Scripture Verse

His Word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones. Jeremiah 20:9

Introduction

portrait
Catherine Winkworth
1827–1878

Words: Carl B. Garve, 1825 (Dein Wort ist, Herr, ein flam­men Schwert). The Ger­man text is from a long­er hymn, Dein Wort, O Herr, ist mild­er Tau, start­ing at the se­cond stan­za. Trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Ca­the­rine Wink­worth, 1855, alt.

Music: Old 107th com­posed or adapt­ed by Lou­is Bour­geois, 1543 (as in the Scot­tish Psal­ter, 1635) (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Garve or Bour­geois (head-and-shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

God’s Word is like a flaming sword,
A wedge that cleaves the stone;
Keen as a fire, so burns His Word,
And pierces flesh and bone.
Let it go forth o’er all the earth
To cleanse our hearts within,
To show God’s power in Satan’s hour
And break the might of sin.

God’s Word, a wondrous guiding star,
On pilgrim hearts does rise,
Leads those to God who dwell afar,
And makes the simple wise.
Let not its light e’er sink in night,
But in each spirit shine,
That none may miss Heaven’s final bliss,
Led by God’s light divine.