Scripture Verse

He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. Psalm 121:4

Introduction

Words: Ed­ith B. Spaul­ding, in The Song-Land Way, ed­it­ed by An­tho­ny Sho­wal­ter et al. (Dal­ton, Geor­gia: A. J. Sho­wal­ter, 1925), num­ber 2.

Music: Şan­lı­ur­fa An­tho­ny J. Sho­wal­ter (🔊 pdf nwc). Note: The pub­lished ver­sion of the re­frain can be awk­ward for con­gre­ga­tion­al sing­ing. Church­es want­ing to use this song might con­si­der omitt­ing or re-ar­rang­ing the re­frain.

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Spaul­ding (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els), or a bet­ter one of Mos­ley,

portrait
Anthony J. Showalter (1858–1924)

Lyrics

O, thou mourning one of Zion,
To the mountains lift thine eyes;
To the hills, beyond whose barrier,
Fair the promised Canaan lies.
Tho the darkness groweth deeper,
Faint not as the shadows creep,
For the Lord, who is thy keeper,
He will slumber not, nor sleep.

Refrain

O, then fear not, tho the shadows
Of the night lie dark and deep,
For He that keepeth Israel
Shall slumber not, nor sleep.

O, thou wanderer who treadest
Paths as treacherous as fair,
Never road so far can lead thee,
That thy Fa­ther will not care.
By eter­nal love constraining,
He will call His straying sheep,
Lost? O no, the Lord is reigning,
He will slumber not, nor sleep.

Refrain

Thou who workest for the Mas­ter,
Long and faithful, striving still,
Who hast done His bidding bravely,
Yet the world must have its will—
Tho in tears may be the sowing,
Joys eter­nal thou shalt reap,
For, all-pitying, all-knowing,
God will slumber not, nor sleep.

Refrain