1 O h, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good! His loving-kindness lasts forever!

2 L et the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,

Let the people who have been saved say so. He has bought them and set them free from the hand of those who hated them.

3 A nd gathered out of the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south.

He gathered them from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.

4 T hey wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; They found no city to dwell in.

Some traveled through the desert wastes. They did not find a way to a city where they could live.

5 H ungry and thirsty, Their soul fainted in them.

They were hungry and thirsty. Their souls became weak within them.

6 T hen they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He delivered them out of their distresses.

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble. And He took them out of their suffering.

7 A nd He led them forth by the right way, That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.

He led them by a straight path to a city where they could live.

8 O h, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His loving-kindness and His great works to the children of men!

9 F or He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness.

For He fills the thirsty soul. And He fills the hungry soul with good things.

10 T hose who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Bound in affliction and irons—

Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death. They suffered in prison in iron chains.

11 B ecause they rebelled against the words of God, And despised the counsel of the Most High,

Because they had turned against the Words of God. They hated what the Most High told them to do.

12 T herefore He brought down their heart with labor; They fell down, and there was none to help.

So He loaded them down with hard work. They fell and there was no one to help.

13 T hen they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses.

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble. And He saved them from their suffering.

14 H e brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces.

He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death. And He broke their chains.

15 O h, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His loving-kindness and His great works to the children of men!

16 F or He has broken the gates of bronze, And cut the bars of iron in two.

For He has broken gates of brass and cut through walls of iron.

17 F ools, because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.

Some were fools because of their wrong-doing. They had troubles because of their sins.

18 T heir soul abhorred all manner of food, And they drew near to the gates of death.

They hated all kinds of food. And they came near the gates of death.

19 T hen they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses.

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble. And He saved them from their suffering.

20 H e sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.

He sent His Word and healed them. And He saved them from the grave.

21 O h, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His loving-kindness and His great works to the children of men!

22 L et them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And declare His works with rejoicing.

Let them give Him gifts of thanks and tell of His works with songs of joy.

23 T hose who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters,

Some went out to sea in ships to buy and sell on the great waters.

24 T hey see the works of the Lord, And His wonders in the deep.

They have seen what the Lord can do and His great works on the sea.

25 F or He commands and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea.

For He spoke and raised up a storm that lifted up the waves of the sea.

26 T hey mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble.

They went up to the heavens and down to the deep. Their strength of heart left them in their danger.

27 T hey reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end.

They could not walk straight but went from side to side like a drunk man. They did not know what to do.

28 T hen they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses.

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble. And He took them out of all their problems.

29 H e calms the storm, So that its waves are still.

He stopped the storm, and the waves of the sea became quiet.

30 T hen they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven.

Then they were glad because the sea became quiet. And He led them to the safe place they wanted.

31 O h, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His loving-kindness and His great works to the children of men!

32 L et them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, And praise Him in the company of the elders.

Let them honor Him in the meeting of the people and praise Him in the meeting of the leaders.

33 H e turns rivers into a wilderness, And the watersprings into dry ground;

He changes rivers into a desert and wells of water into a thirsty ground.

34 A fruitful land into barrenness, For the wickedness of those who dwell in it.

He changes a land of much fruit into a salt waste because of the sin of those who live in it.

35 H e turns a wilderness into pools of water, And dry land into watersprings.

He changes a desert into a pool of water and makes water flow out of dry ground.

36 T here He makes the hungry dwell, That they may establish a city for a dwelling place,

And He makes the hungry go there so they may build a city to live in.

37 A nd sow fields and plant vineyards, That they may yield a fruitful harvest.

They plant seeds in the fields and plant grape-vines and gather much fruit.

38 H e also blesses them, and they multiply greatly; And He does not let their cattle decrease.

He lets good come to them and they become many in number. And He does not let the number of their cattle become less.

39 W hen they are diminished and brought low Through oppression, affliction, and sorrow,

When the number of people becomes less and they are put to shame under a bad power and trouble and sorrow,

40 H e pours contempt on princes, And causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way;

He pours anger on rulers. He makes them walk in the waste places where there is no path.

41 Y et He sets the poor on high, far from affliction, And makes their families like a flock.

But He lifts those in need out of their troubles. He makes their families grow like flocks.

42 T he righteous see it and rejoice, And all iniquity stops its mouth.

Those who are right see it and are glad. But all the sinful shut their mouths.

43 W hoever is wise will observe these things, And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.

Let the wise man think about these things. And may he think about the loving-kindness of the Lord.