Lyrics
1. My people, give ear,
attend to My Word,
In parables new deep truths
shall be heard;
The wonderful story
our fathers made known
To children succeeding
by us must be shown.
2. Instructing our sons
we gladly record
The praises, the works,
the might of the Lord,
For He hath commanded that
what He hath done
Be passed in tradition
from father to son.
3. Let children thus learn
from history’s light
To hope in our God
and walk in His sight,
The God of their fathers
to fear and obey,
And ne’er like their fathers
to turn from His way.
4. The story be told,
to warn and restrain,
Of hearts that were hard,
rebellious, and vain,
Of soldiers who faltered
when battle was near,
Who kept not God’s cov’nant
nor walked in His fear.
5. God’s wonderful works
to them He had shown,
His marvelous deeds
their fathers had known;
He made for their pathway
the waters divide,
His glorious pillar of cloud
was their guide.
6. He gave them to drink,
relieving their thirst,
And forth from the rock
caused water to burst;
Yet faithless they tempted
their God, and they said,
Can He Who gave water
supply us with bread?
7. Jehovah was wroth
because they forgot
To hope in their God,
and trusted Him not;
Yet gracious, He opened
the doors of the sky
And rained down the manna
in richest supply.
8. With bread from on high
their need He supplied,
And more did He do
when thankless they sighed;
The strong winds commanding
from south and from east
He sent them abundance
of quail for their feast.
9. Though well they were filled,
their folly they chose;
Till God in His wrath
o’erwhelmed them with woes;
He slew of their strongest
and smote their young men,
But still unbelieving
they sinned even then.
10. Because of their sin
He smote with His rod,
And then they returned
and sought for their God;
Their Rock and Redeemer
was God the Most high,
Yet false were their praises,
their promise a lie.
11. Not right with their God
in heart and in will,
They faithlessly broke
His covenant still;
But He, in compassion,
reluctant to slay,
Forgave them and oft turned
His anger away.
12. His pity was great,
though often they sinned,
For they were but flesh,
a swift passing wind;
Yet though His compassion
and grace they beheld,
They tempted and
grieved Him and often rebelled.
13. They limited God,
the Most Holy One,
And hindered the work
His grace had begun;
The hand that was mighty
to save they forgot,
The day of redemption
remembering not.
14. Ungrateful and blind,
no longer they thought
Of wonders and signs
and mighty deeds wrought,
Of how all the rivers of Egypt ran red,
And plagues in God’s anger
were heaped on their head.
15. They thought not of how,
their freedom to gain,
In Egypt’s abodes the
first born were slain,
And how all God’s people
were led forth like sheep,
The flock He delighted
in safety to keep.
16. Unharmed through the sea,
where perished their foe,
He caused them with ease
and safety to go;
His holy land gaining,
in peace they were brought
To dwell in the mountain
the Lord’s hand had bought.
17. He gave them the land,
a heritage fair;
The nations that dwelt
in wickedness there
He drove out before them
with great overthrow
And gave to His people
the tents of the foe.
18. Again they rebelled
and tempted the Lord,
Unfaithful, they turned
to idols abhorred,
And God in His anger
withdrew from them then,
No longer delighting
to dwell among men.
19. He gave them to death
in battle, although
His glory and strength
were scorned by the foe;
Their young men were fallen,
their maidens unwed,
Their priest slain in battle,
none wept for the dead.
20. Then mercy awoke,
the Lord in His might
Returned, and the foes
were scattered in flight;
Again to His people
His favor He showed
And chose in Mount Zion
to fix His abode.
21. His servant He called,
a shepherd of sheep,
From tending his flock,
the people to keep;
So David their shepherd
with wisdom and might
Protected and fed them
and led them aright.