[1] Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.
[2] Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
[3] Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
[4] Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.
[5] Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
[6] you children of his servant Abraham, you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.
[7] He is the Lord our God. His justice is seen throughout the land.
[8] He always stands by his covenant— the commitment he made to a thousand generations.
[9] This is the covenant he made with Abraham and the oath he swore to Isaac.
[10] He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant:
[11] “I will give you the land of Canaan as your special possession.”
[12] He said this when they were few in number, a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.
[13] They wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.
[14] Yet he did not let anyone oppress them. He warned kings on their behalf:
[15] “Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt my prophets.”
[16] He called for a famine on the land of Canaan, cutting off its food supply.
[17] Then he sent someone to Egypt ahead of them— Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
[18] They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar.
[19] Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character.
[20] Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free; the ruler of the nation opened his prison door.
[21] Joseph was put in charge of all the king’s household; he became ruler over all the king’s possessions.
[22] He could instruct the king’s aides as he pleased and teach the king’s advisers.
[23] Then Israel arrived in Egypt; Jacob lived as a foreigner in the land of Ham.
[24] And the Lord multiplied the people of Israel until they became too mighty for their enemies.
[25] Then he turned the Egyptians against the Israelites, and they plotted against the Lord’s servants.
[26] But the Lord sent his servant Moses, along with Aaron, whom he had chosen.
[27] They performed miraculous signs among the Egyptians, and wonders in the land of Ham.
[28] The Lord blanketed Egypt in darkness, for they had defied his commands to let his people go.
[29] He turned their water into blood, poisoning all the fish.
[30] Then frogs overran the land and even invaded the king’s bedrooms.
[31] When the Lord spoke, flies descended on the Egyptians, and gnats swarmed across Egypt.
[32] He sent them hail instead of rain, and lightning flashed over the land.
[33] He ruined their grapevines and fig trees and shattered all the trees.
[34] He spoke, and hordes of locusts came— young locusts beyond number.
[35] They ate up everything green in the land, destroying all the crops in their fields.
[36] Then he killed the oldest son in each Egyptian home, the pride and joy of each family.
[37] The Lord brought his people out of Egypt, loaded with silver and gold; and not one among the tribes of Israel even stumbled.
[38] Egypt was glad when they were gone, for they feared them greatly.
[39] The Lord spread a cloud above them as a covering and gave them a great fire to light the darkness.
[40] They asked for meat, and he sent them quail; he satisfied their hunger with manna—bread from heaven.
[41] He split open a rock, and water gushed out to form a river through the dry wasteland.
[42] For he remembered his sacred promise to his servant Abraham.
[43] So he brought his people out of Egypt with joy, his chosen ones with rejoicing.
[44] He gave his people the lands of pagan nations, and they harvested crops that others had planted.
[45] All this happened so they would follow his decrees and obey his instructions. Praise the Lord!