Here is my translation of the psalm paraphrase “Merk auf, mein Volk, zu dieser Stund” (Burkard Waldis, d. 1556), part 2 of 2, based on Psalm LXXVIII, Attendite popule, with title, “An instruction that God punishes unbelief, that we may trust in Him, and take comfort in His grace and almighty power.” Because of the length, I have divided this into two more manageable parts of 15 stanzas each. The melody is discussed in the previous post.
16 Yet it was all hypocrisy—
Both old and young men’s sighing—
They cried without sincerity,
And with their tongues spake lying;
There was no faith nor penitence,
Throughout their heart completely,
They held not with all confidence
God’s holy cov’nant meetly,
Which He had wrought,
And from mount Horeb to them brought.
17 Still did the Lord His mercy grant,
The people’s sin forgiving,
He did not wholly them supplant,
But let them go on living,
His wrath from them He turned away,
For He did well remember
That they were flesh, and formed of clay,
Brief like a smold’ring ember,
Like wind that blows
And soon from our remembrance goes.
18 And yet they greatly angered Him,
In desert wild and wasted,
And for their foolish, selfish whim,
The Lord with murmurs tested,
And overruled God’s counsel wise,
Whenever was their pleasure,
For His relief they would devise
The time and place and measure,
With many a sin
Did Isr’el God to anger win.
19 They thought not of His mighty hand
By which He had relieved them
From all their foes in Egypt’s land,
When tyranny aggrieved them,
And how He showed them many a sign,
His wonders multiplying,
Plagued Egypted by His pow’r divine,
Great sicknesses supplying,
Which did those foes
To ruin utterly expose.
20 He turned their waters into blood
Till they of thirst were dying,
Sent toads and vermin as a flood
Consuming and destroying;
Their crops to caterpillars fell,
The locust seed devoured,
The vines were all cut down by hail,
A choking frost o’erpowered
The fruiting tree;
Storms ravaged all things utterly.
21 With hail He struck their cattle dead,
With thunder death conferring;
When forth the evil angels spread,
His burning anger stirring,
He bade them murder and destroy
With raving and with madness;
None could atone or grace enjoy,
To stave off wrath and sadness,
He did not spare
Their soul from mortal pangs and care.
22 By pestilence and plague most dire
He wrought their cattle’s ruin,
The firstborn through the land entire
That day met their undoing.
He caused His people then withal
In peace to leave securely;
No plague could do them harm at all,
They fled all trouble surely
And were not hurt,
As God His people did escort.
23 His people like a flock of sheep
Through wilderness He guided;
Beneath the sea the foes must sleep,
Dread fate their force betided.
Into the promised land by grace
He brought His flock elected,
To Zion, to His holy place,
Which He had first selected,
Which His right hand
Had purchased, for to be their land.
24 Before them peoples strange He drave,
The heathen tribes expelling,
And to their open hands He gave
Their land for their own dwelling;
Life, goods, and cattle, treasures all —
He spared no heathen nation,—
Gave to His people town and wall,
A ready habitation,
And by His might
He gave them rest from constant flight.
25 But they did tempt God and provoke
To anger with transgressions;
Continually His Law they broke,
Held not His cov’nant
Like as their fathers did they stray
To idols, God offending;
Persisted in their erring way
Like as a bow ill-bending,
Thus constantly
Their sin moved Him to jealousy.
26 At this God’s wrath burned like a brand,
He vengeance planned unsparing,
From Israel withdrew His hand,
Forsook the tent uncaring
Which He in Shiloh bade be raised,
The ark, His cov’nant’s token,
He bade by enemies be seized—
The words by His mouth spoken;
Its glory brought
To hands of foes who ’gainst Him fought.
27 By sword the Lord His flock entombed.
At His possession raging;
The fire the young men then consumed,
None came their grief assuaging—
Their maidens marriageless remained,
They died in deep depression,
Their priests were in their robes profaned,
And slain by men’s aggression.
All hope was lost,
The widows grieved at such a cost.
28 Then God awaked as out of sleep,
To save His name and glory;
The foes’ vile deeds must vengeance reap:
Their hinder parts with fury
He smote, and made their name abhorred,
Reproach upon them heaving—
On Askalon His wrath outpoured;
Till soon, their state perceiving,
They did behold
That they had sinned, both young and old.
29 But He chose not old Joseph’s race,
He Ephraim removèd,
And Judah’s line He did embrace,
Mount Zion, which He lovèd.
There did He build His Temple high,
The place by Him selected,
That men might praise and to Him sigh
In halls no hand erected,
Which e’er shall sound
As from Mount Zion’s solid ground.
30 He David chose, His servant dear,
From sheepfold and from pasture,
To lead God’s flock by rod and spear
And be their king and master.
This flock with honor, faithfulness
And diligence e’er reigning,
He Isr’el saved from his distress,
And Jacob ceased complaining,
And gave God praise,
Who thus salvation brought always.
Translation © 2024 Matthew Carver.
GERMAN
16 Doch war es alles heuchelei,
Bein alten und bein Jungen,
Ir hertzen waren nit dabei,
Logen mit jren zungen,
Da war keyn glaub, noch ware rew,
In ires hertzen grunde,
Sie hielten nit mit gantzer trew,
An seinem heilgen bunde,
Den Er gemacht,
Und von dem berge Horeb bracht.
17 Dennoch der HERR barmhertzig war,
Die Sünde zu vergeben,
Vertilget sie nicht gantz und gar,
Er ließ noch erlich leben.
Von jn seinn zorn offt wendet ab,
Und gab jn das zugute,
Gedacht, sie seind doch farend hab,
Nur sterblich fleysch und blute,
Gleichwie der windt,
Fert immer hin, und gar verschwindt.
18 Jedoch erzürnten sie in gar,
In der wüstnei entrüsten,
Versuchten jn auch jmmerdar,
nach jren bösen lüsten,
Und meysterten den Gottes Rath,
So offt sie selber wolten.
Setzten jm zeit, zil, maß und statt,
Wann Er jn helffen solte,
Mit sünden viel,
Erzürnten Gott in Jsrael.
19 Gedachten nit an seine hand,
Wie Er sie het erlöset,
Von feinden in Egyptenland,
Da sie warn uberböset,
Wie Er die zeychen het gethan,
Sein wunder in dem lande,
Vil plagen uber sie ließ gan,
Und kranckheyt mancherhande,
Die sie mit fahr
Verwüst, verderbet gantz und gar.
20 Ir wasser Er in blut verkert,
Vor durst musten sie sterben,
Schickt böß gewürm, das sie verzert,
Und krötten zum verderben.
UNd jr gewechs den rauppen gab,
Jre Saat den hewschrecken,
Der hagel schlug die weinstöck ab,
Mit schlossen thets bedecken,
Das wetter schlug
Jr maulbeerbäum mit ungefug.
21 Mit hagel schlug jr vih zuhand,
Jr herd mit donnerschlegen,
Da Er die bösen Engel sand,
Seinn grimmen zu erregen,
Ließ sie morden und leyde thun,
Mit toben und mit wüten.
Jr keyner kommen mocht zur sühn,
Seinen zorn zuvergüten,
Ließ jrer seel
Nicht schonen mit des todes quel.
22 An Pestilentz und grosser plag,
Ließ Er jr vieh verderben,
All erstgebart auff einen tag,
Jm gantzen land must sterben.
Er ließ sein volck in allem frid
Und sicherheyt außziehen.
Daß jn keyn plag must schaden nit,
Und kondten jn entfliehen.
Jn sicherheyt
Fürt ers on forcht in gutem gleyt.
23 Wie ein herd schaff zugens daher,
Biß in die wüsten kamen,
Abr jre feind bedeckt das Meer,
Schlug uber jn zusamen.
Brachts in das lnad mit grossem rhum,
Welchs Er jn het geschworen,
Zu Zion in sein heiligthum,
Das Er het außerkoren,
Welchs in auß gnad
Sein rechte hand erworben hat.
24 Vor jn vertrib die frembden leut,
Die völcker in den landen,
Jr Erb und gut, gab jn zur beut,
Und stelts zu jren handen.
Jrs leibs und guts, jrs vihs und hab,
Thet Er gar nicht verschonen.
Die gmaurten stett jn gar eingab,
Jsrael drinn zu wonen,
Mit grosser macht
Sein volck also zu ruhe bracht.
25 Dennoch versuchten sie irn Gott,
Erzürnten mit der sünde,
Stedts ubertrattens sein gebot,
Hielten nit an seim bunde.
Gleich jrn Vättern fielen sie hin,
Zun frembden Götzen zogen.
Bestunden auch in jrem sinn,
Gleichwie ein loser bogen.
Mit sünden groß,
Reytzten sie jn on underloß.
26 Da das Gott hört, sein zorn entbrandt,
Wolt auch die Rach nit sparen,
Von Jsrael zoh ab sein handt,
Und ließ sein wonung faren.
Die Er zu Sylo bawen hieß,
Die lade seines bundes.
Von jren feinden fahen ließ,
Die antwort seines mundes.
Jr herrlich macht,
Ward in der feinde hende bracht.
27 Und ubergab sein volck ins schwerd,
Entbrandt uber sein Erbe,
Jr jung manschafft das fewr verzert,
Jm elend ließ verderben.
Jr Jungkfrawn bliebne ungfreit,
Musten also verzagen.
Jr Priester in dem heilgen kleyd,
Wurden alda erschlagen,
Daß alls verzagt,
Und war niemand ders hett beklagt.
28 Da erwacht Gott, gleichwie vom schlaff,
Sein ehr wolt nit vermindern,
Auff frische that, volgt bald die straff,
Schlug seine feind im hindern.
Ein Ewig schand henckt er in an,
Wol zu den selben stunden.
Ubr Ascalon seinn zorn ließ gan,
Daß sie sein macht empfunden,
Und merckten bald,
Daß gsündigt het beyd jung und alt.
29 Darnach verwarff Eer Josephs stamm,
Stund Ephfraim dahinden,
Das gschlecht Juda wider annam,
Zu Zion ließ sich finden,
Daselbst bawt Er seinn Tempel hoch,
Wie Er jm hett erwelet,
Daß für und für, und stedts hernach,
Sein lob da würd erzelet,
Welchs Ewig solt
Bestehn, wie Ers selbst haben wolt.
30 Erwelet David seinen knecht,
Und holt jn von den schaffen,
Daß Er sein volck solt füren recht,
Mit gsetzen und mit waffen.
Dasselb hat Eer auch außgericht,
Mit fleiß und aller trewe,
Daß Jsrael darff klagen nicht,
Und jacob nicht gerewe,
Und loben Gott,
Der jn solch heyl gegeben hat.
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