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"Give thanks to the LORD, because he is good; his love is eternal!"
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Repeat these words in praise to the LORD, all you whom he has saved. He has rescued you from your enemies
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and has brought you back from foreign countries, from east and west, from north and south.
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Some wandered in the trackless desert and could not find their way to a city to live in.
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They were hungry and thirsty and had given up all hope.
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Then in their trouble they called to the LORD, and he saved them from their distress.
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He led them by a straight road to a city where they could live.
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They must thank the LORD for his constant love, for the wonderful things he did for them.
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He satisfies those who are thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
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Some were living in gloom and darkness, prisoners suffering in chains,
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because they had rebelled against the commands of Almighty God and had rejected his instructions.
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They were worn out from hard work; they would fall down, and no one would help.
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Then in their trouble they called to the LORD, and he saved them from their distress.
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He brought them out of their gloom and darkness and broke their chains in pieces.
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They must thank the LORD for his constant love, for the wonderful things he did for them.
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He breaks down doors of bronze and smashes iron bars.
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Some were fools, suffering because of their sins and because of their evil;
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they couldn't stand the sight of food and were close to death.
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Then in their trouble they called to the LORD, and he saved them from their distress.
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He healed them with his command and saved them from the grave.
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They must thank the LORD for his constant love, for the wonderful things he did for them.
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They must thank him with sacrifices, and with songs of joy must tell all that he has done.
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Some sailed over the ocean in ships, earning their living on the seas.
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They saw what the LORD can do, his wonderful acts on the seas.
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He commanded, and a mighty wind began to blow and stirred up the waves.
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The ships were lifted high in the air and plunged down into the depths. In such danger the sailors lost their courage;
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they stumbled and staggered like drunks--- all their skill was useless.
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Then in their trouble they called to the LORD, and he saved them from their distress.
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He calmed the raging storm, and the waves became quiet.
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They were glad because of the calm, and he brought them safe to the port they wanted.
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They must thank the LORD for his constant love, for the wonderful things he did for them.
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They must proclaim his greatness in the assembly of the people and praise him before the council of the leaders.
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The LORD made rivers dry up completely and stopped springs from flowing.
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He made rich soil become a salty wasteland because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
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He changed deserts into pools of water and dry land into flowing springs.
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He let hungry people settle there, and they built a city to live in.
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They sowed the fields and planted grapevines and reaped an abundant harvest.
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He blessed his people, and they had many children; he kept their herds of cattle from decreasing.
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When God's people were defeated and humiliated by cruel oppression and suffering,
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he showed contempt for their oppressors and made them wander in trackless deserts.
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But he rescued the needy from their misery and made their families increase like flocks.
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The righteous see this and are glad, but all the wicked are put to silence.
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May those who are wise think about these things; may they consider the LORD's constant love.
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"Who is this coming from the city of Bozrah in Edom? Who is this so splendidly dressed in red, marching along in power and strength?" It is the LORD, powerful to save, coming to announce his victory.
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"Why is his clothing so red, like that of someone who tramples grapes to make wine?"
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The LORD answers, "I have trampled the nations like grapes, and no one came to help me. I trampled them in my anger, and their blood has stained all my clothing.
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I decided that the time to save my people had come; it was time to punish their enemies.
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I was amazed when I looked and saw that there was no one to help me. But my anger made me strong, and I won the victory myself.
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In my anger I trampled whole nations and shattered them. I poured out their lifeblood on the ground."
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I will tell of the LORD's unfailing love; I praise him for all he has done for us. He has richly blessed the people of Israel because of his mercy and constant love.
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The LORD said, "They are my people; they will not deceive me." And so he saved them
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from all their suffering. It was not an angel, but the LORD himself who saved them. In his love and compassion he rescued them. He had always taken care of them in the past,
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but they rebelled against him and made his holy spirit sad. So the LORD became their enemy and fought against them.
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But then they remembered the past, the days of Moses, the servant of the LORD, and they asked, "Where now is the LORD, who saved the leaders of his people from the sea? Where is the LORD, who gave his spirit to Moses?
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Where is the LORD, who by his power did great things through Moses, dividing the waters of the sea and leading his people through the deep water, to win everlasting fame for himself ?" Led by the LORD, they were as sure-footed as wild horses, and never stumbled.
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As cattle are led into a fertile valley, so the LORD gave his people rest. He led his people and brought honor to his name.
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LORD, look upon us from heaven, where you live in your holiness and glory. Where is your great concern for us? Where is your power? Where are your love and compassion? Do not ignore us.
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You are our father. Our ancestors Abraham and Jacob do not acknowledge us, but you, LORD, are our father, the one who has always rescued us.
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Why do you let us stray from your ways? Why do you make us so stubborn that we turn away from you? Come back, for the sake of those who serve you, for the sake of the people who have always been yours.
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We, your holy people, were driven out by our enemies for a little while; they trampled down your sanctuary.
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You treat us as though you had never been our ruler, as though we had never been your people.
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Why don't you tear the sky open and come down? The mountains would see you and shake with fear.
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They would tremble like water boiling over a hot fire. Come and reveal your power to your enemies, and make the nations tremble at your presence!
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There was a time when you came and did terrifying things that we did not expect; the mountains saw you and shook with fear.
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No one has ever seen or heard of a God like you, who does such deeds for those who put their hope in him.
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You welcome those who find joy in doing what is right, those who remember how you want them to live. You were angry with us, but we went on sinning; in spite of your great anger we have continued to do wrong since ancient times.
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All of us have been sinful; even our best actions are filthy through and through. Because of our sins we are like leaves that wither and are blown away by the wind.
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No one turns to you in prayer; no one goes to you for help. You have hidden yourself from us and have abandoned us because of our sins.
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But you are our father, LORD. We are like clay, and you are like the potter. You created us,
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so do not be too angry with us or hold our sins against us forever. We are your people; be merciful to us.
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Your sacred cities are like a desert; Jerusalem is a deserted ruin,
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and our Temple, the sacred and beautiful place where our ancestors praised you, has been destroyed by fire. All the places we loved are in ruins.
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LORD, are you unmoved by all this? Are you going to do nothing and make us suffer more than we can endure?
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Two days later there was a wedding in the town of Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there,
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and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
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When the wine had given out, Jesus' mother said to him, "They are out of wine."
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"You must not tell me what to do," Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come."
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Jesus' mother then told the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
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The Jews have rules about ritual washing, and for this purpose six stone water jars were there, each one large enough to hold between twenty and thirty gallons.
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Jesus said to the servants, "Fill these jars with water." They filled them to the brim,
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and then he told them, "Now draw some water out and take it to the man in charge of the feast." They took him the water,
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which now had turned into wine, and he tasted it. He did not know where this wine had come from (but, of course, the servants who had drawn out the water knew); so he called the bridegroom
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and said to him, "Everyone else serves the best wine first, and after the guests have drunk a lot, he serves the ordinary wine. But you have kept the best wine until now!"
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Jesus performed this first miracle in Cana in Galilee; there he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
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After this, Jesus and his mother, brothers, and disciples went to Capernaum and stayed there a few days.
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It was almost time for the Passover Festival, so Jesus went to Jerusalem.
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There in the Temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and pigeons, and also the moneychangers sitting at their tables.
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So he made a whip from cords and drove all the animals out of the Temple, both the sheep and the cattle; he overturned the tables of the moneychangers and scattered their coins;
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and he ordered those who sold the pigeons, "Take them out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!"
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His disciples remembered that the scripture says, "My devotion to your house, O God, burns in me like a fire."
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The Jewish authorities came back at him with a question, "What miracle can you perform to show us that you have the right to do this?"
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Jesus answered, "Tear down this Temple, and in three days I will build it again."
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"Are you going to build it again in three days?" they asked him. "It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple!"
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But the temple Jesus was speaking about was his body.
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So when he was raised from death, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and what Jesus had said.
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While Jesus was in Jerusalem during the Passover Festival, many believed in him as they saw the miracles he performed.
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But Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he knew them all.
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There was no need for anyone to tell him about them, because he himself knew what was in their hearts.
