George Frideric Handel - Messiah
(American Bach Soloists, Jeffrey Thomas) 2019

George Frideric Handel - Messiah
(Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra, Brett Weymark) 2020

George Frideric Handel - Messiah
(Academy Of Ancient Music, Choir Of The Queen's College Oxford, David Hinitt)
(Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford) 2021

Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your god
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her
That her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness
Prepare ye the way of the lord
Make straight in the desert a highway for our god

Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill made low
The crooked straight and the rough places plain

And the glory of the lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together
For the mouth of the lord hath spoken it

Thus saith the lord of hosts, yet once a little while
And I will shake the heavens, and the earth, the sea and the dry land
And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come
The lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple
Even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in
Behold he shall come saith the lord of hosts

But who may abide the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he appeareth?
For he is like a refiner's fire

And he shall purify the sons of Levi
That they may offer unto the lord an offering in righteousness

Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son
And shall call his name Emmanuel, god with us

Oh thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain
Oh thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength
Lift it up be not afraid, say unto the cities of Judah behold your god
Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the lord is risen upon thee

For behold darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people
But the lord shall rise upon thee and his glory shall be seen upon thee
And the gentiles shall come to thy light and kings to the brightness of thy rising

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light
And they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death
Upon them hath the light shined

For unto us a child is born unto us a son is given
And the government shall be upon his shoulder
And his name shall be called wonderful, counsellor, the mighty god
The everlasting father, the prince of peace

There were shepherds abiding in the field
Keeping watch over their flocks by night

And lo the angel of the lord came upon them
And the glory of the lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid

And the angel said unto them
Fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy
Which shall be to all people
For unto you is born this day in the city of David
A savior which is Christ the lord

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
Praising god and saying

Glory to god in the highest
And peace on earth, goodwill towards men

Rejoice greatly oh daughter of Zion, shout, oh daughter of Jerusalem
Behold thy king cometh unto thee
He is the righteous savior and he shall speak peace unto the heathen

Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped
Then shall the lame man leap as a hart and the tongue of the dumb shall sing

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd and he shall gather the lambs with his arm
And carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young
Come unto him all ye that labor and are heavy laden and he shall give you rest
Take his yoke upon you and learn of him for he is meek and lowly of heart
And ye shall find rest unto your souls

His yoke is easy and his burthen is light

Behold the lamb of god that taketh away the sin of the world

He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief
He gave his back to the smiters and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair
He hid not his face from shame and spitting

Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows
He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities
The chastisement of our peace was upon him

And with his stripes we are healed

All we like sheep have gone astray
We have turned every one to his own way
And the lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all

All they that see him laugh him to scorn
They shoot out their lips
And shake their heads saying
He trusted in god that he would deliver him
Let him deliver him if he delight in him

Thy rebuke hath broken his heart, he is full of heaviness
He looked for some to have pity on him
But there was none, neither found he any to comfort him

Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto his sorrow

He was cut off out of the land of the living
For the transgression of thy people was he stricken

But thou didst not leave his soul in hell
Nor didst thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption

Lift up your heads, oh ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors
And the king of glory shall come in
Who is the king of glory?
The lord strong and mighty, the lord mighty in battle
Lift up your heads, oh ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors
And the king of glory shall come in
Who is the king of glory?
The lord of hosts he is the king of glory

Unto which of the angels said he at any time
Thou art my son this day have I begotten thee?

Let all the angels of god worship him

Thou art gone up on high, thou hast led captivity captive
And received gifts for men, yea, even for thine enemies
That the lord god might dwell among them

The lord gave the word great was the company of the preachers

How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace
And bring glad tidings of good things

Their sound is gone out into all lands
And their words unto the ends of the world

Why do the nations so furiously rage together
And who do the people imagine a vain thing?
The kings of the earth rise up
And the rulers take counsel together against the lord and his anointed

Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their yokes from us

He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn
The lord shall have them in derision

Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron
Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel

Hallelujah
For the lord god omnipotent reigneth
The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our lord and of his Christ
And he shall reign for ever and ever, king of kings and lord of lords

I know that my redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth
And though worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see god
For now is Christ risen from the dead the first fruits of them that sleep

Since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive

Behold I tell you a mystery
We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in a moment
In the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet

The trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible
And we shall be changed
For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality

Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written
Death is swallowed up in victory

Oh death where is thy sting, oh grave where is thy victory
The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law

But thanks be to god who giveth us the victory through our lord Jesus Christ

If god be for us who can be against us?
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of god's elect?
It is god that justifieth
Who is he that condemneth?
It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again
Who is at the right hand of god who makes intercession for us

Worthy is the lamb that was slain and hath redeemed us to god by his blood
To receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing
Blessing and honor, glory and power
Be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the lamb for ever and ever

Amen