Praise Him for His acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing greatness.
Psalm 150:1–2
Words: Joachim Neander, in A und Ω Glaub- und Liebesübung (Stralsund: 1680) (Lobe den Herren). Translated from German to English by Catherine Winkworth, Chorale Book for England (London: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts & Green, 1863), number 9, alt.
Music: Lobe den Herren Ander Theil des erneuerten Gesangbuch, second edition (Bremen, Germany: 1665). Harmony by William S. Bennett, 1864 (🔊 pdf nwc).
Praise to the Lord!
The Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him,
For He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear,
Now to His temple draw near;
Join me in glad adoration.
Praise to the Lord!
Who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings,
Yea, so gently sustaineth;
Hast thou not seen
How thy desires have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord,
Who hath fearfully, wondrously, made thee;
Health hath vouchsafed
And, when heedlessly falling, hath stayed thee.
What need or grief
Ever hath failed of relief?
Wings of His mercy did shade thee.
Praise to the Lord,
Who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness
And mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew
What the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee!
Praise to the Lord,
Who, when tempests their warfare are waging,
Who, when the elements
Madly around thee are raging,
Biddeth them cease,
Turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.
Praise to the Lord,
Who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
Who, when the godless
Do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheddeth His light,
Chaseth the horrors of night,
Saints with His mercy surrounding.
Praise to the Lord,
O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath,
Come now with praises before Him!
Let the Amen
Sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him!