הֹדוּ לַיהֹוָה כִּי־טוֹב Give thanks to Adonoy, for He is good,
כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ: for His kindness endures forever.
יֹאמְרוּ גְּאוּלֵי יְהֹוָה Let those redeemed by Adonoy say it,
אֲשֶׁר גְּאָלָם those He redeemed
מִיַּד־צָר: from the adversary's hand.
וּמֵאֲרָצוֹת קִבְּצָם And from the lands He gathered them,
מִמִּזְרָח וּמִמַּעֲרָב from the east and from the west,
מִצָּפוֹן וּמִיָּם: from the north and from the south.3The Targum paraphrases: the southern sea.
תָּעוּ בַמִּדְבָּר They wandered in the wilderness,
בִּישִׁימוֹן דָּֽרֶךְ in a path of desolation;
עִיר מוֹשָׁב לֹא מָצָֽאוּ: an inhabited city they did not find.
רְעֵבִים גַּם־צְמֵאִים Hungry, also thirsty
נַפְשָׁם בָּהֶם תִּתְעַטָּף: their soul fainted within them.
וַיִּצְעֲקוּ אֶל־יְהֹוָה Then they cried out to Adonoy
בַּצַּר לָהֶם in their distress;
מִמְּצוּקוֹתֵיהֶם יַצִּילֵם: from their anguish He rescued them.
וַיַּדְרִיכֵם בְּדֶֽרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה And He led them in a straight path,
לָלֶֽכֶת אֶל־עִיר מוֹשָׁב: that they might go to an inhabited city.
יוֹדוּ לַיהֹוָה חַסְדּוֹ Let them thank Adonoy for His kindness,
וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו לִבְנֵי אָדָם: and for His wonders to the children of man.
כִּי־הִשְׂבִּֽיעַ נֶֽפֶשׁ שֹׁקֵקָה For He satisfied the longing soul,
וְנֶֽפֶשׁ רְעֵבָה מִלֵּא־טוֹב: and the hungry soul He filled with good.
יֽשְׁבֵי חֽשֶׁךְ Those who sit in darkness
וְצַלְמָֽוֶת and in the shadow of death,
אֲסִירֵי עֳנִי וּבַרְזֶל: bound in affliction and iron.4This refers to those who are shackled and chained and locked in the darkness of dungeons or prisons.
כִּי־הִמְרוּ אִמְרֵי־אֵל For they defied the words of the Almighty,
וַעֲצַת עֶלְיוֹן and the counsel of the Most High
נָאָֽצוּ: they scorned.
וַיַּכְנַע בֶּעָמָל לִבָּם And He humbled their heart with hard labor,
כָּשְׁלוּ וְאֵין עֹזֵר: they stumbled and there was none to help.
וַיִּזְעֲקוּ אֶל־יְהֹוָה Then they cried out to Adonoy
בַּצַּר לָהֶם in their distress;
מִמְּצֻקוֹתֵיהֶם יוֹשִׁיעֵם: from their anguish He delivered them.
יוֹצִיאֵם מֵחֽשֶׁךְ He brought them out from darkness
וְצַלְמָֽוֶת and from the shadow of death,
וּמוֹסְרוֹתֵיהֶם יְנַתֵּק: and their shackles He broke.
יוֹדוּ לַיהֹוָה חַסְדּוֹ Let them thank Adonoy for His kindness,
וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו לִבְנֵי אָדָם: and for His wonders to the children of man.
כִּי־שִׁבַּר דַּלְתוֹת נְחֽשֶׁת For He has broken the gates of bronze,
וּבְרִיחֵי בַרְזֶל גִּדֵּֽעַ: and the bars of iron He has cut asunder.
אֱוִלִים They are fools—
מִדֶּֽרֶךְ פִּשְׁעָם because of the way of their transgression
וּמֵעֲוֹנֹתֵיהֶם and their iniquities,
יִתְעַנּוּ: they cause their own affliction.
כָּל־אֹֽכֶל תְּתַעֵב נַפְשָׁם Their soul abhors all food,
וַיַּגִּיעוּ עַד־שַֽׁעֲרֵי מָֽוֶת: and they drew near to the gates of death.
וַיִּזְעֲקוּ אֶל־יְהֹוָה Then they cried out to Adonoy
בַּצַּר לָהֶם in their distress;
מִמְּצֻקוֹתֵיהֶם יוֹשִׁיעֵם: from their anguish He delivered them.
יִשְׁלַח דְּבָרוֹ וְיִרְפָּאֵם He sends His word and heals them,
וִימַלֵּט מִשְּׁחִיתוֹתָם: and delivers them from their destruction.
יוֹדוּ לַיהֹוָה חַסְדּוֹ Let them thank Adonoy for His kindness,
וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו לִבְנֵי אָדָם: and for His wonders to the children of man.
וְיִזְבְּחוּ זִבְחֵי תוֹדָה And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
וִיסַפְּרוּ מַעֲשָׂיו בְּרִנָּה: and declare His works with singing.
יוֹרְדֵי הַיָּם בָּאֳנִיּוֹת Those who go down to the sea in ships,
עֹשֵׂי מְלָאכָה בְּמַֽיִם רַבִּים: that do work in mighty waters.5Bodies of water with swift currents require increased efforts to keep the ship on course.
הֵֽמָּה רָאוּ מַעֲשֵׂי יְהֹוָה They saw the works of Adonoy,
וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו בִּמְצוּלָה: and His wonders in the deep.
וַיֹּאמֶר וַיַּעֲמֵד רֽוּחַ סְעָרָה He spoke and raised the stormwind,
וַתְּרוֹמֵם גַּלָּיו: and lifted up its waves.
יַעֲלוּ שָׁמַֽיִם They rise to the heavens,
יֵרְדוּ תְהוֹמוֹת they descend to the depths,
נַפְשָׁם בְּרָעָה תִתְמוֹגָג: their soul melts away because of trouble.
יָחֽוֹגּוּ וְיָנֽוּעוּ כַּשִּׁכּוֹר They reel and stagger like a drunkard,
וְכָל־חָכְמָתָם תִּתְבַּלָּע: and all their skills are swallowed up [useless].
וַיִּצְעֲקוּ אֶל־יְהֹוָה Then they cried out to Adonoy
בַּצַּר לָהֶם in their distress,
וּמִמְּצוּקֹתֵיהֶם יוֹצִיאֵם: from their anguish He rescued them.
יָקֵם סְעָרָה לִדְמָמָה He turned the storm into calmness,
וַיֶּחֱשׁוּ גַּלֵּיהֶם: and their waves were stilled.
וַיִּשְׂמְחוּ They rejoiced
כִי־יִשְׁתֹּֽקוּ because the waves were quieted,
וַיַּנְחֵם אֶל־מְחוֹז חֶפְצָם: and He led them to their desired border.
יוֹדוּ לַיהֹוָה חַסְדּוֹ Let them thank Adonoy for His kindness,
וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו לִבְנֵי אָדָם: and for His wonders to the children of man.
וִירוֹמְמֽוּהוּ Let them exalt Him
בִּקְהַל־עָם in an assembly of people,6From 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 ]
וּבְמוֹשַׁב זְקֵנִים יְהַלְלֽוּהוּ: and at a sitting of elders, praise Him.7From these words the Talmud learns that at least two of the ten men in the quorum, must be elders, Torah scholars.
יָשֵׂם נְהָרוֹת לְמִדְבָּר He turns rivers into a wilderness,
וּמֹצָֽאֵי מַֽיִם לְצִמָּאוֹן: and springs of water into an arid place.
אֶֽרֶץ פְּרִי לִמְלֵחָה A fruitful land into a salt waste,
מֵרָעַת יֽוֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ: because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
יָשֵׂם מִדְבָּר לַאֲגַם־מַֽיִם He turns a wilderness into a pool of water,
וְאֶֽרֶץ צִיָּה לְמֹצָֽאֵי מָֽיִם: and a dry land into springs of water.
וַיּֽוֹשֶׁב שָׁם רְעֵבִים And He made the hungry settle there,
וַיְכוֹנְנוּ עִיר מוֹשָׁב: and they established an inhabited city.
וַיִּזְרְעוּ שָׂדוֹת וַיִּטְּעוּ כְרָמִים And they sowed fields and planted vineyards,
וַיַּעֲשׂוּ פְּרִי תְבוּאָה: which yielded fruit for harvest.
וַיְבָרְכֵם And He blessed them
וַיִּרְבּוּ מְאֹד and they multiplied greatly,
וּבְהֶמְתָּם לֹא יַמְעִיט: and their cattle, He did not diminish.
וַיִּמְעֲטוּ And they were reduced in numbers
וַיָּשֹֽׁחוּ and brought low,
מֵעֹֽצֶר רָעָה וְיָגוֹן: from oppression, calamity, and sorrow.
שֹׁפֵךְ בּוּז עַל־נְדִיבִים He pours contempt upon nobles,
וַיַּתְעֵם בְּתֹֽהוּ and causes them to wander in the wasteland
לֹא־דָֽרֶךְ: where there is no path.
וַיְשַׂגֵּב אֶבְיוֹן מֵעֽוֹנִי And He lifted up the needy from affliction,
וַיָּֽשֶׂם כַּצֹּאן מִשְׁפָּחוֹת: and he established families like a flock.
יִרְאוּ יְשָׁרִים וְיִשְׂמָֽחוּ The upright will see it and rejoice,
וְכָל־עַוְלָה קָֽפְצָה פִּֽיהָ: and all iniquity will shut its mouth.
מִי־חָכָם וְיִשְׁמָר־אֵֽלֶּה Whoever is wise, let him note these things,
וְיִתְבּוֹנְנוּ and they will understand
חַסְדֵּי יְהוָה: the kindnesses of Adonoy.