The Peaceable Kingdom

The Peaceable Kingdom

by Randall Thompson (1899 – 1984)

GHOSTLIGHT Chorus: Randall Thompson – The Peaceable Kingdom

Lyrics:

  1. Say ye to the righteous

Say ye to the righteous, it shall be well with him:

For they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

Woe unto the wicked!  It shall be ill with him;

For the reward of his hands shall be given him.

Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart,

But ye shall cry for sorrow of heart

And shall howl for vexation of spirit.

Text Authorship:

  1. Woe unto them

Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity,

and sin as it were with a cart rope!

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil;

that put darkness for light and light for darkness;

that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

Woe unto them that art mighty to drink wine,

and men of strength to mingle strong drink!

Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink;

that continue till night, till wine inflame them!

And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe,

And wine are in their feasts;

But they regard not the work of the Lord,

Neither consider the operations of His hands.

Woe to the multitude of many people,

which make a noise like the noise of the seas!

Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field,

Till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth.

Text Authorship:

  1. The noise of a multitude

The noise of the multitude in the mountains, like as a great people:

A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together;

The Lord of Hosts mustereth the host of the battle.

They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the Lord,

And the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.

Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces;

And they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb;

Their eye shall not spare children.

Everyone that is found shall be thrust through;

And everyone that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword.

Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes;

Their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.

Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt.

They shall be afraid: pangs and sorrow shall take hold of them;

They shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth;

They shall be amazed at one another; their faces shall be as flames.

Text Authorship:

  1. Howl ye

Howl ye:  for the day of the Lord is at hand.

Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou art dissolved.

Text Authorship:

  1. The Paper Reeds by the Brooks

The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks,

And everything sown by the brooks,

Shall wither, be driven away, and be no more.

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  1. But these are they

But these are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain.

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace:

The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing,

And all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands.

Text Authorship:

  1. Ye shall have a song

Ye shall have a song,

As in the night when a holy solemnity is kept;

And gladness of heart,

As when one goes with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord.

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