A sure foundation (Martin Luther)

Music files

L E G E N D

Disclaimer

How to download

ICON	SOURCE
	Pdf
	Midi
	Mp3
	MusicXML
	Noteworthy
	File details
	Help

• (Posted 2022-11-08)  CPDL #71479:           

Editor: Stuart Moffatt (submitted 2022-11-08).   Score information: A4, 1 page, 200 kB   Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: This is Martin Luther's melody arranged with a harmony closely following Bach's but without his passing notes, and newly written words.

General Information

Title: A sure foundation
Composer: Martin Luther
Lyricist: Stuart Moffatt
Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Meter: 87. 87. 66. 667 Genre: Sacred, Chorale

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1529 in Wittenberg
    2nd published: 2022 here
Description: 

See also:

• Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV 302 (Johann Sebastian Bach) and
• Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV 303 (Johann Sebastian Bach) – J. S. Bach's arrangements of this tune
  

Original text and translations

English text

A sure foundation God has laid
On which he builds the church of Christ.
The prophets and the apostles
His word have laid before us all.
His word declares the truth:
One man for us has come,
The real man of God
And God’s anointed one.
Jesus of this man is the name.

Jesus the great defender came
To claim his people as his own.
Once bound they were by sin’s strong power
He saves them in his darkest hour.
When Satan did his worst
On the cross was he cursed
To break the power of sin
And then to enter in
The kingdom which he had been given.

Jesus, the man, with troubled heart
Was vexed by Satan’s cunning art,
But Jesus failed not to perform
The task for which he had been born.
The Father saw the Son,
The obedient One,
With his work was he pleased
God’s wrath it was appeased,
His people then stood justified.

Jesus now sits at God’s right hand
From which he shall to judgement come.
He is the Lord of every man
Whate’er of ill or good they’ve done.
They all shall bow the knee;
Confess Jesus is Lord.
The righteous he shall take,
The wicked he forsake,
His justice seen on Jesus’s stake.

In Jesus Christ God’s glory shines
And shine it will for evermore.
His people a kingdom of priests
Shall sing his praise and him adore.
This is the gift of Christ
Who purchased by his blood,
The real Lamb of God
Who took away their sins,
The One Lord Jesus whom they love.

The sure foundation which God laid
Is where he builds his dwelling place.
His people safely gathered in
There offer him their songs of praise.
Nothing is there to harm
For all is peace and calm;
A world of love prepared
For those for whom he died,
And Jesus is their good Shepherd.