O God, We Have Heard

O God

we have heard

And our fa­thers have told

What won­ders Thou didst

In the great days of old;

The na­tions were crushed

And ex­pelled by Thy hand

Cast out that Thy peo­ple

Might dwell in their land.

They gained not the land

By the edge of the sword

Their own arm to them

Could no safe­ty af­ford

But Thy right hand saved

And the light of Thy face

Because of Thy fa­vor

And won­der­ful grace.

Command

and Thy word

Shall de­liv­er­ance bring

O God

to Thy chos­en

For Thou art our king;

Through Thee we will sure­ly

Defeat all our foes

Through Thy name will tri­umph

O’er those that op­pose.

No trust will I place

In my strength to de­fend.

Nor yet on my sword

As a safe­guard de­pend;

In Thee

who hast saved us

And put them to shame

We boast all the day

Ever prais­ing Thy name.

Thou

Lord

hast for­sak­en

To shame brought our boasts;

No more to the field

Dost Thou go with our hosts;

Thou turn­est us back

From the foe in dis­may

And spoil­ers who hate us

Have made us their prey.

Like sheep to the slaugh­ter

Thy people are giv­en

Dispersed through the na­tions

Afar we are driv­en;

Thou sell­est Thy people

To strang­ers for naught

Their price to Thy trea­sure

No inc­rease has brought.

Thou mak­est our neigh­bors

Reproach us in pride

And those that are near us

To scoff and de­ride;

A by­word the na­tions

Have made of our name

With scorn and de­ri­sion

They put us to shame.

Yea

all the day long

I be­hold my dis­grace

And co­vered am I

With con­fu­sion of face;

The voice of blas­phem­ers

And scoff­ers I hear

The foe and av­eng­er

Against me ap­pear.

All this have we suf­fered

And nev­er for­got

To serve Thee

Je­ho­vah

Nor false­ly have wrought;

Our heart is not turned

and

Our steps have not strayed

Though crushed amid ru­ins

And un­der death’s shade.