Give thanks to Adonoy, for He is good,

for His kindness endures forever.

Let those redeemed by Adonoy say it,

those He redeemed

from the adversary's hand.

And from the lands He gathered them,

from the east and from the west,

from the north and from the south.³

footnotes: ³ The Targum paraphrases: the southern sea.

They wandered in the wilderness,

in a path of desolation;

an inhabited city they did not find.

Hungry, also thirsty

their soul fainted within them.

Then they cried out to Adonoy

in their distress;

from their anguish He rescued them.

And He led them in a straight path,

that they might go to an inhabited city.

Let them thank Adonoy for His kindness,

and for His wonders to the children of man.

For He satisfied the longing soul,

and the hungry soul He filled with good.

Those who sit in darkness

and in the shadow of death,

bound in affliction and iron.⁴

footnotes: ⁴ This refers to those who are shackled and chained and locked in the darkness of dungeons or prisons.

For they defied the words of the Almighty,

and the counsel of the Most High

they scorned.

And He humbled their heart with hard labor,

they stumbled and there was none to help.

Then they cried out to Adonoy

in their distress;

from their anguish He delivered them.

He brought them out from darkness

and from the shadow of death,

and their shackles He broke.

Let them thank Adonoy for His kindness,

and for His wonders to the children of man.

For He has broken the gates of bronze,

and the bars of iron He has cut asunder.

They are fools—

because of the way of their transgression

and their iniquities,

they cause their own affliction.

Their soul abhors all food,

and they drew near to the gates of death.

Then they cried out to Adonoy

in their distress;

from their anguish He delivered them.

He sends His word and heals them,

and delivers them from their destruction.

Let them thank Adonoy for His kindness,

and for His wonders to the children of man.

And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,

and declare His works with singing.

Those who go down to the sea in ships,

that do work in mighty waters.⁵

footnotes: ⁵ Bodies of water with swift currents require increased efforts to keep the ship on course.

They saw the works of Adonoy,

and His wonders in the deep.

He spoke and raised the stormwind,

and lifted up its waves.

They rise to the heavens,

they descend to the depths,

their soul melts away because of trouble.

They reel and stagger like a drunkard,

and all their skills are swallowed up [useless].

Then they cried out to Adonoy

in their distress,

from their anguish He rescued them.

He turned the storm into calmness,

and their waves were stilled.

They rejoiced

because the waves were quieted,

and He led them to their desired border.

Let them thank Adonoy for His kindness,

and for His wonders to the children of man.

Let them exalt Him

in an assembly of people,⁶

footnotes: ⁶ From this verse, the Talmud learns the Blessing of Thanksgiving (בִּרְכַת הַגוֹמֵל) must be recited in the presence of ten men who constitute a קָהָל , an assembly. —[ Berachos 54b ]

and at a sitting of elders, praise Him.⁷

footnotes: ⁷ From these words the Talmud learns that at least two of the ten men in the quorum, must be elders, Torah scholars.

He turns rivers into a wilderness,

and springs of water into an arid place.

A fruitful land into a salt waste,

because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.

He turns a wilderness into a pool of water,

and a dry land into springs of water.

And He made the hungry settle there,

and they established an inhabited city.

And they sowed fields and planted vineyards,

which yielded fruit for harvest.

And He blessed them

and they multiplied greatly,

and their cattle, He did not diminish.

And they were reduced in numbers

and brought low,

from oppression, calamity, and sorrow.

He pours contempt upon nobles,

and causes them to wander in the wasteland

where there is no path.

And He lifted up the needy from affliction,

and he established families like a flock.

The upright will see it and rejoice,

and all iniquity will shut its mouth.

Whoever is wise, let him note these things,

and they will understand

the kindnesses of Adonoy.