Scripture Verse

Give us this day our daily bread. Matthew 6:11

Introduction

portrait
Samuel Longfellow
(1819–1892)

Words: Sam­uel Long­fel­low, Hymns of the Spir­it (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Tick­nor & Fields, 1864), num­ber 73.

Music: Pu­er No­bis Nas­ci­tur Tri­er, Ger­ma­ny, 15th Cen­tu­ry. Adapt­ed by Mi­chael Prae­to­ri­us, 1609. Har­mo­ny by George R. Wood­ward, 1910 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

illustration
Old Woman at Prayer
Nicolaes Maes (1632–1693)

O God, Thou Giv­er of all good;
Thy child­ren live by dai­ly food;
And dai­ly must the pray­er be said,
Give us this day our dai­ly bread.

The life of earth and seed is Thine;
Suns glow, rains fall, by pow­er di­vine;
Thou art in all; not e’en the pow­ers
By which we toil for bread are ours.

What large pro­vi­sion Thou hast made!
As large as is Thy child­ren’s need;
How wide the boun­te­ous love is spread!
Wide as the want of dai­ly bread.

Since ev­ery day by Thee we live,
May grate­ful hearts Thy gifts re­ceive;
And may the hands be pure from stain
With which our dai­ly bread we gain.