Scripture Verse

The hope of Israel, the Savior thereof in time of trouble. Jeremiah 14:8

Introduction

portrait
Samuel J. Hedborn
(1783–1849)

Words: Sam­uel J. Hed­born, 1811.

Trans­lat­ed from Swed­ish to Eng­lish by Con­rad E. Lind­berg (1852–1930). Lind­berg is shown as the trans­lat­or in the Hym­nal for Church­es and Sun­day Schools of the Au­gus­ta­na Sy­nod (Rock Is­land, Il­li­nois: Lu­ther­an Au­gus­ta­na Book Con­cern, 1899) (trans­lat­or index, page 416, as C. E. Lind­berg), and in The Hym­nal and Or­der of Ser­vice, third lec­tion­ary edi­tion (Rock Is­land Il­li­nois: Lu­ther­an Au­gus­ta­na Book Con­cern, 1925), page 881 (gives his full name).

Music: Wie schön leuch­tet Phi­lipp Ni­co­lai, 1599 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know the or­ig­in­al Swed­ish ti­tle, or where to get a good pho­to of Lind­berg (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Philipp Nicolai (1556–1608)

Lyrics

Now Israel’s hope in tri­umph ends,
With an­gels’ glo­ri­ous song as­cends
A star of hea­ven­ly splen­dor.
O’er Beth­le­hem it shin­eth bright,
All peo­ple guid­ed by its light,
Shall come and hom­age ren­der.
Great light, bright light,
Now des­cend­eth, dark­ness end­eth,
Day be­gin­neth;
Light to all the world it bring­eth.

Among us dwells in truth and grace
The hid­den God, who loves our race;
He brought us all sal­va­tion.
The glo­ry of the Son we see,
The on­ly Son’s true ma­jes­ty,
And bow in ado­ra­tion.
Draw near and hear,
Every na­tion now sal­va­tion
God be­stow­eth.
And His love and mer­cy show­eth.

Rejoice, my soul, and bless His name
Who to the lost and fall­en came
To op­en Hea­ven’s por­tals.
Rejoice that God will mer­cy show,
The brok­en co­ve­nant re­new
With us poor sin­ful mor­tals.
Now be glo­ry
Ever giv­en God in Hea­ven;
Peace un­end­ing
Be to earth from Hea­ven des­cend­ing.