Scripture Verse

Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. Psalm 27:7

Introduction

portrait
Ernst W. Olson (1870–1958)

Words: Jo­hann Ut­en­ho­vi­us, cir­ca 1570 (O Gott, du un­ser Va­ter bist). Pub­lished in Son­tags-Ev­an­gel­ia Ge­sang­weise, 1608. Trans­lat­ed from Ge­rman to Swed­ish by Jes­per Swed­berg, 1694 (O Gud, some hör­er al­las röst). Trans­lat­ed from Swed­ish to Eng­lish by Ernst W. Ol­son, 1925.

Music: Hea­ven­ly Host Swed­ish tune, 1697 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Ut­en­ho­vi­us (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els), or a bet­ter one of Ol­son,

portrait
Jesper Swedberg (1653–1735)

Lyrics

O Lord, give heed un­to our plea,
O Spir­it, grant Thy grac­es,
That we who put our trust in Thee
May right­ly sing Thy prais­es.
Thy Word, O Christ, un­to us give,
That grace and pow’r we may re­ceive
To fol­low Thee, our Mas­ter.

Touch Thou the shep­herd’s lips, O Lord,
That in this bless­èd hour
He may pro­claim Thy sac­red Word
With unc­tion and with pow­er.
What Thou wouldst have Thy ser­vant say,
Put Thou in­to his heart, we pray,
With grace and strength to say it.

Let heart and ear be op­ened wide
Unto Thy Word and plead­ing;
Our minds, O Ho­ly Spir­it, guide
By Thine own light and lead­ing.
The law of Christ we would ful­fill,
And walk ac­cord­ing to His will,
His Word our rule of liv­ing.