BOOK V
The Lord Is Good to His People
1 Shout praises to the Lord!
He is good to us,
and his love never fails.
2 Everyone the Lord has rescued
from trouble
should praise him,
3 everyone he has brought
from the east and the west,
the north and the south.
4 Some of you were lost
in the scorching desert,
far from a town.
5 You were hungry and thirsty
and about to give up.
6 You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the Lord,
and he rescued you.
7 At once he brought you
to a town.
8 You should praise the Lord
for his love
and for the wonderful things
he does for all of us.
9 To everyone who is thirsty,
he gives something to drink;
to everyone who is hungry,
he gives good things to eat.
10 Some of you were prisoners
suffering in deepest darkness
and bound by chains,
11 because you had rebelled
against God Most High
and refused his advice.
12 You were worn out
from working like slaves,
and no one came to help.
13 You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the Lord,
and he rescued you.
14 He brought you out
of the deepest darkness
and broke your chains.
15 You should praise the Lord
for his love
and for the wonderful things
he does for all of us.
16 He breaks down bronze gates
and shatters iron locks.
17 Some of you had foolishly
committed a lot of sins
and were in terrible pain.
18 The very thought of food
was disgusting to you,
and you were almost dead.
19 You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the Lord,
and he rescued you.
20 By the power of his own word,
he healed you and saved you
from destruction.
21 You should praise the Lord
for his love
and for the wonderful things
he does for all of us.
22 You should celebrate
by offering sacrifices
and singing joyful songs
to tell what he has done.
23 Some of you made a living
by sailing the mighty sea,
24 and you saw the miracles
the Lord performed there.
25 At his command a storm arose,
and waves covered the sea.
26 You were tossed to the sky
and to the ocean depths,
until things looked so bad
that you lost your courage.
27 You staggered like drunkards
and gave up all hope.
28 You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the Lord,
and he rescued you.
29 He made the storm stop
and the sea be quiet.
30 You were happy because of this,
and he brought you to the port
where you wanted to go.
31 You should praise the Lord
for his love
and for the wonderful things
he does for all of us.
32 Honor the Lord
when you and your leaders
meet to worship.
33 If you start doing wrong,
the Lord will turn rivers
into deserts,
34 flowing streams
into scorched land,
and fruitful fields
into beds of salt.
35 But the Lord can also turn
deserts into lakes
and scorched land
into flowing streams.
36 If you are hungry,
you can settle there
and build a town.
37 You can plant fields
and vineyards that produce
a good harvest.
38 The Lord will bless you
with many children
and with herds of cattle.
39 Sometimes you may be crushed
by troubles and sorrows,
until only a few of you
are left to survive.
40 But the Lord will take revenge
on those who conquer you,
and he will make them wander
across desert sands.
41 When you are suffering
and in need,
he will come to your rescue,
and your families will grow
as fast as a herd of sheep.
42 You will see this because
you obey the Lord,
but everyone who is wicked
will be silenced.
43 Be wise! Remember this
and think about the kindness
of the Lord.
1 Praise the Lord, because he is good: for his mercie endureth for euer. 2 Let them, which haue bene redeemed of the Lord, shewe how he hath deliuered them from the hand of the oppressour, 3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the East and from the West, from the North and from the South. 4 When they wandered in the desert and wildernesse out of the waie, and founde no citie to dwell in, 5 Both hungrie and thirstie, their soule fainted in them. 6 Then they cried vnto the Lord in their trouble, and he deliuered them from their distresse, 7 And led them forth by the right way, that they might goe to a citie of habitation. 8 Let them therefore confesse before ye Lord his louing kindnesse, and his wonderfull woorkes before the sonnes of men. 9 For he satisfied the thirstie soule, and filled the hungrie soule with goodnesse. 10 They that dwell in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death, being bounde in miserie and yron, 11 Because they rebelled against the wordes of the Lord, and despised the counsell of the most High, 12 When he humbled their heart with heauines, then they fell downe and there was no helper. 13 Then they cried vnto the Lord in their trouble, and he deliuered them from their distresse. 14 He brought them out of darkenes, and out of the shadowe of death, and brake their bandes asunder. 15 Let them therefore cofesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse, and his wonderfull woorkes before the sonnes of men. 16 For hee hath broken the gates of brasse, and brast the barres of yron asunder. 17 Fooles by reason of their transgression, and because of their iniquities are afflicted. 18 Their soule abhorreth al meat, and they are brought to deaths doore. 19 Then they crie vnto the Lord in their trouble, and he deliuereth them from their distresse. 20 He sendeth his worde and healeth them, and deliuereth them from their graues. 21 Let them therefore cofesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse, and his wonderful workes before the sonnes of men, 22 And let them offer sacrifices of praise, and declare his workes with reioycing. 23 They that goe downe to the sea in ships, and occupie by the great waters, 24 They see the woorkes of the Lord, and his wonders in the deepe. 25 For he commaundeth and raiseth the stormie winde, and it lifteth vp the waues thereof. 26 They mount vp to the heauen, and descend to ye deepe, so that their soule melteth for trouble. 27 They are tossed to and from, and stagger like a drunken man, and all their cunning is gone. 28 Then they crie vnto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresse. 29 He turneth the storme to calme, so that the waues thereof are still. 30 When they are quieted, they are glad, and hee bringeth them vnto the hauen, where they would be. 31 Let them therfore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse, and his wonderfull woorkes before the sonnes of men. 32 And let them exalt him in the Congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the Elders. 33 He turneth the floodes into a wildernesse, and the springs of waters into drinesse, 34 And a fruitfull land into barrennes for the wickednes of them that dwell therein. 35 Againe hee turneth the wildernesse into pooles of water, and the drie lande into water springs. 36 And there he placeth the hungrie, and they builde a citie to dwell in, 37 And sowe the fieldes, and plant vineyardes, which bring foorth fruitfull increase. 38 For he blesseth them, and they multiplie exceedingly, and he diminisheth not their cattell. 39 Againe men are diminished, and brought lowe by oppression, euill and sorowe. 40 He powreth contempt vpon princes, and causeth them to erre in desert places out of the way. 41 Yet he raiseth vp the poore out of miserie, and maketh him families like a flocke of sheepe. 42 The righteous shall see it, and reioyce, and all iniquitie shall stoppe her mouth. 43 Who is wise that hee may obserue these things? for they shall vnderstand the louing kindnesse of the Lord.