Hear my prayer
St. John's College Choir Cambridge Lyrics
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Give ear unto me all ye that have knowledge
Let us choose to us judgement
Let us know among ourselves what is good
Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any
He is mighty in strength and in wisdom
Behold, He is great, and we know Him not
The Lord's seat is in heaven
Clouds and darkness are round about Him
Righteousness and judgement are the habitation of his seat
He decketh himself with light as with a garment
And spreadeth out the heavens like a curtain
He layeth the beams of His chambers in the waters
And maketh the clouds His chariots
And walketh upon the wings of the wind
He bowed the heavens, and came down
And it was dark under His feet
He rode on the Cherubim, and did fly
And came flying upon the wings of the wind
The Lord's seat is in heaven, His kingdom ruleth over all
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on them that fear Him
And upon them that put their trust in His mercy
To deliver their soul from death
And to feed them in the time of dearth
Our soul hath patiently tarried for the Lord
For He is our help and our shield
He delivered the poor in his affliction
The fatherless and him that hath none to help him
He shall bind up the broken-hearted
And proclaim liberty to the captives
And comfort to those that mourn
He shall give them beauty for ashes
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud
And as the garden causeth things that are sown to spring forth
So the Lord God will cause righteousness and peace to spring forth before all nations
The Lord is full of compassion and mercy
He hath not dealt with us after our sins
Nor rewardeth us according to our wickedness
For look how high the heaven is in comparison of the earth
So great is His mercy toward them that fear Him
Look how wide also the east is from the west
So far hath He set our sins from us
O praise ye the Lord,
Praise him in the height
Rejoice in his word
Ye Angels of Light!
Ye heavens adore Him
By whom ye were made
And worship before Him
In brightness arrayed
O praise ye the Lord,
Praise Him upon earth
In tuneful accord
Ye sons of new birth
Praise Him who hath brought you
His grace from above
Praise Him who hath taught you
To sing of his love
O praise ye the Lord!
Thanksgiving and song
To him be outpoured
All ages along
For love in creation
For heaven restored
For grace of salvation
O praise ye the Lord
Amen
The lyrics to "Hear my prayer" by St. John's College Choir Cambridge express a deep yearning for divine guidance and understanding. The opening lines call upon the people to listen and pay attention to the singer's words, specifically addressing those who possess knowledge. The singer urges the audience to seek wisdom and discernment, to choose what is good among themselves.
The following verses describe the greatness and might of God, emphasizing His power and wisdom. The Lord's seat is said to be in heaven, surrounded by clouds and darkness. Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of His reign. The imagery evokes a sense of awe and grandeur, portraying God as one who adorns Himself with light and stretches out the heavens as if they were a curtain.
The lyrics further describe God's presence in the world, as He lays the foundation of His chambers in the waters and uses clouds as chariots. The mention of the winds and the Cherubim symbolizes His omnipresence and the extent of His dominion. The lyrics also emphasize God's care and protection for His people, as He delivers the poor and oppressed, binds up the broken-hearted, and offers comfort to those who mourn.
The second half of the song celebrates the compassion and mercy of the Lord, highlighting His forgiveness and the vastness of His love. The lyrics acknowledge that God does not treat humankind according to their sins but extends His mercy abundantly. The closing verses encourage praise and gratitude for God's love and salvation, calling upon the angels in heaven and all mankind to worship and rejoice in His name.
In summary, "Hear my prayer" is a song that reveres God's power, wisdom, and compassion, and encourages the listener to seek His guidance, trust in His mercy, and offer praise and thanks.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear my words, ye people
Listen carefully to what I have to say
Give ear unto me all ye that have knowledge
Pay attention, especially those who are wise
Let us choose to us judgement
Let us make sound decisions
Let us know among ourselves what is good
Let us understand what is right and ethical
Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any
Look, God is powerful and does not reject anyone
He is mighty in strength and in wisdom
He possesses immense strength and wisdom
Behold, He is great, and we know Him not
Look, He is magnificent, and we cannot fully comprehend Him
Neither can the number of His years be searched out.
His age is immeasurable
The Lord's seat is in heaven
God is enthroned in heaven
Clouds and darkness are round about Him
He is surrounded by clouds and darkness
Righteousness and judgement are the habitation of his seat
His throne is established on righteousness and justice
He decketh himself with light as with a garment
He clothes Himself in light
And spreadeth out the heavens like a curtain
He extends the heavens like a curtain
He layeth the beams of His chambers in the waters
He places the foundations of His chambers in the waters
And maketh the clouds His chariots
He uses clouds as His chariot
And walketh upon the wings of the wind
He walks on the wings of the wind
He bowed the heavens, and came down
He bent down the heavens and descended
And it was dark under His feet
Darkness was beneath His feet
He rode on the Cherubim, and did fly
He rode on the Cherubim and flew
And came flying upon the wings of the wind
And came swiftly on the wings of the wind
The Lord's seat is in heaven, His kingdom ruleth over all
God's throne is in heaven, and His kingdom reigns over everything
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on them that fear Him
See, the Lord pays attention to those who revere Him
And upon them that put their trust in His mercy
And to those who rely on His mercy
To deliver their soul from death
To rescue their soul from death
And to feed them in the time of dearth
And to provide for them in times of scarcity
Our soul hath patiently tarried for the Lord
Our soul has waited patiently for the Lord
For He is our help and our shield
Because He is our helper and protector
He delivered the poor in his affliction
He rescued the impoverished in their suffering
The fatherless and him that hath none to help him
The orphan and the one without support
He shall bind up the broken-hearted
He will heal the broken-hearted
And proclaim liberty to the captives
And declare freedom to the captives
And comfort to those that mourn
And bring comfort to those who grieve
He shall give them beauty for ashes
He will exchange their mourning for joy
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness
He will give them a praiseful spirit instead of one weighed down by sorrow
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud
Just as the earth produces its vegetation
And as the garden causeth things that are sown to spring forth
And as a garden causes planted seeds to grow
So the Lord God will cause righteousness and peace to spring forth before all nations
In the same way, the Lord God will bring about righteousness and peace for all nations
The Lord is full of compassion and mercy
The Lord is abundantly compassionate and merciful
He hath not dealt with us after our sins
He has not treated us according to our sins
Nor rewardeth us according to our wickedness
Nor repaid us for our wickedness
For look how high the heaven is in comparison of the earth
Consider how vast the heavens are compared to the earth
So great is His mercy toward them that fear Him
That is how immense His mercy is toward those who revere Him
Look how wide also the east is from the west
Also, contemplate the vast distance between the east and the west
So far hath He set our sins from us
That is how far He has removed our sins from us
O praise ye the Lord,
Oh, give praise to the Lord
Praise him in the height
Praise Him in the highest heaven
Rejoice in his word
Find joy in His word
Ye Angels of Light!
Oh, Angels of Light!
Ye heavens adore Him
Oh, heavens worship Him
By whom ye were made
By whom you were created
And worship before Him
And prostrate yourselves before Him
In brightness arrayed
Clothed in splendor
O praise ye the Lord,
Oh, give praise to the Lord
Praise Him upon earth
Praise Him on earth
In tuneful accord
In harmonious agreement
Ye sons of new birth
Oh, new-born children of God
Praise Him who hath brought you
Praise Him who has brought you
His grace from above
His grace from heaven
Praise Him who hath taught you
Praise Him who has taught you
To sing of his love
To sing about His love
O praise ye the Lord!
Oh, give praise to the Lord!
Thanksgiving and song
Express gratitude and sing
To him be outpoured
Pour out praise to Him
All ages along
Throughout all generations
For love in creation
Because of His love in creation
For heaven restored
For the restoration of heaven
For grace of salvation
For the grace of salvation
O praise ye the Lord
Oh, give praise to the Lord
Amen
So be it
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Hubert Parry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind