Es spricht der vnweisen mund wol
The Folly of Unbelief
The foolish claim to know God while their hearts and actions prove otherwise.
Foolish people might say, "We believe in the true God," yet their hearts are full of unbelief, and they deny him through their actions. Their whole nature is corrupt; in God's sight, it is utterly abhorrent. Not one of them does what is good.
God's Search for the Faithful
God examines humanity to find those who seek him, but finds only those who have gone astray in their own delusions.
God himself looked down from heaven on all humanity.✦ He set out to see whether he could find anyone who had set their mind on understanding and earnestly lived by God's word.✦ and who sought to know his will.✦ No one was on the right path; they had all gone astray.✦ Everyone followed their own delusions and clung to corrupt ways. Yet not one of them did any good, even though their own minds deceived so many.✦ They thought their conduct was bound to please God.1
The Exploitation of the Poor
The wicked exploit the faithful and live in fear, while God remains with those who trust him.
How long will those who take on such burdens remain ignorant? And so they devour my people and feed themselves at their expense. They don't put their trust in God or call on him in times of trouble. They intend to provide for themselves. That’s why their hearts are never at rest, and they live in constant fear. God wants to remain with the righteous, who listen to Him in faith. But you despise the poor man's counsel and mock everything he says: that God has become his comfort.
The Promise of Salvation
God promises to deliver his people through his Son, bringing joy and freedom to Israel.
Who will bring salvation from Zion to poor Israel? God will have mercy on his people and set the captives free. He will do this through his Son; then Jacob will rejoice. And Israel will be glad.
Read the original Latin
Es spricht der vnweisen mund wol / den rechten Got wir meynen. Doch ist yhr hertz vnglaubens voll / mit that sie yhn verneinen. Ir wesen ist verderbet / zwar fur Got ist es eyn grewel gar. Es thut yhr keyner keyn gut.
Got selb vom hymel sach erab / auff aller menschen kynden. Zu schawen sye er sych begab / ob er yemand wurd fynden / der seyn verstand gerichtet hett / mit ernst nach Gottes worten thett. Vnd fragt nach seynem willen.
Da war niemant auff rechter ban / sie waren al ausschrytten. Eyn yeder gieng nach seynem wahn / vnd hielt verlorne sytten. Es thett yhr keiner doch kein gut / wie wol gar viel betrog der mut. Yhr thun must got gefallen.
Wie lang wöllen vnwissend seyn / die solche muhe auffladen. Vnd fressen dauor das volck meyn / vnd neern sich mit seim schaden. Es steht yr trawen nicht auff Got / sye ruffen yhm nicht yn der nott. Sie wölln sych selb versorgen.
Darumb ist yhr hertz nymer styll / vnd steht allzeyt yn forchten. Got bey den fromen bleiben wil / dem sie mit glawben horchen. Ihr aber schmecht des armen rad / vnd hönet alles was er sagt. Das Gott seyn trost yst worden.
Wer soll Israel dem armen / zu Zion heyl erlangen. Gott wird sych seyns volcks erbarmen / vnd lösen die gefangen. Das wirt er thun durch seynen son / dauon wird Jacob wonne han. Vnd Israel sych frewen.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Ps.14.2 — The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of man, to see if there is anyone who understands, who seeks after God.
- ↩Ps.14.2 — The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of man, to see if there is anyone who understands, who seeks after God.
- ↩Ps.14.2 — The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of man, to see if there is anyone who understands, who seeks after God.
- ↩Ps.14.3 — Everyone has turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
- ↩Ps.14.3 — Everyone has turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
Notes
- 1 ↩The terse wording literally says that their conduct 'had to please God'; in context, this is best understood as their deceived conviction rather than the narrator’s judgment.
Erfurt Enchiridion (Early Lutheran Hymns) companion
Never lose the rhythm again
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Chosen Portion is a modern Book of Hours: it turns the fixed-hour structure this collection preserves into scheduled, tappable daily prayer on your phone.
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