| 1. Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele.1 | 1. Praise the Lord, my soul. |
| 2. Du Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ, Wahr Mensch und wahrer Gott, Ein starker Nothelfer du bist Im Leben und im Tod; Drum wir allein Im Namen dein Zu deinem Vater schreien.2 |
2. You prince of peace, Lord Jesus Christ, True human and true God, You are a powerful helper [in times] of distress, In life and in death; Therefore we cry out In your name alone To [God] your father. |
| 3. Wohl dem, des Hülfe der Gott Jakob ist, des Hoffnung auf dem Herrn, seinem Gotte, stehet.3 | 3. Well for him whose help is the God of Jacob, [for him] whose hope is in the Lord his God. |
| 4. Tausendfachen Unglücks Schrecken,4 Hunger, Pest und schnellen Tod,5 Völker, die das Land bedecken, Sorgen und sonst noch mehr Not Sehen andre Länder zwar, Aber wir ein Segensjahr. |
4. Thousandfold misfortune’s terror, Hunger, plague, and sudden death, [Hosts of enemy] peoples who cover the land,6 Cares and otherwise yet more distress [Are what] other lands indeed see; But we [see] a year of blessing. |
| 5. Der Herr ist König ewiglich, dein Gott, Zion, für und für.7 | 5. The Lord is king eternally; your God, Zion, ever and ever. |
| 6. Jesu, Retter deiner Herde, Bleibe ferner unser Hort, Dass dies Jahr uns glücklich werde, Halte Sakrament und Wort Rein der ganzen Christenschar8 Bis zu jenem neuen Jahr. |
6. Jesus, rescuer of your flock, Continue to be our refuge, So that this [new] year might be [a] fortunate [one] for us; Keep sacrament and word Pure among the entire band of Christians Up to that [foremost] “New Year” [the end-time “jubilee year” of Christ’s kingdom].9 |
| 7. Alleluja.10 Gedenk, Herr, jetzund an dein Amt, Dass du ein Friedfürst bist, Und hilf uns gnädig allesamt Jetzund zu dieser11 Frist; Lass uns hinfort Dein göttlich Wort Im Fried noch länger schallen.12 |
7. Hallelujah. Lord, think13 now on your ministry, That you are a prince of peace, And help all of us mercifully Now on this occasion; Let your divine word henceforth Resound to us In peace yet longer. |
| (transl. Michael Marissen & Daniel R. Melamed) |
1 Psalm 146:1b.
2 The title stanza of the hymn.
3 Psalm 146:5.
4 In older modern editions of the cantata, this line reads “Tausendfaches Unglück, Schrecken” (“Thousandfold misfortune, terror”).
5 In older modern editions of the cantata, this line reads “Trübsal, Angst und schneller Tod” (“Tribulation, anguish, and sudden death”).
6 As depicted, for example, in Jeremiah 46:8.
7 Psalm 146:10a.
8 In older modern editions of the cantata, lines 4–5 read “Halte Wacht an jedem Ort. / Führ, o Jesu, deine Schar” (“Keep watch in every place. / Guide your band [of followers], oh Jesus”).
9 This poetry was possibly meant to refer literally to the next 365-day time period in Bach’s day, but more likely it was meant to refer spiritually to “das angenehme Jahr des HERRN” (“the acceptable year of the LORD”) that is proclaimed in Luke 4:19, which “year” was traditionally associated, in Christian interpretation, with the “jubilee year” of Leviticus 25, and which was said in traditional interpretation of Luke 4:21 to be fulfilled in the end-time full establishing of the kingdom of Christ.
10 Psalm 146:10b.
11 This is sometimes given in modern printings of the libretto as “jeder” (“each/every”).
12 A stanza of “Du Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ.”
13 “Gedenken an” usually means “to remember,” but in older German it could also mean “to bear in mind,” “to think about/on.”
