Isaac Watts
(1674-1748)
The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)
The Words of the King James Bible and Isaac Watts
Presented in Parallel
Verse
What Saith the Scripture?
What Singeth the Poet?
3
Blessed are the poor in spirit:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blest are the humble souls that see
Their emptiness and poverty;
Treasures of grace to them are giv’n,
And crowns of joy laid up in heav’n.
Their emptiness and poverty;
Treasures of grace to them are giv’n,
And crowns of joy laid up in heav’n.
4
Blessed are they that mourn:
for they shall be comforted.
for they shall be comforted.
Bless’d are the men of broken heart,
Who mourn for sin with inward smart;
The blood of Christ divinely flows,
A healing balm for all their woes.
Who mourn for sin with inward smart;
The blood of Christ divinely flows,
A healing balm for all their woes.
5
Blessed are the meek:
for they shall inherit the earth.
for they shall inherit the earth.
Bless’d are the meek, who stand afar
From rage and passion, noise and war;
God will secure their happy state,
And plead their cause against the great.
From rage and passion, noise and war;
God will secure their happy state,
And plead their cause against the great.
6
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:
for they shall be filled.
for they shall be filled.
Bless’d are the souls that thirst for grace,
Hunger and long for righteousness;
They shall be well supplied, and fed
With living streams and living bread.
Hunger and long for righteousness;
They shall be well supplied, and fed
With living streams and living bread.
7
Blessed are the merciful:
for they shall obtain mercy.
for they shall obtain mercy.
Bless’d are the men whose bowels move
And melt with sympathy and love;
From Christ the Lord shall they obtain
Like sympathy and love again.
And melt with sympathy and love;
From Christ the Lord shall they obtain
Like sympathy and love again.
8
Blessed are the pure in heart:
for they shall see God.
for they shall see God.
Bless’d are the pure, whose hearts are clean
From the defiling pow’r of sin;
With endless pleasure they shall see
A God of spotless purity.
From the defiling pow’r of sin;
With endless pleasure they shall see
A God of spotless purity.
9
Blessed are the peacemakers:
for they shall be called
the children of God.
for they shall be called
the children of God.
Bless’d are the men of peaceful life,
Who quench the coals of growing strife;
They shall be call’d the heirs of bliss,
The sons of God, the God of peace.
Who quench the coals of growing strife;
They shall be call’d the heirs of bliss,
The sons of God, the God of peace.
10
Blessed are they which are persecuted
for righteousness’ sake:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
for righteousness’ sake:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Bless’d are the suff’rers who partake
Of pain and shame for Jesus’ sake.
Their souls shall triumph in the Lord;
Glory and joy are their reward.
Of pain and shame for Jesus’ sake.
Their souls shall triumph in the Lord;
Glory and joy are their reward.
11
Blessed are ye, when men
shall revile you, and persecute you,
and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely, for My sake.
shall revile you, and persecute you,
and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely, for My sake.
12
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad:
for great is your reward in heaven:
for so persecuted they the prophets
which were before you.
for great is your reward in heaven:
for so persecuted they the prophets
which were before you.
View the standalone version of the hymn
(without the parallel verses from Matthew 5).[Note: This hymn was originally #102 in Book I of Watts’
Hymns and Spiritual Songs in Three Books.
I have taken the words from my personal copy
of an 1826 edition printed in Concord, New Hampshire, USA.]
