Merkt, was dort Jesus saget

Here is my translation of the hymn, “Merkt, was dort Jesus saget” (Paul Henkel, d. 1825), in NEGB #84 for the Eighth Sunday after Trinity (Gospel: Matt. 7:15–23) with melody assignment: “Befiehl du deine Wege.” The Church Hymn Book (1816ff.) provides an English adaptation, “Beware, the Savior Gave Command,” in 8 stanzas of Common Meter, which I include below.

 

MARK well what Jesus says here,
With warning and appeal,
How He laments the case here,
And sorely grieved doth feel,
That with a false appearance
Wolves shall as teachers rise
To break the flock’s adherence
To truth with murd’rous lies.

2 Their form is unoffending,
Clothed in humility,
Yet, only ill intending,
They seek continually,
That truth may be confounded
According to their mind,
With reasons false propounded,
Their shameful gain to find.

3 Their wicked works betray them,
As fruit the tree makes known—
They cannot but display them,
Thus their intent is shown:
To have alone the glory,
And carnal joy and ease;
Therefore their lying story
The wicked world doth please.

4 On thorny hedge none doubteth
No noble grape can swell,
Nor on the thistle sprouteth
The fig with fragrant smell;
Nor is a man amended
By doctrine false and vile,
Though to man’s eye ’tis splendid,
With naught that may defile.

5 To cry “Lord, Lord” none saveth,
Nor sends to heaven fair;
The Christian’s duty craveth
That he the cross should bear.
Who will not here endeavor
A Christian true to be,
Nor shall enter ever
To blest eternity.

Translation © 2023 Matthew Carver.
 

THE CHURCH HYMN BOOK

Beware, the Savior gave command,
And watch ye unto prayer;
That ye be wise and understand!
The teachers ye may hear.

2 Our Lord declares that such shall come,
Who show a pious face;
That they would come, and would presume,
To take the Savior’s place.

3 They would appear like lambs without,
But rav’nous wolves within!
They teach and pray, and act devout:
Yet all they do is sin.

4 Their doctrine is deceit and fraud,
And of a dang’rous kind;
They do not teach the truth of God,
But please the carnal mind.

5 The truth in Jesus they deny,
It answers not their end;
Their pride and lusts to crucify
Is not what they intend.

6 As grapes on thorns have never grown,
Or figs from thistles shot;
Just so false doctrines ne'er was known,
Produce the spirits fruit.

7 The good or evil tree we know,
When of its fruit we taste;
Thus we may prove the doctrine too,
To see its fruit at last.

8 Not ev'ry one that sayeth Lord,
Shall enter into heav'n--
But they who love and keep the word,
To them it shall be giv'n.

 

GERMAN

Merkt was dort Jesus saget,
was er zur Warnung giebt,
wie er die Sach beklaget,
deshalben wird betrübt,
daß solche Lehrer werden
mit einem falschen Schein
wie Wölfe bei den Heerden
in seiner Kirche sein.

2 Die äusserlich wohl scheinen
in Demuth eingekleidt,
und dennoch nur bös meinen
und suchen allezeit,
die Wahrheit zu verkehren
nach ihrem Eigensinn,
auch falsche Gründe lehren
um schändlichen Gewinn.

3 Man kennt sie an dem Wandel
wie Bäume an der Frucht,
es zeigt ihr ganzer Handel,
es wird nur das gesucht,
was dient zur eigen Ehre
und was dem Fleisch gefällt,
drum liebet solche Lehre
die arge, falsche Welt.

4 Man findt an Dornenhecken
die edle Traube nicht,
auch nicht an Disteln stecken
die Feige, die wohl riecht,
es kann von falscher Lehre
niemand gebessert sein
und wann sie auch wohl wäre
nach Menschen Urtheil rein.

5 Es hilft nicht Herr, Herr sagen,
bringt uns in HImmel nicht;
man muß das Kreuze tragen,
das ist der Christen Pflicht.
Wer sich nicht will bestreben,
ein wahrer Christ zu sein,
der geht in jenem Leben
auch nicht zum Himmel ein.
‡