If God had not been on our side
And had not come to aid us,
The foes with all their pow­er and pride
Would sure­ly have dis­mayed us;
For we, His flock, would have to fear
The threat of men both far and near
Who rise in might against us.

Their fu­ri­ous wrath, did God per­mit,
Would sure­ly have con­sumed us
And as a deep and yawn­ing pit
With life and limb en­tombed us.
Like men o’er whom dark wa­ters roll
Their wrath would have en­gulfed our soul
And, like a flood, o’er­whelmed us.

Blest be the Lord, who foiled their threat
That they could not de­vour us;
Our souls, like birds, es­caped their net,
They could not ov­er­pow­er us.
The snare is brok­en—we are free!
Our help is ev­er, Lord, in Thee,
Who madest earth and Hea­ven.