Read the Bible

¹ Thank the Lord because he is good.
    His love continues forever.
² That is what those whom the Lord has saved should say.
    He has saved them from the enemy
³ and has gathered them from other lands,
    from east and west, north and south.

⁴ Some people had wandered in the desert lands.
    They found no city in which to live.
⁵ They were hungry and thirsty,
    and they were discouraged.
⁶ In their misery they cried out to the Lord,
    and he saved them from their troubles.
⁷ He led them on a straight road
    to a city where they could live.
⁸ Let them give thanks to the Lord for his love
    and for the miracles he does for people.
⁹ He satisfies the thirsty
    and fills up the hungry.

¹⁰ Some sat in gloom and darkness;
    they were prisoners suffering in chains.
¹¹ They had turned against the words of God
    and had refused the advice of God Most High.
¹² So he broke their pride by hard work.
    They stumbled, and no one helped.
¹³ In their misery they cried out to the Lord,
    and he saved them from their troubles.
¹⁴ He brought them out of their gloom and darkness
    and broke their chains.
¹⁵ Let them give thanks to the Lord for his love
    and for the miracles he does for people.
¹⁶ He breaks down bronze gates
    and cuts apart iron bars.

¹⁷ Some fools turned against God
    and suffered for the evil they did.
¹⁸ They refused to eat anything,
    so they almost died.
¹⁹ In their misery they cried out to the Lord,
    and he saved them from their troubles.
²⁰ God gave the command and healed them,
    so they were saved from dying.
²¹ Let them give thanks to the Lord for his love
    and for the miracles he does for people.
²² Let them offer sacrifices to thank him.
    With joy they should tell what he has done.

²³ Others went out to sea in ships
    and did business on the great oceans.
²⁴ They saw what the Lord could do,
    the miracles he did in the deep oceans.
²⁵ He spoke, and a storm came up,
    which blew up high waves.
²⁶ The ships were tossed as high as the sky and fell low to the depths.
    The storm was so bad that they lost their courage.
²⁷ They stumbled and fell like people who were drunk.
    They did not know what to do.
²⁸ In their misery they cried out to the Lord,
    and he saved them from their troubles.
²⁹ He stilled the storm
    and calmed the waves.
³⁰ They were happy that it was quiet,
    and God guided them to the port they wanted.
³¹ Let them give thanks to the Lord for his love
    and for the miracles he does for people.
³² Let them praise his greatness in the meeting of the people;
    let them praise him in the meeting of the elders.

³³ He changed rivers into a desert
    and springs of water into dry ground.
³⁴ He made fertile land salty,
    because the people there did evil.
³⁵ He changed the desert into pools of water
    and dry ground into springs of water.
³⁶ He had the hungry settle there
    so they could build a city in which to live.
³⁷ They planted seeds in the fields and vineyards,
    and they had a good harvest.
³⁸ God blessed them, and they grew in number.
    Their cattle did not become fewer.

³⁹ Because of disaster, troubles, and sadness,
    their families grew smaller and weaker.
⁴⁰ He showed he was displeased with their leaders
    and made them wander in a pathless desert.
⁴¹ But he lifted the poor out of their suffering
    and made their families grow like flocks of sheep.
⁴² Good people see this and are happy,
    but the wicked say nothing.

⁴³ Whoever is wise will remember these things
    and will think about the love of the Lord.