوا ولا نصيرَ لهُم.
13 صرَخوا إلى الرّبِّ في ضيقِهِم،
فخَلَّصَهُم مِنْ سُوءِ حالِهِم.
14 أخرَجَهُم مِنَ الظَّلامِ وظِلِّ الموتِ
وقَطَعَ لهُم قُيودَهُم.
15 فلْيَحمَدوا الرّبَّ على رَحمتِهِ
وعلى عَجائِبِهِ لِبَني البشَرِ،
16 لأنَّهُ حطَّمَ أبوابَ النُّحاسِ
وكسَرَ مَغاليقَ الحديدِ.
17 وبعضُهُم حَمْقى لِسُلوكِ المَعاصي،
ومِنْ آثامِهِم كانوا يُعانونَ.
18 عافَت نُفوسُهُم كُلَّ طعَامٍ
وبَلَغوا إلى أبوابِ الموتِ.
19 صرَخوا إلى الرّبِّ في ضيقِهِم،
فخَلَّصَهُم مِنْ سُوءِ حالِهِم.
20 أرسلَ كلِمَتهُ فشَفاهُم
ونَجَّاهُم مِنْ مَهالِكِهم.
21 فَليَحمَدوا الرّبَّ على رَحمتِهِ
وعلى عَجائِبِه لِبَني البشَرِ.
22 وليَذبَحوا ذَبائِـحَ الحَمدِ،
وليُخْبِروا عَنْ أعمالِهِ بالتَّرنيمِ.
23 وآخرونَ أبحروا في السُّفُنِ.
ليُتاجروا في المياهِ الغزيرةِ،
24 فرأوا أعمالَ الرّبِّ
وعَجائِبَهُ في اللُّجَجِ.
25 أمرَ فثارَت ريحٌ عاصِفةٌ
وهَيَّجَت أمواجَ البحرِ،
26 فكانت تعلو إلى السَّماءِ
وتهبُطُ بِهِم إلى الأعماقِ،
فَتَرَجَّحَت حياتُهُم في الخَطَرِ.
27 تَرَنَّحوا ومالوا كالسُّكارى،
وكُلُّ حِكمَتِهِم ذهَبَت عَبَثا.
28 فصرَخوا إلى الرّبِّ في ضيقِهِم،
فأنقَذَهُم مِنْ سُوءِ حالِهم.
29 هدَّأَ الزَّوبعَةَ فَسكَنَت
وسكَتَت أمواجُ البحرِ.
30 ففَرِحوا حينَ سكَنَت
وهداهُم إلى ميناءٍ أرادوها.
31 فَليَحمَدوا الرّبَّ على رَحمتِهِ
وعلى عَجائبه لِبَني البشَرِ،
32 وليَرفَعوهُ في جماعةِ الشَّعبِ،
وليُهَلِّلوا لَه في مَجلِسِ شيوخِهِم.
33 يجعَلُ الأنهارَ قَفرا
ومجاريَ المياهِ جَفافا.
34 والتُّربَةَ المُخصِبةَ مِلْحا
لِشَرِّ المُقيمينَ بها.
35 يجعَلُ القَفْرَ مَرْجا
والأرضَ القاحلةَ مجاريَ مياهٍ،
36 فيسكُنُ هُناكَ الجياعُ
ويُقيمونَ لهُم مدينةَ سُكْنى.
37 يزرَعونَ حُقولا ويغرِسون كُروما
فتـثمِرُ لهُم غِلالا.
38 يُبارِكُهُم فَيكثُرونَ جِدًّا
ولا يُقلِّلُ بَهائِمَهُم.
39 حينَ يَقِلُّونَ ويَنحَنُون ذُلا
تحت ثِقْلِ الأذى والحَسْرَةِ.
40 يصُبُّ الذُّلَّ على أسيادِهِم
ويقودُهم في تيهٍ بِلا طريقٍ.
41 يرفعُ البؤساءَ مِنْ عَنائِهِم،
ويُكثِرُ عَشائِرَهُم كقُطْعانِ الغنَمِ.
42 فيَنظُرُ المُستَقِـيمونَ ويفرَحونَ،
ويَسُدُّ كُلُّ جائرٍ فَمَهُ.
43 مَنْ كانَ حكيما يُراعي هذا،
ويَتَبَيَّنُ مَراحمَ الرّبِّ.