O God, Why Have You Cast Us Off? - Psalm 74 Becker (Schütz)

1. 1 O God, why have You cast us off?
Why does Your anger ever burn?
2 Remember now the church You bought,
And to us let Your grace return.
3 Turn now Your steps to this sad ruin;
Our foes have damaged all within.
4 They shout throughout Your meeting place
And raise the banner of their sin.
2. 5 The wicked wield their ax within
6 And desecrate our walls around;
Defiling Your abiding place,
7 They burn Your temples to the ground.
8 Within their hearts they plot and scheme:
“Now let us fin’lly bring them down!”
9 Our signs and prophets all are gone;
They’ve burned our church es to the ground.
3. 10 How long, O God, will they revile
And mock and spurn Your holy name?
11 Why stay Your hand? Deploy it now
And bring Your foes to lasting shame!
12 Our God is King from long ago,
Who works deliv’rance in our land;
13 He split the sea, 14 He crushed His foes;
Against Him none can ever stand.
4. 15 You opened springs, fresh water flowed;
16 To You belong both day and night.
17 You bound the seasons and the earth,
And gave the sun its glorious light.
18 Remember this, O Lord our God:
A foolish people spurns Your name;
19 Deliver not Your dove to them,
Nor leave Your needy ones to shame.
5. 20 Your covenant recall, renew,
For vi’lence spreads throughout the earth;
21 Oh, do not let th’oppressed be shamed;
Let poor and needy sing Your worth!
22 Arise, O God! Plead Your own cause!
Remember, fools reproach Your name.
23 Their voices quell, their uproar still,
Who Your majestic grace defame.
Music: Heinrich Schütz, 1661
Text: The Ailbe Psalter, 2006; alt. © ailbe.org
Tune name: BECKER 74 [WARUM VERSTOSST] 8 8. 8 8. 8 8. 8 8.
All vocals by Michael E. Owens
I record tunes that anyone can sing.
Now that you know the tune, go ahead and sing it.
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