1 O Lord of Hosts, how lovely,
Thy tabernacles are;
For them my heart is yearning
In banishment afar.
My souls is longing, fainting,
Thy sacred courts to see;
My heart and flesh are crying,
O living God, for Thee.
2 Beneath Thy care the sparrow
Finds place for peaceful rest;
To keep her young in safety
The swallow finds a nest;
Then, Lord, my King Almighty,
Thy love will shelter me;
Beside Thy holy altar
My dwelling-place shall be.
3 Blest they who dwell in Zion,
Whose joy and strength Thou art;
Forever they will praise Thee,
Thy ways are in their heart.
Though tried, their tears like showers
Shall fill the springs with peace,
And all the way to Zion
Their strength shall still increase.