Scripture Verse

They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy. Psalm 14:3

Introduction

portrait
Martin Luther (1483–1546)

Words: Mar­tin Lu­ther, in Et­lich christ­lich li­der (Wit­ten­berg, Ger­ma­ny: 1524) (Es spricht der Un­weis­en Mund wohl). Trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Ri­chard Mass­ie, Mar­tin Lu­ther’s Spi­ri­tu­al Songs, 1854.

Music: Nun freut euch Mar­tin Lu­ther, in Geist­liche Lied­er, by Jo­seph Klug (Wit­ten­berg, Ger­ma­ny: 1535) (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

  • Allein Gott Deutsch ev­an­gel­isch Mess­ze, 1539 (🔊 pdf nwc)

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Mas­sie (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

The mouth of fools doth God con­fess,
But while their lips draw nigh Him,
Their heart is full of wick­ed­ness,
And all their deeds de­ny Him.
Corrupt are they, and ev­ery one
Abominable works hath done;
There is not one well-do­er.

The Lord looked from His hea­ven­ly throne
On all man­kind below Him
To see if there were any one
Who tru­ly sought to know Him,
And all his un­der­stand­ing bent
To search His ho­ly Word, in­tent
To do His will in ear­nest.

But none there was who walked with God,
For all aside had slid­den,
Delusive paths of fol­ly trod,
And fol­lowed lusts for­bid­den;
Not one there was who prac­ticed good,
Though many deemed, in haugh­ty mood,
Their deeds to God were pleas­ing.

How long, by fol­ly blind­ly led,
Will they op­press the needy
And My own flock de­vour like bread?

So fierce are they and gree­dy!
In God they put no trust at all,
Nor on His name in trou­ble call,
But be their own pro­vid­ers.

Therefore their heart is ne­ver still,
A constant fear di­smays them,
God is with him who doth His will,
Who trusts Him and obeys Him;
Ye shame the coun­sel of the poor
And mock him when he doth as­sure
That God is e’er his re­fuge.

Who shall to Is­rael’s out­cast race
From Zi­on bring sal­va­tion?
God will Him­self at length show grace
And loose the cap­tive na­tion;
That will He do by Christ, their King;
Let Ja­cob then be glad and sing
And Is­ra­el be joy­ful.