1Give thanks to Yahweh, because he always does good things for us His faithful love for us lasts forever!

2Those whom Yahweh has saved should tell others that he has rescued them from their enemies.

3He has gathered those of you who were ◄exiled/taken forcefully► to many lands; he has gathered you together from the east and the west,
from the north and from the south.

4Some of those who returned from those countries wandered in the desert; they were lost and had no homes to live in.

5They were hungry and thirsty, and they were very discouraged.

6When they were in trouble, they called out to Yahweh, and he rescued them from ◄being distressed/their difficulties►.

7He led them along a straight road where they walked safely to cities in Canaan where they could live.

8They should praise/thank Yahweh for loving them faithfully and for the wonderful things that he does for people.

9He gives thirsty people plenty of water to drink, and he gives hungry people plenty of good things to eat.

10Some of them were in very dark [HEN] ◄places in Babylonia/other countries►; they were prisoners, suffering because of chains fastened to their hands and feet.

11They were in prison because they had ◄rebelled against/not obeyed► the message of God;
they were there because they had despised the advice given by God, who is greater than all other gods.

12That is why their bodies were worn out from hard labor; when they fell down, there was no one who would help them.

13In their troubles, they called out to Yahweh, and he rescued them from their being distressed.

14He broke the chains that were on their hands and feet; and brought them out of those very dark prisons.

15He broke down the prison gates that were made of bronze, and cut through the prison bars that were made of iron. So they also should praise/thank Yahweh for faithfully loving them, and for all the wonderful things that he does for people.

17Some of them foolishly rebelled against God, so they suffered for their sins.

18They did not want to eat any food, and they almost died.

19In their troubles, they also called out to Yahweh, and he rescued them from their being distressed.

20When he commanded that they be healed, they were healed; he saved them from dying.

21They also should praise/thank Yahweh for faithfully loving them, and for all the wonderful things that he does for people.

22They should give offerings to him to show that they are thankful, and they should sing joyfully about the miracles that he has performed.

23Some of them sailed in ships; they were selling things in ports throughout the world.

24As they were sailing, they also saw the miracles that Yahweh performed, the wonderful things that he did when they were on very deep seas.

25He commanded the winds, and they became strong and ◄stirred up high waves/caused waves to rise high►.

26The ships in which they were sailing were tossed high in the air, and then they sank into the ◄troughs/low places► between the high waves; then the sailors were terrified.

27They stumbled about and staggered like drunken men, and they did not know what to do.

28In their troubles, they also called out to Yahweh, and he rescued them from their distresses.

29He ◄calmed the storm/caused the wind to stop blowing►, and he caused the waves to completely subside.

30They were very glad when it became calm; and Yahweh brought them safely into a harbor.

31They also should praise/thank Yahweh for faithfully loving them, and for all the wonderful things that he does for people.

32They should praise him among the Israeli people when they have gathered together, and they should praise him in front of the leaders of the country.

33Sometimes Yahweh causes rivers to become dry, with the result that the land becomes a desert,
and springs of water become dry land.

34Sometimes he causes land that has produced lots of crops to become salty wastelands, with the result that they do not produce crops.
He does that because the people who live there are very wicked.

35But sometimes he causes pools of water to appear in deserts, and he causes springs to flow in very dry ground.

36He brings hungry people into that land, to live there and build cities there.

37They plant seeds in their fields, and they plant grapevines that produce big crops of grapes.

38He blesses the people, and the women give birth to many children, and they have large herds of cattle.

39When the number of people becomes smaller and they have been humiliated by their enemies by being oppressed and caused to suffer [DOU],

40Yahweh shows contempt for the leaders who oppress them, and causes them to wander in deserts where there are no roads.

41But he rescues poor people from ◄being in misery/suffering►, and causes their families to increase in number like flocks of sheep.

42Godly/Righteous people will ◄see/hear about► these things, and they will rejoice, and wicked people will hear about these things, too,
but they will have nothing to say in reply.

43Those who are wise should think carefully about those things; they should consider all the things that Yahweh has done to show that he faithfully loves them.