Wohl den, die ohn Wandel leben (Psalm CXIX.I)

 PSALM CXIX

¶ It is a psalm of instruction and consolation. It teaches to what end it serves when our Lord God humbles a man, and what benefit and fruit it produces when holds firmly in faith to God’s Word, and lives according to it. It prays throughout for the maintenance of God’s Word, and for the governance of the Holy Ghost, an din so doing, to remain steadfast in the right faith and godly life. It glorifies God’s Word above all things in the wide world, and tells how admirably it alone rightly teaches, comforts, guides, directs, protects, preserves, sanctifies, and blesses. It warns against false teachers and excess and despising of the divine Word. It admonishes and incites us diligently to hear, consider, preserve, and persist therein. And it comforts everywhere all those who seriously endeavor to find and have all good and all blessing therein.

Alphabetum Christianorum, vel,

Commendatio verbi divini.

Commendation of the Divine Word.

· · ·

Ein Christe soll hie lernen wohl,

 Was er von Gottes Wort halten soll,

Ohn Gottes Wort ists alles nicht,

 Was in der Welt man hört und sicht.

Here let a Christian well perceive

 What he should of God’s Word believe

Without God’s Word all things are naught

 That in the world are seen and taught.

OCTONARIUS I. ALEPH

Omnis vita et omnes actiones hominis

 sine Dei verbo nihil sunt.

Was der Mensch lebt, thut, werkt und webt,

 ist eitel Noth ohn Gottes Wort.

Man’s life and praise, his works and ways

 Are all absurd without God’s Word.

Mel.: O Jesu, der du selig machst.

 

O BLEST are they that blameless dwell,

In God’s commandments going,

Who keep His testimonies well,
Obedience to Him showing

With all their heart, / nor will depart,

His ways in fear progressing!

To them He grants the blessing,

That they may will / to do no ill.

His Word both old / and young are told

To keep most diligently,

And to pursue / His precepts true,

And live thus innocently.

2 Oh, that my life might earnestly

Observe Thy statutes holy,

That I, poor servant though I be,

Might follow Thy Word solely!

Then shall I not / to shame be brought.

With all my heart I praise Thee

That Thou from grief dost raise me

And teachest me / though poor I be,

Thy wisdom, light, / and judgments right.

Therefore Thy statutes keeping,

I’ll cry to Thee: / forsake not me,

E’en when in death I’m sleeping.

Translation © 2026 Matthew Carver.

GERMAN

Wohl den, die ohn Wandel leben,

in Gotts Gesetze wandeln,

sein Zeugnis halten gar eben

aufrichtig vor Gott handeln

von Herzensgrund / in Furchten thund,

denn welch auf seinen Wegen

wandeln, den gibt er Segen,

daß sie ja nun / kein Übels thun,

geboten hat / in Wort und That,

sein Wort fleißig zu halten

nach seim Befehl / zu leben schnell

für Jungen und für Alten.

2 O daß mein Leben deine Recht

mit ganzem Ernst hielt reine,

wenn auf dein Wort ich armer Knecht

mit Fleiß nur schau alleine,

so werd zuhand / ich nicht zuschand

des dank ich dir von Herzen,

daß du in meinem Schmerzen

mich deinen Knecht / [nun?] lehrest recht

deiner Weisheit / Gerechtigkeit,

dein Recht will ich drum halten,

verlaß mich, Herr, / ja, nimmermehr.

Ewig wollst bei mir walten.