Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations,
1 Chronicles 16:31The Lord reigneth.
Words: John Hunt (1812–1848), alt. Note: Some hymnals state Hunt wrote the hymn in 1853. Since Hunt died in 1848, 1853 might be the year of first publication. The original text (apparently given in Schaff, page 500), was in 668.668 meter.
Music: Christ Church (Steggall) Charles Steggall, 1865 (🔊 pdf nwc).
Let all the world rejoice,
The great Jehovah reigns;
The thunders are His voice,
Our life His will ordains;
The glories of His mighty name
The lightnings, floods, and hail proclaim.
He rules by sea and land,
O’er boundless realms His sway;
He governs coral strand,
And mountains homage pay;
Unequaled, sovereign, and alone,
In majesty He fills His throne.
The universe He made
By His prevailing might;
The earth’s foundations laid,
And scattered ancient night;
When Heav’n and earth, the sky and sea,
Proclaimed His awful majesty.
When first the orb of day
Gleamed forth with ruddy light,
And moon with silver ray
Marched up the vault of night,
The stars bedecked the sparkling skies
That seemed creation’s thousand eyes.
And earth’s fair form was seen,
With flowers and blossoms dressed;
And trees and meadows green
Adorned her youthful breast;
He hung them out in boundless space,
Amid the ocean’s cool embrace.
Glad was the angel throng
To see His might prevail,
And sang loud, joyful song,
This universe to hail;
They saw it as in youth it stood,
And heard its maker call it good.
But this fair world shall die,
The creature of a day;
In ash and ruin lie,
Its glory passed away;
And as she was before her birth,
Again shall be this mighty earth.
Soon shall the day be o’er,
Of yonder brilliant sun;
To rise and set no more,
His race of glory run;
And soon, alas! Yes, all too soon
Shall fade the stars, and yon pale moon.
But ever fixed, the throne
Of the Eternal One
Shall stand, creation gone,
Unchanging, He rules on;
New worlds to make with sovereign will,
And His own wise designs fulfill.