Through the Bible – Day 221

₁Shout praises to the LORD!

He is good to us,

and his love never fails.

₂Everyone the LORD has rescued

from trouble

should praise him,

₃everyone he has brought

from the east and the west,

the north and the south.

₄Some of you were lost

in the scorching desert,

far from a town.

₅You were hungry and thirsty

and about to give up.

₆You were in serious trouble,

but you prayed to the LORD,

and he rescued you.

₇Straight away he brought you

to a town.

₈You should praise the LORD

for his love

and for the wonderful things

he does for all of us.

₉To everyone who is thirsty,

he gives something to drink;

to everyone who is hungry,

he gives good things to eat.

₁₀Some of you were prisoners

suffering in deepest darkness

and bound by chains,

₁₁because you had rebelled

against God Most High

and refused his advice.

₁₂You were worn out

from working like slaves,

and no one came to help.

₁₃You were in serious trouble,

but you prayed to the LORD,

and he rescued you.

₁₄He brought you out

of the deepest darkness

and broke your chains.

₁₅You should praise the LORD

for his love

and for the wonderful things

he does for all of us.

₁₆He breaks down bronze gates

and shatters iron locks.

₁₇Some of you had foolishly

committed a lot of sins

and were in terrible pain.

₁₈The very thought of food

was disgusting to you,

and you were almost dead.

₁₉You were in serious trouble,

but you prayed to the LORD,

and he rescued you.

₂₀By the power of his own word,

he healed you and saved you

from destruction.

₂₁You should praise the LORD

for his love

and for the wonderful things

he does for all of us.

₂₂You should celebrate

by offering sacrifices

and singing joyful songs

to tell what he has done.

₂₃Some of you made a living

by sailing the mighty sea,

₂₄and you saw the miracles

the LORD performed there.

₂₅At his command a storm arose,

and waves covered the sea.

₂₆You were tossed to the sky

and to the ocean depths,

until things looked so bad

that you lost your courage.

₂₇You staggered like drunkards

and gave up all hope.

₂₈You were in serious trouble,

but you prayed to the LORD,

and he rescued you.

₂₉He made the storm stop

and the sea be quiet.

₃₀You were happy because of this,

and he brought you to the port

where you wanted to go.

₃₁You should praise the LORD

for his love

and for the wonderful things

he does for all of us.

₃₂Honour the LORD

when you and your leaders

meet to worship.

₃₃If you start doing wrong,

the LORD will turn rivers

into deserts,

₃₄flowing streams

into scorched land,

and fruitful fields

into beds of salt.

₃₅But the LORD can also turn

deserts into lakes

and scorched land

into flowing streams.

₃₆If you are hungry,

you can settle there

and build a town.

₃₇You can plant fields

and vineyards that produce

a good harvest.

₃₈The LORD will bless you

with many children

and with herds of cattle.

₃₉Sometimes you may be crushed

by troubles and sorrows,

until only a few of you

are left to survive.

₄₀But the LORD will take revenge

on those who conquer you,

and he will make them wander

across desert sands.

₄₁When you are suffering

and in need,

he will come to your rescue,

and your families will grow

as fast as a herd of sheep.

₄₂You will see this because

you obey the LORD,

but everyone who is wicked

will be silenced.

₄₃Be wise! Remember this

and think about the kindness

of the LORD.

₁Our God, I am faithful to you

with all my heart,

and you can trust me.

I will sing

and play music for you

with all that I am.

₂I will start playing my harps

before the sun rises.

₃I will praise you, LORD,

for everyone to hear;

I will sing hymns to you

in every nation.

₄Your love reaches higher

than the heavens,

and your loyalty extends

beyond the clouds.

₅Our God, may you be honoured

above the heavens;

may your glory be seen

everywhere on earth.

₆Answer my prayers

and use your powerful arm

to give us victory.

Then the people you love

will be safe.

₇Our God, from your holy place

you made this promise:

“I will gladly divide up

the city of Shechem

and give away Succoth Valley

piece by piece.

₈The lands of Gilead

and Manasseh are mine.

Ephraim is my war helmet,

and Judah is my symbol

of royal power.

₉Moab is merely my washbasin,

and Edom belongs to me.

I shout with victory

over the Philistines.”

₁₀Our God, who will bring me

to the fortress

or lead me to Edom?

₁₁Have you rejected us?

You don't lead our armies.

₁₂Help us defeat our enemies!

No one else can rescue us.

₁₃You are the one

who gives us victory

and crushes our enemies.

“For you we face death

all day long.

We are like sheep

on their way

to be butchered.”