Before Jehovah's Awful Throne

Original lyrics.

Before Jehovah’s awful throne,
YE nations, bow with sacred joy;
Know that the Lord is God alone;
He can create and He destroy.

His sov’reign pow’r, without our aid,
Made us of clay, and formed us men;
And when like wand’ring sheep we strayed,
He brought us to His fold again.

We’ll crowd THY gates with thankful songs,
High as the heav’ns our voices raise;
And earth, with her ten thousand tongues,
Shall fill THY courts with sounding praise.

Wide as the world is THY command,
Vast as eternity THY love;
Firm as a rock THY truth shall stand
When rolling years shall cease to move.

Lyrics by Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley. 

Renewal lyrics.

Before THE LORD GOD’S AWESOME throne,
YOU nations, bow with REV'RENT joy;
Know that the Lord is God alone;
He can create and He destroy.

His POW'R SUPREME, without our aid,
FORMED us of clay, and MADE us men;
And when like wand’ring sheep we strayed,
He brought us to His fold again.

We’ll crowd YOUR gates with thankful SONG,
High as the heav’ns our voices raise;
IN HOSTS OF LANGUAGES, THE THRONG
Shall fill YOUR courts with sounding praise.

Wide as the world is YOUR command,
Vast as eternity YOUR love;
Firm as a rock YOUR truth shall stand
WHEN TIME SHALL END WITH SAINTS ABOVE.

Renewal lyric changes by RH Reinhard (c) 2014

From "Jehovah," to "Awful," to "sacred joy," to "sovereign," to "tongues," to "rolling years," this song is replete with language that is not readily understood by the modern singer.  "Awful" is particularly problematic given its current negative connotation.