Hear This, All Ye People, Hear

Hear this

all ye peo­ple

hear

Earth’s in­ha­bit­ants

give ear;

All of high and low de­gree

Rich and poor

give heed to me.

Truth with all my heart I seek

And my mouth shall wis­dom speak;

Hearken while in lyr­ic strain

I make hid­den wis­dom plain.

Why should I to fear give way

When I see the ev­il day

When with wick­ed­ness my foes

Shall sur­round me and op­pose?

They that trust in trea­sured gold

Though they boast of wealth un­told

None can bid his bro­ther live

None to God a ran­som give.

If from death one would be free

And cor­rupt­ion nev­er see

Costly is life’s ran­som price

Far be­yond all sac­ri­fice.