[1] Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
[2] Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
[3] For he has gathered the exiles from many lands, from east and west, from north and south.
[4] Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless.
[5] Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died.
[6] “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress.
[7] He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live.
[8] Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
[9] For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
[10] Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, imprisoned in iron chains of misery.
[11] They rebelled against the words of God, scorning the counsel of the Most High.
[12] That is why he broke them with hard labor; they fell, and no one was there to help them.
[13] “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
[14] He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; he snapped their chains.
[15] Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
[16] For he broke down their prison gates of bronze; he cut apart their bars of iron.
[17] Some were fools; they rebelled and suffered for their sins.
[18] They couldn’t stand the thought of food, and they were knocking on death’s door.
[19] “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
[20] He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.
[21] Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
[22] Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.
[23] Some went off to sea in ships, plying the trade routes of the world.
[24] They, too, observed the Lord’s power in action, his impressive works on the deepest seas.
[25] He spoke, and the winds rose, stirring up the waves.
[26] Their ships were tossed to the heavens and plunged again to the depths; the sailors cringed in terror.
[27] They reeled and staggered like drunkards and were at their wits’ end.
[28] “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
[29] He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves.
[30] What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbor!
[31] Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.
[32] Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation and before the leaders of the nation.
[33] He changes rivers into deserts, and springs of water into dry, thirsty land.
[34] He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands, because of the wickedness of those who live there.
[35] But he also turns deserts into pools of water, the dry land into springs of water.
[36] He brings the hungry to settle there and to build their cities.
[37] They sow their fields, plant their vineyards, and harvest their bumper crops.
[38] How he blesses them! They raise large families there, and their herds of livestock increase.
[39] When they decrease in number and become impoverished through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
[40] the Lord pours contempt on their princes, causing them to wander in trackless wastelands.
[41] But he rescues the poor from trouble and increases their families like flocks of sheep.
[42] The godly will see these things and be glad, while the wicked are struck silent.
[43] Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.