Als man einen Kranken dort

Here is my translation of the Jesus hymn, “Als man einen Kranken dort” (Paul Henkel, d. 1825), in NEGB #95 for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity (Gospel: Matt. 9:1–8) with melody assignment: “Mache dich mein Geist bereit.” Henkel’s English reworking, “Jesus, Physician of the Soul” appears in The Church Hymn Book (1816ff.) in 8 stanzas of Long Meter (included below).

 

WHEN a sick man once was brought
To the Lord and Savior,
Oh, what comfort for him wrought
Jesus’ words of favor:
Be it known
O my son,
Thy sins are forgiven,
Death from thee is driven.

2 He lay on the mattress there,s
And for pity waited,
Jesus, of his faith aware,
Soon his heart elated.
Lo, what love
Doth Him move
To console the lowly,
And make sinners holy!

3 Worldlings only scoff at Him,
Who the poor receiveth,
They suppose He doth blaspheme
When He sin forgiveth;
Yet the Son
Can alone
Save all who will rightly
Call on Him contritely.

4 Jesus sees the heart’s true ground;
Though man good appeareth,
In the conscience soon is found
What he most revereth;
Plain as day
He doth lay
Bare all craft and scheming
Of which men are dreaming.

5 Over all things He doth reign,
In the earth and heaven;
What He says must happen when
His command is given;
When the Lord
Speaks His Word,
Sick men lie no longer,
Limbs are healed and stronger.

6 If we feel distress and dread,
If our sins oppress us,
Wounded, sickly, and half-dead,
He will help and bless us.
Jesus’ blood
Maketh good
What our soul aggrieveth,
All our woes relieveth.

7 Soul, in faith take hold of that
Which His words provide thee,
Thereby follow with thy mat
Whither it may guide thee,
Till the Lord
Shall afford
Strength in greater measure,
To do all His pleasure.

Translation © 2023 Matthew Carver.

CHURCH HYMN BOOK

1 Jesus, Physician of the soul,
Each raging evil can control;
He looks on man’s distressèd case,
And shows His pow’r, His love and grace.

2 He knows the anguish such endure,
Which none but He Himself can cure;
None but His sacred pow’r divine,
Can ease such souls who mourn and pine.

3 The head is sick, the heart is faint,
They can’t describe their own complaint;
Such kind of mis’ry as they feel,
Which they themselves cannot reveal.

4 Great pain and anguish fills the heart,
They feel distressed in every part;
A shaking palsy fills the head,
And they are helpless as the dead.

5 These are the great effects of sin,
Defiles the whole of man within;
The cause of all that great distress,
The cause of all unhappiness.

6 When they are to the Savior brought,
They soon will find the help they sought;
For all their sorrows, pain and grief,
The Savior gives them sure relief.

7 He bids them neither doubt nor fear,
By pray’r and confidence draw near;
Their guilt and crimes He will forgive,
Cure their complaints, and make them live.

8 Come then ye sin-sick, needy, poor,
With thankful hearts receive the cure;
His blood will cleanse you of your stain,
And make you heirs of grace again.

GERMAN

1 Als man einen Kranken dort
zu dem Heiland brachte,
o wie tröstlich war das Wort,
das er zu ihm sagte!
Du, mein SOhn,
dir sind schon
deine Sünd vergeben,
du sollt wieder leben.

2 Er lag auf dem Bette da,
wartet auf Erbarmen,
Jesus, der den Glauben sah,
hilft er bald dem Armen.
Jesus giebt,
weil er liebt
Trost den armen Sündern,
Heil den Menschenkindern.

3 Jesus ist nur der Welt Spott,
weil er Arme liebet,
denkt und spricht er lästert Gott,
wann er Sünd vergiebet;
doch bleibt er
ewig, der
alle kann erretten,
die ihn recht anbeten.

4 Jesus sieht des Herzens Grund,
ob man gleich fromm scheinet,
er macht dem Gewissen kund,
wie mans mit ihm meinet,
offenbar
legt er dar
alle List und Ränken,
wie die Menschen denken.

5 Er hat völlig alle Macht
Himmels und der Erden.
Er befehlt und was er sagt
muß auch also werden;
auf sein Wort
konnte dort
Kranke wieder stehen,
mit dem Bette gehen.

6 Fühlen wir die Seelennoth,
drücken uns die Sünden,
verwund und krank und halb todt,
Rettung wird sich finden.
Jesu Blut
machet gut
unsern Seelenschaden
ist dann wohl gerathen.

7 Seele, faß im Glauben nur,
was er dir verheißet,
so hast du die rechte Spur,
die dich weiter weiset,
bis der Herr
dir noch mehr
Licht und Kraft wird geben
fromm vor ihm zu leben.
‡