Scripture Verse

Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Psalm 81:1

Introduction

Words: From The Psal­ter (Pitts­burgh, Penn­syl­van­ia: Unit­ed Pres­by­te­ri­an Board of Pub­li­ca­tion, 1912), num­ber 222.

Music: Stock­well Da­ri­us E. Jones, in New Car­mi­na Sac­ra, by Lo­well Ma­son, 1850 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

Now to God, our strength and Sav­ior,
Render praise and loudly sing.
In our fathers’ God rejoicing,
All your noblest music bring.

Let the trumpet, far resounding,
This our festal day pro­claim,
By our fathers’ God appointed,
When from bondage Israel came.

I, thy God, removed thy burdens,
When thou calledst, set thee free,
Proved thee in the thirsty desert,
In the thunder answered thee.

O My people, hear My pleadings;
O that thou wouldst hearken now;
No strange worship shalt thou offer,
Nor to idols shalt thou bow.

I am God the Lord who saved thee,
And from cruel bondage freed;
Open wide thy mouth of longing;
I will satisfy thy need.

But My people would not hearken,
Yea, they would not yield to Me;
So I left them in their blindness,
Their own counselors to be.

If My people would obey Me,
Gladly walking in My ways,
Soon would I, their foes subduing,
Fill their lips with songs of praise.

All the haters of Je­ho­vah
Shall His clemency implore,
And the days of those that love Him
Shall endure for­ev­er­more.

Yea, with wheat the very finest
I their hunger will supply,
Bid the very rocks yield honey
That shall fully satisfy.