1 Praise the Lord, because he is good! His faithful love will last forever!
2 Everyone the Lord has saved should repeat that word of thanks. Praise him, all who have been rescued from the enemy.
3 He gathered his people together from many different countries. He brought them from east and west, north and south.
4 Some of them wandered in the dry desert. They were looking for a place to live, but they could not find a city.
5 They were hungry and thirsty and growing weak.
6 Then they called to the Lord for help, and he saved them from their troubles.
7 He led them straight to the city where they would live.
8 Thank the Lord for his faithful love and for the amazing things he does for people.
9 He satisfies those who are thirsty. He fills those who are hungry with good things.
10 Some of God’s people were prisoners, locked behind bars in dark prisons.
11 That was because they had fought against what God said. They refused to listen to the advice of God Most High.
12 God made life hard for those people because of what they did. They stumbled and fell, and there was no one to help them.
13 They were in trouble, so they called to the Lord for help, and he saved them from their troubles.
14 He took them out of their dark prisons. He broke the ropes that held them.
15 Thank the Lord for his faithful love and for the amazing things he does for people.
16 He breaks down their bronze gates. He shatters their iron bars.
17 Some people became fools and turned against God, and they suffered for the evil they did.
18 They became so sick that they refused to eat, so they almost died.
19 They were in trouble, so they called to the Lord for help, and he saved them from their troubles.
20 He gave the command and healed them, so they were saved from the grave.
21 Thank the Lord for his faithful love and for the amazing things he does for people.
22 Offer sacrifices of thanks to him. Sing with joy about all that he has done.
23 Some sailed the sea in ships. Their work carried them across the water.
24 They saw what the Lord can do. They saw the amazing things he did at sea.
25 He gave the command, and a strong wind began to blow. The waves became higher and higher.
26 The waves lifted them high into the sky and dropped them into the deep sea. The storm was so dangerous that the men lost their courage.
27 They were stumbling and falling like someone who is drunk. Their skill as sailors was useless.
28 They were in trouble, so they called to the Lord for help, and he saved them from their troubles.
29 He stopped the storm and calmed the waves.
30 The sailors were happy that the sea became calm, and he led them safely to where they wanted to go.
31 Thank the Lord for his faithful love and for the amazing things he does for people.
32 Praise God in the great assembly. Praise him when the older leaders meet together.
33 He changed rivers into a desert. He stopped springs from flowing.
34 He made the fertile land become salty, because the people living there did such evil things.
35 He changed the desert into a land with pools of water. He caused springs to flow from dry ground.
36 He led the hungry to that good land, and they built a city to live in.
37 They planted seeds in their fields and grapes in their vineyards, and they had a good harvest.
38 God blessed them with many children and plenty of animals.
39 But because of disaster and troubles, their families became small and weak.
40 God shames even great leaders and makes them wander through empty deserts.
41 But he rescues the poor from their misery. He makes their families large like flocks of sheep.
42 Good people see this and are happy. But the wicked see it and don’t know what to say.