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¹Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

²Has the LORD redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.

³For he has gathered the exiles from many lands, from east and west, from north and south.

⁴Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless.

⁵Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died.

⁶“LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress.

⁷He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live.

⁸Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.

⁹For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

¹⁰Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, imprisoned in iron chains of misery.

¹¹They rebelled against the words of God, scorning the counsel of the Most High.

¹²That is why he broke them with hard labor; they fell, and no one was there to help them.

¹³“LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.

¹⁴He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; he snapped their chains.

¹⁵Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.

¹⁶For he broke down their prison gates of bronze; he cut apart their bars of iron.

¹⁷Some were fools; they rebelled and suffered for their sins.

¹⁸They couldn’t stand the thought of food, and they were knocking on death’s door.

¹⁹“LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.

²⁰He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.

²¹Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.

²²Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.

²³Some went off to sea in ships, plying the trade routes of the world.

²⁴They, too, observed the LORD’s power in action, his impressive works on the deepest seas.

²⁵He spoke, and the winds rose, stirring up the waves.

²⁶Their ships were tossed to the heavens and plunged again to the depths; the sailors cringed in terror.

²⁷They reeled and staggered like drunkards and were at their wits’ end.

²⁸“LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.

²⁹He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves.

³⁰What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbor!

³¹Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.

³²Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation and before the leaders of the nation.

³³He changes rivers into deserts, and springs of water into dry, thirsty land.

³⁴He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands, because of the wickedness of those who live there.

³⁵But he also turns deserts into pools of water, the dry land into springs of water.

³⁶He brings the hungry to settle there and to build their cities.

³⁷They sow their fields, plant their vineyards, and harvest their bumper crops.

³⁸How he blesses them! They raise large families there, and their herds of livestock increase.

³⁹When they decrease in number and become impoverished through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,

⁴⁰the LORD pours contempt on their princes, causing them to wander in trackless wastelands.

⁴¹But he rescues the poor from trouble and increases their families like flocks of sheep.

⁴²The godly will see these things and be glad, while the wicked are struck silent.

⁴³Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the LORD.

¹My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!

²Wake up, lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song.

³I will thank you, LORD, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations.

⁴For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

⁵Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.

⁶Now rescue your beloved people. Answer and save us by your power.

⁷God has promised this by his holiness : “I will divide up Shechem with joy. I will measure out the valley of Succoth.

⁸Gilead is mine, and Manasseh, too. Ephraim, my helmet, will produce my warriors, and Judah, my scepter, will produce my kings.

⁹But Moab, my washbasin, will become my servant, and I will wipe my feet on Edom and shout in triumph over Philistia.”

¹⁰Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will bring me victory over Edom?

¹¹Have you rejected us, O God? Will you no longer march with our armies?

¹²Oh, please help us against our enemies, for all human help is useless.

¹³With God’s help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes.

¹O God, whom I praise, don’t stand silent and aloof

²while the wicked slander me and tell lies about me.

³They surround me with hateful words and fight against me for no reason.

⁴I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations even as I am praying for them!

⁵They repay evil for good, and hatred for my love.

⁶They say, “Get an evil person to turn against him. Send an accuser to bring him to trial.

⁷When his case comes up for judgment, let him be pronounced guilty. Count his prayers as sins.

⁸Let his years be few; let someone else take his position.

⁹May his children become fatherless, and his wife a widow.

¹⁰May his children wander as beggars and be driven from their ruined homes.

¹¹May creditors seize his entire estate, and strangers take all he has earned.

¹²Let no one be kind to him; let no one pity his fatherless children.

¹³May all his offspring die. May his family name be blotted out in the next generation.

¹⁴May the LORD never forget the sins of his fathers; may his mother’s sins never be erased from the record.

¹⁵May the LORD always remember these sins, and may his name disappear from human memory.

¹⁶For he refused all kindness to others; he persecuted the poor and needy, and he hounded the brokenhearted to death.

¹⁷He loved to curse others; now you curse him. He never blessed others; now don’t you bless him.

¹⁸Cursing is as natural to him as his clothing, or the water he drinks, or the rich food he eats.

¹⁹Now may his curses return and cling to him like clothing; may they be tied around him like a belt.”

²⁰May those curses become the LORD’s punishment for my accusers who speak evil of me.

²¹But deal well with me, O Sovereign LORD, for the sake of your own reputation! Rescue me because you are so faithful and good.

²²For I am poor and needy, and my heart is full of pain.

²³I am fading like a shadow at dusk; I am brushed off like a locust.

²⁴My knees are weak from fasting, and I am skin and bones.

²⁵I am a joke to people everywhere; when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn.

²⁶Help me, O LORD my God! Save me because of your unfailing love.

²⁷Let them see that this is your doing, that you yourself have done it, LORD.

²⁸Then let them curse me if they like, but you will bless me! When they attack me, they will be disgraced! But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing!

²⁹May my accusers be clothed with disgrace; may their humiliation cover them like a cloak.

³⁰But I will give repeated thanks to the LORD, praising him to everyone.

³¹For he stands beside the needy, ready to save them from those who condemn them.

¹The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.”

²The LORD will extend your powerful kingdom from Jerusalem ; you will rule over your enemies.

³When you go to war, your people will serve you willingly. You are arrayed in holy garments, and your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew.

⁴The LORD has taken an oath and will not break his vow: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

⁵The Lord stands at your right hand to protect you. He will strike down many kings when his anger erupts.

⁶He will punish the nations and fill their lands with corpses; he will shatter heads over the whole earth.

⁷But he himself will be refreshed from brooks along the way. He will be victorious.

¹Praise the LORD! I will thank the LORD with all my heart as I meet with his godly people.

²How amazing are the deeds of the LORD! All who delight in him should ponder them.

³Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails.

⁴He causes us to remember his wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our LORD!

⁵He gives food to those who fear him; he always remembers his covenant.

⁶He has shown his great power to his people by giving them the lands of other nations.

⁷All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy.

⁸They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.

⁹He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!

¹⁰Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!