05A.01. If God Had Not Been on Our Side"

"If God Had Not Been on Our Side"

1. If God had not been on our side And had not come to aid us, The foes with all their power and pride Would surely have dismayed us; For we, His flock, would have to fear The threat of men both far and near Who rise in might against us.

2. Their furious wrath, did God permit, Would surely have consumed us And as a deep and yawning pit With life and limb entombed us.

Like men o’er whom dark waters roll Their wrath would have engulfed our soul And, like a flood, o’erwhelmed us.

3. Blest be the Lord, who foiledtheir threat That they could not devour us; Our souls, like birds, escaped their net, They could not overpower us. The snare is boken--we are free! Our help is ever, Lord, in Thee, Who madest earth and heaven.

Notes:

267 from the Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal Text: Psalms 124:1-8 Author: Martin Luther, 1524 Translated by: composite Titled: War’ Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit Tune: War’ Gott nicht mit uns 1st Published in: "Gesangbuch"

Town: Wittenberg, 1537