Köstlich ist was Gott uns lehrt

Here is my translation of the Catechesis/School hymn, “Köstlich ist was Gott uns lehrt” (Paul Henkel, d. 1825), in NEGB #123 with melody assignment “Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht.” The English adaptation in the Church Hymn Book (1816ff.), “How Precious Is God’s Holy Word,” in 5 stanzas of Common Meter, is ascribed to David Henkel (see below).

 

PRECIOUS teaching in the Word
From our God may be discernèd;
Blest is he who well hath heard
And with true devotion learnèd.
He finds now in ample store
What will serve him evermore.

2 ’Tis a precious gift and rare,
That we are in Scripture given,
For God’s teaching we find there,
And His love, who sent from heaven
His dear Son, so highly prized,
In whose name we are baptized.

3 He the Bishop of His sheep,
And the Shepherd faithful ever,
Will His flock in safety keep,
And will leave the straying never:
All the flock He wills to feed,
And to pasture green doth lead.

4 He doth feed each precious lamb,
Leads it to His pasture pleasing,
Makes it righteous, good, and tame,
Gives it all His joy unceasing;
Will the lambs but Him obey,
He will lead them on life’s way.

  At the Close of the Instruction.

5 Dearest Jesus, deign to bless
The instruction to us given;
On each soul its truth impress,
By the Spirit’s graces seven,
Which Thou dearly boughtest us,
When Thou died’st upon the cross.

CHURCH HYMN BOOK

How precious is God's holy word,
That Word of life and peace,
Shows man the way unto the Lord,
The way of happiness.

2 How blest are they, and only they,
Who wish the truth to know;
Who seek to find the righteous way,
And strive therein to go.

3 Lord, in Thy presence we appear,
Here at Thy throne we stand.
Make us Thy Word of truth to hear,
And live to Thy command.

4 O! mighty Shepherd of Thy sheep,
Who seekest those that stray;
Thy blessed Word and staff can keep
Us in Thy righteous way.

5 Teach us the way of life and truth,
The way of righteousness.
Direct, O Lord, the wand'ring youth,
The way of life and peace.

Translation © 2023 Matthew Carver.

GERMAN

Köstlich ist was Gott uns lehrt
in seinem theurn werthen Worte, [in seim theuren…]
wohl dem ders mit Andacht hört
und auch lernt mit viel Begierde
der findt schon hier in der Zeit,
was ihm dient in Ewigkeit.

2 Eine theure werthe Gab,
die der liebe Vater giebet,
daß man seine Lehre hab
ist weil uns der Vater liebet;
weil sein Sohn uns theur erkauft,
uaf des Name wir getauft.

3 Der groß Bischof seiner Heerd,
der gut und getreue Hirte,
daß die Heerd geweidet werd,
daß man suchet das Verirrte,
will die Heerde groß und klein
führen zu der Weide ein.

4 Er selbst weidet jedes Lamm,
führet es auf seine Weide.
Er macht die gerecht und fromm,
und schenkt ihnen wahre Freude,
die ihn nur gehorsam sein
führet er zum Leben ein.

Zum Beschluß nach dem Unterricht.

5 Jesu, laß gesegnet sein,
was wir unterrichtet haben,
prägs in jede Seele ein,
durch die gute Geistes Gaben,
die du für uns theur erwarbst,
da du an dem Kreuze starbst.
‡