² Let the people Yahweh defended repeat these words.
    They are the people he defended from the power of their enemies
³         and gathered from other countries,
            from the east and from the west,
            from the north and from the south.
⁴ They wandered around the desert on a deserted road
    without finding an inhabited city.
⁵ They were hungry and thirsty.
    They began to lose hope.
⁶ In their distress they cried out to Yahweh.
    He rescued them from their troubles.
⁷ He led them on a road that went straight to an inhabited city.

⁸ Let them give thanks to Yahweh because of his mercy.
    He performed his miracles for Adam’s descendants.
⁹ He gave plenty to drink to those who were thirsty.
    He filled those who were hungry with good food.
¹⁰ Those who lived in the dark, in death’s shadow
    were prisoners in misery.
        They were held in iron chains
¹¹ because they had rebelled against El’s words
    and had despised the advice given by Elyon.
¹² So he humbled them with hard work.
    They fell down, but no one was there to help them.
¹³ In their distress they cried out to Yahweh.
    He saved them from their troubles.
¹⁴ He brought them out of the dark, out of death’s shadow.
    He broke apart their chains.

¹⁵ Let them give thanks to Yahweh because of his mercy.
    He performed his miracles for Adam’s descendants.
¹⁶ He shattered bronze gates
    and cut iron bars in two.
¹⁷ Fools suffered because of their disobedience
    and because of their crimes.
¹⁸ All food was disgusting to them,
    and they came near death’s gates.
¹⁹ In their distress they cried out to Yahweh.
    He saved them from their troubles.
²⁰ He sent his message and healed them.
    He rescued them from the grave.

²¹ Let them give thanks to Yahweh because of his mercy.
    He performed his miracles for Adam’s descendants.
²² Let them bring songs of thanksgiving as their sacrifice.
    Let them tell in joyful songs what he has done.
²³ Those who sail on the sea in ships,
    who do business on the high seas,
²⁴ have seen what Yahweh can do,
    the miracles he performed in the depths of the sea.
²⁵ He spoke, and a storm began to blow,
    and it made the waves rise high.
²⁶ The sailors aboard ship rose toward the sky.
    They plunged into the depths.
        Their courage melted in the face of disaster.
²⁷ They reeled and staggered like drunks,
    and all their skills as sailors became useless.
²⁸ In their distress they cried out to Yahweh.
    He led them from their troubles.
²⁹ He made the storm calm down,
    and the waves became still.
³⁰ The sailors were glad that the storm was quiet.
    He guided them to the harbor they had longed for.

³¹ Let them give thanks to Yahweh because of his mercy.
    He performed his miracles for Adam’s descendants.
³² Let them glorify him when the people are gathered for worship.
    Let them praise him in the company of respected leaders.
³³ He changes rivers into a desert,
    springs into thirsty ground,
³⁴ and fertile ground into a layer of salt
    because of the wickedness of the people living there.
³⁵ He changes deserts into lakes
    and dry ground into springs.
³⁶ There he settles those who are hungry,
    and they build cities to live in.
³⁷ They plant in fields and vineyards
    that produce crops.
³⁸ He blesses them, and their numbers multiply,
    and he does not allow a shortage of cattle.

³⁹ They became few in number and were humiliated
    because of oppression, disaster, and sorrow.
⁴⁰ He poured contempt on their influential people
    and made them stumble around in a pathless desert.
⁴¹ But now he lifts needy people high above suffering
    and makes their families like flocks.
⁴² Decent people will see this and rejoice,
    but all the wicked people will shut their mouths.

⁴³ Let those who think they are wise
    pay attention to these things
        so that they may understand Yahweh’s blessings.