Jauchzet Gott alle Lande sehr

Here is my translation of the psalm paraphrase, “Jauchzet Gott alle Lande sehr” (Cornelius Becker, d. 1604), based on Psalm LXVI, Jubilate Deo omnis terra. The melody by Schütz here is taken from Th. Goldschmid, ed., Zwanzig vierstimmige Psalmen (Breitkopf Härtel: Lepzig, 1900), p. 14.

—— Update (May 30, 2024): The hymn appears in Becker’s Psalter of 1602 with the title “God delivers from trouble . . . A psalm to precent” and melody assignment “Christ, der du bist der hellte Tag.” On the psalm itself, Luther writes, “It is a psalm of thanksgiving for His general benefaction, that He often delivered His people out of the hands of the enemies and preserved them in the Red Sea. The history of Judges and the Books of Kings are full of this. Which He also does for us daily, delivering and preserving His own in the true faith against the devil, spirits, sin, etc.” — It should also be noted that R. E. Wunderlich produced a translation of this psalm in three stanzas, found in his Ten Psalms . . . (CPH, 1958) titled “Praise God, Ye Lands, throughout Earth’s Frame”

 

YE lands aloud your God acclaim,
Exalt the honor of His name
His praises sing; to God declare
In every need, Lord, Thou art there.

2. O come, attend ye, everyone,
The mighty acts which God has done!
How wonderful His works appear
Shall now to you, O man, be clear.

3. He turned the Red Sea to dry land,
And cleared a highway by His hand;
His people passed with footstep dry,
Now Him with joy we magnify.

4. He rules forever by His might,
Men’ s works He keeps in constant sight,
Th’ ungodly shall not find a place,
But be cast down in all disgrace.

5. Ye nations, render praise to God
In every place His glory laud,
Who doth our soul and body keep,
And suffers not our foot to slip.

6. Into His house I long to go
His honest worship to bestow,
To pay my vow in song and pray’r,
For all His mercy, grace, and care.

7. The promise that I spoke before,
And swore to God that needful hour
When I in woe and troubles lay,—
I will with true confession pay.

8. My cry by God was truly heard,
And He by grace my hope secured,
Therefore to God be thanks and praise,
Who never turned from me His grace.

Translation © Matthew Carver, 2011.

GERMAN

Jauchzet Gott alle Lande sehr,
erhöhet seines Namens Ehr,
lobsinget ihm und sprecht zu Gott:
Herr, du hilfst uns aus aller Not.

2. Kommt her und schauet fleissig an
dei grossen Werk, die Gott gethan;
wie herrlich seine Thaten sind,
werde dir kund, o Menschenkind.

3. Ins Trocken er verwandelt hat
das rote Meer zu mrichtgen Pfad;
daß sein volk trocken ging durchhin;
des freun wir uns und preisen ihn.

4. Eewig herrscht er durch seine Macht,
der Leute Thun nimmet er in Acht;
wer gottlos ist, der hält nicht Stand,
er geht zu Grund mit Spott und Schand.

5. Ihr Völker lobet unsern Gott
sein Ruhm erschall an allem Ort;
denn er bewahrt uns Leib und Seel,
und unsern Fuß, daß er nicht fehl.

6. Drum will ich gehen in sein Haus,
den Gottesdienst zu richten aus,
zu zahlen der Gelübde Schuld,
zu opfern seiner Güt und Huld.

7. Was ich geredt mit meinem Mund
und Gott gelobt zu jener Stund,
da ich in Angst und Nöthen war,
das will ich machen offenbar.

8. Got hat mein Seufzen wohl erhört
und mir mein Bitt in Gnad gewährt.
Lob und Dank sag ich ihm dafür,
daß er sein Gnad nicht wendt von mir.