Saturday, March 6, 2010

From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee

Martin Luther's (1483-1546) setting of Psalm 130 in Lutheran Service Book  (LSB 607) is a slightly altered version of the translation by Catherine Winkworth (1827-78).


From depths of woe I cry to Thee,       Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD;
    In trial and tribulation;                  Lord, hear my voice!
Bend down Thy gracious ear to me,      Let Your ears be attentive
    Lord, hear my supplication.            To the voice of my supplications.
If Thou rememb’rest ev’ry sin,            If You, LORD, should mark iniquities,
Who then could heaven ever win          O LORD, who could stand?
    Or stand before Thy presence?

Thy love and grace alone avail             But there is forgiveness with You,
    To blot out my transgression;          That You may be feared.
The best and holiest deeds must fail
    To break sin’s dread oppression.
Before Thee none can boasting stand,
But all must fear Thy strict demand
    And live alone by mercy.

Therefore my hope is in the Lord          I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
    And not in mine own merit;             And in His word I do hope.
It rests upon His faithful Word
    To them of contrite spirit
That He is merciful and just;
This is my comfort and my trust.
    His help I wait with patience.

And though it tarry through the night     My soul waits for the LORD
    And till the morning waken,              More than those who watch for the morning--
My heart shall never doubt His might      Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.
    Nor count itself forsaken.
O Israel, trust in God your Lord.            O Israel, hope in the LORD;
Born of the Spirit and the Word,
    Now wait for His appearing.

Though great our sins, yet greater still   For with the LORD there is mercy,
    Is God’s abundant favor;                  And with Him is abundant redemption.
His hand of mercy never will    
    Abandon us, nor waver.
Our Shepherd good and true is He,
Who will at last His Israel free               And He shall redeem Israel
    From all their sin and sorrow.           From all his iniquities.    (NKJV)

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