Read the Bible

^1 (b)"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.^[a]

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 (c)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.