Like the two preceding psalms, this one recalls the past, and draws another lesson from it: each time they cried to the Lord, he listened to them. “Let us give thanks for his love.”
1Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his love endures forever.
2Let the redeemed of the Lord say this, those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, 3those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.
4Some strayed in the wilderness and were lost, far away from the city.
5They wandered about hungry and thirsty, their lives ebbing away.
6Then they cried to the Lord in anguish, and he rescued them from their distress.
7He led them by a straight way to a city where they could dwell.
8Let them thank the Lord for his love and wondrous deeds for humans.
9He quenches the thirst of the soul and satisfies the hunger of the heart.
10They lived in the darkness of death like prisoners suffering in chains, 11for they rebelled against the word of God and despised the counsel of the Most High.
12Their backs bent in hard labor, they fell down, and there was no one to help.
13Then they cried to the Lord in anguish, and he rescued them from their distress.
14He brought them out of the dark and gloom, and he tore asunder their bonds.
15Let them thank the Lord for his love and wondrous deeds for humans.
16For he breaks open gates of bronze and batters down bars of iron.
17They were sick because of their wrongs, they were afflicted for their iniquities.
18Unable to take any food they drew near the gates of death.
19Then they cried to the Lord in anguish, and he rescued them from their distress.
20He sent forth his word and healed them, and rescued them from destruction.
21Let them thank the Lord for his love and wondrous deeds for humans.
22Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his deeds in joyful song.
23Those who went to the sea in ships, merchants on the mighty waters, 24saw the marvels of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep.
25For he spoke and stirred up a storm whipping up the waves of the sea.
26Flung upward and plunged to the depths, they lost courage in the ordeal; 27reeling like drunkards, they were adrift, in spite of all their seamanship.
28Then they cried to the Lord in anguish, and he rescued them from their distress.
29He stilled the storm to a gentle breeze and hushed the billows to silent waves.
30How glad they were! He brought them safe and sound to the port where they were bound.
31Let them thank the Lord for his love and wondrous deeds for humans.
32Let them extol him in the congregation, praise him in the assembly of the people.
33He turned rivers into wastelands, flowing springs into parched grounds, 34and fruitful valleys into salt-flats, because of the wickedness of their inhabitants.
35Yet he also turned deserts into watersheds and parched land into flowing springs.
36There he let the hungry settle and found a city where they could dwell.
37They planted vineyards, they sowed fields, and from them got fruitful harvests.
38By his blessing their numbers increased, and their herds and flocks did not diminish.
39But then they dwindled and were humbled through oppression, sorrow and distress.
40And he who pours contempt upon princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes 41rescued the needy from their affliction and made their families flourish like flocks.
42The upright see it and are glad, but the wicked are silenced.
43Let the wise consider all this and understand the Lord’s infinite love.
