SoD: “Messiah”, Part 2

Messiah: A Sacred Oratorio
Words by Charles Jennens; Music by Georg Friedrich Händel (1742)

PART TWO

22. Chorus

Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)

23. Air

He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. (Isaiah 53:3)
He gave His back to the smiters, and His cheeks to them that plucked off His hair: He hid not His face from shame and spitting.
He was despised. . . (Isaiah 53:6)

24. Chorus

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. (Isaiah 53:4-5)

25. Chorus

And with His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

26. Chorus

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. (Isaiah 53:6)

27. Accompagnato

All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn; they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads, saying: (Psalm 22: 7)

28. Chorus

“He trusted in God that He would deliver Him; let Him deliver Him, if He delight in Him.” (Psalm 22:8)

29. Accompagnato

Thy rebuke hath broken His heart: He is full of heaviness. He looked for some to have pity on Him, but there was no man, neither found He any to comfort him. (Psalm 69:20)

30. Arioso

Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow. (Lamentations 1: 12)

31. Accompagnato

He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgressions of Thy people was He stricken. (Isaiah 53:8)

32. Air

But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell; nor didst Thou suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption. (Psalm 16:10)

33. Chorus

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in.
Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in.
Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory. (Psalm 24:7-10)

34. Recitative

Unto which of the angels said He at any time: “Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee?” (Hebrews 1:5)

35. Chorus

Let all the angels of God worship Him. (Hebrews 1:6)

36. Air

Thou art gone up on high; Thou hast led captivity captive, and received gifts for men; yea, even from Thine enemies, that the Lord God might dwell among them. (Psalm 68:18)

37. Chorus

The Lord gave the word; great was the company of the preachers. (Psalm 68:11)

38. Air (or « duet and Chorus »)

How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things. (Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15)

39. Chorus (or air for tenor)

Their sound is gone out into all lands,
and their words unto the ends of the world. (Romans 10:18; Psalm 19:4)

40. Air (or « Air and Recitative »)

Why do the nations so furiously rage together, and why do the people imagine a vain thing?
The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against His anointed. (Psalm 2:1-2)

41. Chorus

Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yokes from us. (Psalm 2: 3)

42. Recitative

He that dwelleth in Heav’n shall laugh them to scorn; The Lord shall have them in derision. (Psalm 2:4)

43. Air

Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. (Psalm 2:9)

44. Chorus

Hallelujah: for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. (Revelation 19:6)
The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord,
and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 11:15)
King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. (Revelation 19:16)
Hallelujah!