20 December 2007

All My Heart

All my heart again rejoices
As I hear
Far and near
Sweetest angel voices.
"Christ is born!" their choirs are singing
Till the air
Everywhere
Now with joy is ringing.

Hear! The Conqueror has spoken:
"Now the foe, sin and woe,
Death and hell are broken!"
God is man, man to deliver,
And the Son
Now is one
With our blood forever.

Should we fear our God's displeasure,
Who, to save,
Freely gave
His most precious treasure?
To redeem us He has given
His own Son
From the throne
Of His might in heaven.

See the Lamb, our sin once taking,
To the cross,
Suff'ring loss,
Full atonement making.
For our life, His own He tenders,
And His grace
All our race
Fit for glory renders.

Softly from His lowly manger,
Jesus calls
One and all,
"You are safe from danger.
Children, from the sins that grieve you
You are freed;
All you need
I will surely give you."

Come, then, banish all your sadness!
One and all,
Great and small,
Come with songs of gladness.
We shall live with Him forever
There on high
In that joy
Which will vanish never.

by Paul Gerhardt, LSB #360

1 comment:

Susan said...

Only six stanzas.
[Major pout....]

Sin no longer can distress me.
Son of God, Thou my load
bearest to release me.

or
For the poisoned wounds you're feeling
help is near,
One is here
mighty for their healing.

or ...
No! I should stop or I'll type all nine others.