Tune: Erhalt uns, Herr
-
Lord, keep us steadfast in Thy Word,
And stay the Pope’s and Turks’ cruel sword,
For Jesus Christ, Thine only Son,
They fain would cast from off His throne. -
Lord Jesus Christ, Thy pow’r make known,
For Thou art Lord of lords alone;
Defend Thy Christendom, that we
May evermore sing praise to Thee. -
O Comforter of priceless worth,
Send peace and unity on earth.
Support us in our final strife
And lead us out of death to life. -
Destroy their counsels, Lord our God,
And smite them with an iron rod,
And let them fall into the snare
Which for Thy Christians they prepare. -
So shall they then at last perceive
That, Lord our God, Thou still dost live,
And dost deliver mightily
All those who put their trust in Thee.
Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort
Sts. 1–3, Martin Luther, 1541
Sts. 4–5, Justus Jonas, 1544
Source: Sts. 1–3, The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941 No. 261, alt.
Sts. 4–5, Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book, 1927, No. 274, alt.
Tune: Erhalt uns, Herr
-
Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort,
Und steur des Pabsts und Türken Mord,
Die Jesum Christum, deinen Sohn,
Wollten stürzen von deinem Thron. -
Beweis dein Macht, Herr Jesu Christ,
Der du Herr aller Herren bist,
Beschirm dein arme Christenheit,
Daß sie dich lob in Ewigkeit. -
Gott Heilger Geist, du Tröster wert,
Gib deim Volk einrlei Sinn auf Erd,
Steh bei uns in der letzten Not,
Gleit uns ins Leben aus dem Tod. -
Ihr Anschläg, Herr, zu nichte mag,
Laß sie treffen die böse Sach
Und stürz sie in die Grub hinein,
Die sie machen den Christen dein. -
So werden sie erkennen doch,
Daß du, unsr Herr Gott, lebest noch
Und hilfft gewaltig deiner Schar,
Die sich auf dich verlassen gar.
Sts. 1–3, Martin Luther, 1541
Sts. 4–5, Justus Jonas, 1544
Source: C.F.W. Walther’s Kirchen-Gesangbuch, 1898 printing, No.159
Historically, as the conclusion to “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word,” the hymn “O Grant Us Peace Most Graciously” was also sung:
Tune: Verleih uns Frieden
-
O grant us peace most graciously,
Lord, in our times distressful,
For there’s none other, none indeed,
Who for us all could wrestle,
But Thee our Lord God, Thee only. -
Give to our princes and all authorities
Peace and good government,
That as faithful subjects
We may have a quiet and peaceful way of living,
Dwelling in all godliness and honesty.
Amen.
Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich
St. 1, Latin antiphon; German Version, Martin Luther, 1529
St. 2, Anon., 1566
Tr. Christopher J. Neuendorf, 2014
Tune: Verleih uns Frieden
-
Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich
Herr Gott, zu unsern Zeiten.
Es ist doch ja kein ander nicht,
Der für uns könnte streiten,
Denn du, unser Gott, alleine. -
Gib unserm Fürsten und aller Obrigkeit
Fried und gut Regiment,
Daß wir unter ihnen
Ein geruhigs und stilles Leben führen mögen
In aller Gottseligkeit und Ehrbarkeit.
Amen.
St. 1, Latin antiphon; German Version, Martin Luther, 1529
St. 2, Anon., 1566
Source: C.F.W. Walther’s Kirchen-Gesangbuch, 1898 printing, No. 177, alt.
Martin Luther, 1483–1546, portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1533
Author: Martin Luther, 1541
Source: Joseph Klug, Geistliche Lieder zu Wittemberg, 1543
Martin Luther wrote the first three stanzas of this hymn in 1541, to be sung by the schoolboys in a special prayer service following news of the Turks’ advancement into Hungary. The hymn was printed on a Wittenberg broadsheet in 1542, and was included in Joseph Klug’s Geistliche Lieder zu Wittemberg, 1543, under the title, “A Children’s Song, to be sung against the two arch-foes of Christ and His Holy Church, the Pope and the Turks.” Stanzas 4–5 were added in 1544 by Justus Jonas. The hymn’s designation as a “Children’s Song” (Kiderlied) is not to be taken as an indication of any sort of puerile character. It means rather that the song was prepared for performance by the schoolboys, who as a part of their grammar school education were expected to serve as the chief providers of music for the public church services, in both Latin and the vernacular.