Be Still, My Soul

by Catharina von Schlegel, 1697-?
Translated by Jane Borthwick, 1813-1897

1. Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2. Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

3. Be still, my soul, though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
From His own fulness all He takes away.

4. Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

"this is all my hope and peace..."

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Now by this I’ll overcome—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
Now by this I’ll reach my home—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Glory! Glory! This I sing—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
All my praise for this I bring—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Taste and See That the LORD Is Good

Psalm 34

Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

¹ I will bless the LORD at all times;
   his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
² My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
   let the humble hear and be glad.
³ Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
   and let us exalt his name together!
⁴ I sought the LORD, and he answered me
   and delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ Those who look to him are radiant,
   and their faces shall never be ashamed.
⁶ This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
   and saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of the LORD encamps
   around those who fear him, and delivers them.
⁸ Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
⁹ Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints,
   for those who fear him have no lack!
¹⁰ The young lions suffer want and hunger;
   but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
¹¹ Come, O children, listen to me;
    I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
¹² What man is there who desires life
   and loves many days, that he may see good?
¹³ Keep your tongue from evil
   and your lips from speaking deceit.
¹⁴ Turn away from evil and do good;
   seek peace and pursue it.
¹⁵ The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
    and his ears toward their cry.
¹⁶ The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
   to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
¹⁷ When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears
   and delivers them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸ The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
   and saves the crushed in spirit.
¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
    but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
²⁰ He keeps all his bones;
    not one of them is broken.
²¹ Affliction will slay the wicked,
   and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
²² The LORD redeems the life of his servants;
   none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

my refuge and my fortress

Psalm 91

¹He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
   will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
²I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress,
   my God, in whom I trust."
³For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
   and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴He will cover you with his pinions,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
⁵You will not fear the terror of the night,
   nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
   nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
⁷A thousand may fall at your side,
   ten thousand at your right hand,
   but it will not come near you.
⁸You will only look with your eyes
   and see the recompense of the wicked.
⁹Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—
   the Most High, who is my refuge—
¹⁰ no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
    no plague come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways.
¹²On their hands they will bear you up,
   lest you strike your foot against a stone.
¹³You will tread on the lion and the adder;
   the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
¹⁴"Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
   I will protect him, because he knows my name.
¹⁵When he calls to me, I will answer him;
   I will be with him in trouble;
   I will rescue him and honor him.
¹⁶With long life I will satisfy him
   and show him my salvation."

Proverbs 16

The plans of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.
All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the LORD weighs the motives.
Commit your works to the LORD And your plans will be established.
The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil.
Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.
By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.
When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Better is a little with righteousness Than great income with injustice.
The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.
A divine decision is in the lips of the king; His mouth should not err in judgment.
A just balance and scales belong to the LORD; All the weights of the bag are His concern.
It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, For a throne is established on righteousness.
Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And he who speaks right is loved.
The fury of a king is like messengers of death, But a wise man will appease it.
In the light of a king's face is life, And his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain.
How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.
The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who watches his way preserves his life.
Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly Than to divide the spoil with the proud.
He who gives attention to the word will find good, And blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.
The wise in heart will be called understanding, And sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.
Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it, But the discipline of fools is folly.
The heart of the wise instructs his mouth And adds persuasiveness to his lips.
Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
A worker's appetite works for him, For his hunger urges him on.
A worthless man digs up evil, While his words are like scorching fire.
A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends.
A man of violence entices his neighbor And leads him in a way that is not good.
He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things; He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.
A gray head is a crown of glory; It is found in the way of righteousness.
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.
The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD.