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¹ Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loyal love is forever.
² Let the redeemed of Yahweh declare^[a] it,
those whom he has redeemed from the hand of the enemy
³ and gathered from the lands,
from east and from west, from north and from south.^[b]
4 They wandered in the wilderness, in a desert.
They could find no way^[c] to a city to inhabit.
⁵ Hungry and thirsty,
their soul grew faint within them.
⁶ Then they cried out to Yahweh in their trouble.
He delivered them from their distresses
⁷ and led them by a straight way
to get to a city to inhabit.
⁸ Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his loyal love,
and his wonderful deeds for the children of humankind,
⁹ for he satisfies the longing soul,^[d]
and the hungry soul he fills with good.
¹⁰ Those who sat in darkness and gloom,
prisoners of misery and iron—
¹¹ because they rebelled against the words of God
and spurned the counsel of the Most High,
¹² he therefore humbled their heart with trouble.
They stumbled and there was no helper.
¹³ Then they called to Yahweh for help in their trouble;
he saved them from their distresses.
¹⁴ He brought them out of darkness and gloom,
and tore off their bonds.
¹⁵ Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his loyal love
and his wonderful deeds for the children of humankind,
¹⁶ for he shatters the doors of bronze,
and cuts through the bars of iron.
¹⁷ Fools, because of their rebellious way
and their iniquities, were afflicted.
¹⁸ Their soul abhorred all food,
and they approached the gates of death.
¹⁹ Then they called to Yahweh for help in their trouble.
He saved them from their distresses.
²⁰ He sent his word and healed them,
and he delivered them from their pits.^[e]
21 Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his loyal love,
and his wonderful deeds for the children of humankind,
²² and let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and tell of his works with rejoicing.
²³ Those who went down to the sea into ships,
doing business on the high seas,^[f]
24 they saw the works of Yahweh,
and his wonderful deeds in the deep.
²⁵ For he spoke and raised up a stormy wind,
and it whipped up its waves.
²⁶ They rose to the heavens; they plunged to the depths.
Their soul melted in their calamity.
²⁷ They reeled and staggered like a drunkard,
and they were at their wits' end.^[g]
28 Then they cried out to Yahweh in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distresses.
²⁹ He made the storm be still
and their waves became calm.
³⁰ Then they were glad because they grew silent,
so he guided them to their desired harbor.
³¹ Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his loyal love
and his wonderful deeds for the children of humankind,
³² and let them exalt him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
³³ He turns rivers into a wilderness
and springs of water into thirsty ground,
³⁴ a fruitful land into a salty place,
because of the evil of its inhabitants.
³⁵ He turns a wilderness into a pool of water
and a dry land into springs of water.
³⁶ And he settles the hungry there,
so that they may establish a city to inhabit,
³⁷ and sow fields and plant vineyards,
that they may yield fruit at harvest.^[h]
38 And he blesses them and they multiply greatly,
and he does not let their cattle become few.
³⁹ When they become few and they are bent down
from the oppression of calamity and grief,
⁴⁰ he pours contempt on princes
and causes them to wander in a trackless waste.
⁴¹ But he protects^[i] the needy from misery,
and he makes their families like a flock.
⁴² The upright see it and are glad,
and all wickedness shuts its mouth.
⁴³ Whoever is wise, then let him observe these things,
and let them consider Yahweh's acts of loyal love.