Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. And the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
Isaiah 40:3–5
Words: Thomas Kelly, Hymns on Various Passages of Scripture, third edition, 1809.
Music: All Saints Old Darmstadt Gesangbuch, 1698 (🔊 pdf nwc).
Alternate Tunes:
Lo, He comes! Let all adore Him,
Tis the God of grace and truth.
Go prepare the way before Him,
Make the rugged places smooth;
Lo! He comes, the mighty Lord,
Great His work, and His reward.
Let the valleys all be raisèd,
Go, and make the crooked straight;
Let the mountains be abasèd,
Let all nature change its state.
Through the desert mark a road,
Make a highway for our God.
Through the desert God is going,
Through the desert waste and wild;
Where no goodly plant is growing,
Where no verdure ever smiled;
But the desert shall be glad,
And with verdure soon be clad.
Where the thorn and brier flourished,
Trees shall there be seen to grow;
Planted by the Lord, and nourished,
Stately, fair, and fruitful, too;
They shall rise on every side,
They shall spread their branches wide.
From the hills, and lofty mountains,
Rivers shall be seen to flow;
There the Lord will open fountains,
Thence supply the plains below;
As He passes, every land
Shall confess His powerful hand.