Hear this, all ye people, hear,
Earth’s in­ha­bit­ants, give ear;
All of high and low de­gree,
Rich and poor, give heed to me.

Truth with all my heart I seek,
And my mouth shall wis­dom speak;
Hearken while in lyr­ic strain
I make hid­den wis­dom plain.

Why should I to fear give way
When I see the ev­il day,
When with wick­ed­ness my foes
Shall sur­round me and op­pose?

They that trust in trea­sured gold,
Though they boast of wealth un­told,
None can bid his bro­ther live,
None to God a ran­som give.

If from death one would be free
And cor­rupt­ion ne­ver see,
Costly is life’s ran­som price,
Far beyond all sac­ri­fice.