Scripture Verse

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Psalm 33:12

Introduction

Words: At­trib­ut­ed to Geor­gia C. El­li­ott, pos­si­bly late 19th Cen­tu­ry, alt.

Music: Val­pa­raí­so W. How­ard Doane, 1875 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know when these words were writ­ten, or where to get a good pho­to of El­li­ott (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
W. Howard Doane (1832–1915)

Lyrics

He holds in re­mem­brance
Each one of His fold;
Their hairs are all num­bered,
Their names are all told;
Their pray­ers are all an­swered,
Their cries are all heard:
How blest is the na­tion
Whose God is the Lord!

Their bread, it is giv­en,
The fin­est of wheat!
The wa­ters they rest by
Are qui­et and sweet;
He giv­eth them slum­ber,
As saith His Word:
How blest is the na­tion
Whose God is the Lord!

’Tis true they are stran­gers
And pil­grims on earth,
But theirs is a joy of
Unspeakable worth.
All robed in fine lin­en,
With ar­mor and sword—
How blest is the na­tion
Whose God is the Lord!

They tra­vel the high­way
Where no­thing un­clean
Has e’er left a foot­print,
Has ever been seen;
There’s no sound of sigh­ing
Where glad­ness has soared:
How blest is the na­tion
Whose God is the Lord!