The song could be even more popular than it already is by taking the Irish-old English out for black Americans. Amazingly, it still works, even still rhymes. Even if you did that, I feel white Americans would still love it, because it means the same thing and it sounds the same, too! Europeans could keep the old version, if they liked; still, it would be so exact that it probably wouldn't even matter to them, either. If you changed the naught to nothing, the thou/thy to you/your where appropriate (sometimes the thou would omitted, as thou/thy can be awfully redundant), and art to are. It just comes off as being corny to most black Americans. That simple change puts this incredibly beautiful song in the running for greatest gospel song ever (probably top twenty all time when you consider how relevant the song is to living a Christian lifestyle and how beautiful it is). I know it's a prayer, but it's basically (in song terms) a love song to God with God [and Jesus] being married to a personal relationship with Him! When I first heard/saw it, I thought (even as a black man) that the song had potential to be one the greatest gospel songs of all time; it prompted me to do some research. I found the lyrics and I felt as if the song was incredibly beautiful, but seemed initially as if thrown to together for the sake of rhyming like bad poetry. I read the lyrics and said the song could be better for American audiences with some simple meaningless tweaks. Some black Americans can't get past the corniness and those words "say" that blacks are not included (far more white European people language than black American) and that the words are not American so they must have been thrown together like bad poetry with lack of real relevance and TRUE feeling (it forms opinions that don't seem to be true about this song anyway). Why have such an incredibly beautiful, relevant song tarnished because many--if not most--black Americans are going to look at it as if were rocks or dirt? Everybody should listen to this and understand, but sadly many won't get past those initial psychological barriers. All I'm proposing is that--since it could be done very easily without changing much or any effect--why not make it American for American audiences and Irish for European audiences?

Hallelujah! Yes, this is my whole heart's cry!

Love this and all the great hymns of the faith. So beautiful to song them unto the God of my salvation. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name!!!

I love this song, GOD.

I use this hymn as a prayer. Bless God for it may it bless many.

magnificent!

Where are the other verses? What about the battleshied sword for the fight. This is my favourite hymn, but some of it is missing, and some translated incorrectly.

Please include the missing fifth verse.

I'm Irish at heart and have the background. I have loved this hymn all my life and the older version verses are the better ones. I want it played or sung at my funeral also as somebody else noted below. It is ME!

I love this hymn!