First part



1. Chorus

Come ye daughters, share my mourning;

See Him! – Whom? – The Bridegroom Christ.

See Him! – How? – A spotless Lamb.

O Lamb of God unspotted,

Upon the Cross Thou art slaughtered.

See it! – What? – His patient love.

Serene and ever patient,

Tho’ scorned and cruelly tortured.

Look! Look where? On our offence.

All sin for our sake bearing,

Else would we die despairing.

Look on Him. For love of us

He Himself His Cross is bearing.

Have pity on us, o Jesus.



2. Recitative

Evangelist

When Jesus had finished all these sayings.

He said unto His disciples:

Jesus

Ye know that after two days

is the Passover, and the Son

of Man is betrayed

to be crucified.



3. Chorale

O blessed Jesu,

how hast Thou offended,

That now on Thee such

judgement has descended,

Of what misdeed hast

Thou to make confession

Of what transgression?



4. Recitative, Chorus

Evangelist

Then assembled together the chief priests,

and the scribes, and the

elders of the people,

unto the palace of the high priest,

who was called Caiaphas, and consulted

that they might take Jesus by subtlety,

and kill Him. But they said:



Chorus

Not upon the feast, lest haply there be an uproar among the people.



Evangelist

Now when Jesus was in Bethany,

in the house of Simon the leper,

there came unto Him a woman,

having an alabaster box of very precious ointment,

and poured it on His head, as He sat at meat.

But when His disciples saw it,

they had indignation, saying:



Chorus

To what purpose is that waste?

For this ointment might have been sold for much,

and given to the poor.



Evangelist

When Jesus understood it, He said unto them:

Jesus

Why trouble ye the woman?

For she hath wrought a good work upon me.

For ye have the poor always with you,

but Me ye have not always.

For in that she hath poured this ointment on My Body,

she did it for My burial.

Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this Gospel

shall be preached in the whole world,

there shall also this,

that this woman hath done,

be told of her for a memorial.



5. Arioso

My Master and my Lord,

In vain do Thy disciples chide Thee,

Because this pitying woman,

With ointment sweet, Thy flesh

For burial maketh ready.

O grant to me, beloved Lord,

The tears wherewith my heart o’erfloweth

An unction on Thy head may pour.



6. Aria

Grief for sin

Rends the guilty heart within,

May my weeping and my mourning

Be a welcome sacrifice.

Loving Saviour, hear in mercy!



7. Recitative

Evangelist

Then one of the twelve,

called Judas Iscariot, went

unto the chief priests, and said:

Judas

“What will ye give me, and I will

deliver Him unto you?”

Evangelist

And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces

of silver. And from that time he sought

opportunity to betray Him.



8. Aria

Break and die, Thou dearest heart.

Ah! a child which Thou hast trained.

Which upon Thy breast remained,

Now a serpent has become,

Murder is the parent’s doom.



9. Recitative

Evangelist

Now, the first day of the feast of unleavened bread,

the disciples came to Jesus,

saying unto Him:



Chorus

Where wilt Thou that we prepare for Thee

to eat the Passover?



Evangelist

And He said:

Jesus

Go into the city to such a man,

and say unto Him, The Master saith:

My time is at hand, I will keep the Passover

at thy house with My disciples.

Evangelist

And the disciples did as Jesus appointed them,

and they made ready the Passover.

Now when the even was come,

He sat down with the twelve.

And as they did eat, He said:

Jesus

Verily. I say unto you, that one of you

shall betray Me.

Evangelist

And they were exceedingly sorrowful

and began every one of them

to say unto Him:



Chorus

Lord, is it I?



10. Chorale

‘Tis I whose sin now binds Thee.

With anguish deep surrounds Thee,

And nails Thee to the Tree;

The torture Thou art feeling,

Thy patient love revealing,

‘Tis I should bear it I alone.



11. Recitative

Evangelist

And He answered and said,

Jesus

“He that dippeth his hand with Me

in the dish, the same shall betray Me.

The Son of Man goeth as it is

written of Him;

but woe unto that man by whom

the Son of Man is betrayed:

It had been good for that man,

if he had not been born.”



Evangelist

Then answered Judas, which betrayed Him,

and said:

Judas

Master, is it I?

Evangelist

He said unto Him:

Jesus

Thou hast said.

Evangelist

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread,

and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it

to His disciples, and said:

Jesus

Take, eat, this is My Body.

Evangelist

And He took the cup, and gave thanks,

and gave it to them, saying:

Jesus

“Drink ye all of it;

For this is My Blood of the New Testament,

which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

But I say unto you,

I will not drink henceforth

of this fruit of the wine,

until that day

when I drink it new with you

in My Father’s Kingdom.”



12. Arioso

Although our eyes with

tears o’erflow,

Since Jesus now must

from me go,

His gracious promise

doth the soul uplift,

His Flesh and Blood, O precious gift!

He leaves us for our soul’s refreshment,

As He while in the world

did love His own,

So now, with love unchanging,

He loves them unto the end.



13. Aria

Jesus, Saviour, I am Thine,

Come and dwell my heart within.

All things else I count but loss,

Glory only in Thy Cross.

Dearer than the world beside

Is the Saviour who hath died.



14. Recitative

Evangelist

And when they had sung an hymn,

they went out into the mount of Olives.

Then saith Jesus unto them,

Jesus

All ye shall be offended because of

Me this night, for it is written,

I will smite the shepherd,

and the sheep of the flock

shall be scattered abroad.

But after I am risen again,

I will go before you into Galilee.



15. Chorale

Receive me, my Redeemer,

My Shepherd, make me Thine;

Of every good the fountain,

Thou art the spring of mine.

How oft Thy words have fed me

On earth with angels’ food,

How oft Thy grace hath led me

To highest, Heavenly good.



16. Recitative

Evangelist

Peter answered,

and said unto Him:

Peter

Though all men shall be offended

because of Thee,yet will I never

be offended.

Evangelist

Jesus said unto him:

Jesus

Verily I say unto thee,

That this night before the cock crow,

thou shalt deny

Me thrice.

Evangelist

Peter said unto Him:

Peter

“Though I should die with Thee,

yet will I not deny Thee.”

Evangelist

Likewise also said all the disciples.



17. Chorale

Here would I stand beside Thee;

Lord, bid me not depart!

From Thee I will not sever,

Though breaks Thy loving heart.

When bitter pain shall hold Thee

In agony opprest,

Then, will I enfold Thee

Within my loving breast.



18. Recitative

Evangelist

The cometh Jesus with them

unto a place called Gethsemane,

and saith unto the disciples:

Jesus

“Sit ye here, while I go

yonder and pray.”

Evangelist

And He took with Him Peter and the

two sons of Zebedee, and began

to be sorrowful, and very heavy.

Then saith He unto them:

Jesus

My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death!

tarry ye here and watch with Me.



19. Arioso

O grief!

how throbs His heavy-loaden breast!

His spirit faints, how pale His weary face!

My Saviour, why must all this ill befall Thee?

He to the Judgement-hall is brought,

There is no help, no comfort near.

My sin, alas! from highest Heaven did call Thee.

The powers of darkness now assail Him,

His chosen friends will soon forsake Him.

God took the debt from me, who should have paid it;

On Thee He laid it.

Ah! if me love Thy stay could be.

If I could gauge Thy grief, and share it,

Could make it less, or help to bear it,

How gladly would I watch with Thee.



20. Aria and Chorus

I would beside my Lord be watching,

So all our sins will fall asleep

I am saved from sin and loss;

by his cross

His sorrows win my soul

its ransom.

His pain and woe and all His sadness

How bitter and how

sweet are they.



21. Recitative

Evangelist

And He went a little farther, and fell on His face and prayed, saying:

Jesus

“My Father, if it be possible,

let this cup pass from me,

yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt.”



22. Arioso

The Saviour falleth low before His father,

Thereby He raiseth me and all the Sons of Adam,

To taste once more, the grace of God.

He is prepared

The cup of deathly bitterness to swallow,

In which the sons of all the world

Are poured,

and foul the dregs;

Because the Father’s will is so.



23. Aria

Gladly will I, fear disdaining

Drink the cup without complaining

Drink it as my Saviour did.

By His lips,

With milk and honey flowing

All the shame

And bitterness has been sid,

Sweetness on its dregs bestowing.



24. Recitative

Evangelist

And He cometh unto the disciples, and

findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter:

Jesus

What, could ye not watch with Me one hour?

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation;

the spirit indeed is willing,

but the flesh is weak.

Evangelist

He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying:

Jesus

O My Father, if this cup

may not pass away from Me,

except, I drink it,

Thy will be done.



25. Chorale

O Father, let Thy will be done,

Far all things well Thou doest,

In time of need refusest none,

But helpest e’en the lowest,

In deep distress, Thou still dost bless,

In wrath rememberest mercy;

Who trusts in Thee Shall ever be

In perfect peace and safety.



26. Recitative

Evangelist

And He came and found them

asleep again: For their eyes were heavy.

And He left them, and went away again,

and prayed the third time,

saying the same words.

Then cometh He to His disciples,

and saith unto them:

Jesus

“Sleep on now, and take your rest,

behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man

is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Rise, let us be going; behold,

he is at hand that doth

betray Me.”

Evangelist

And while He yet spoke, Judas,

one of the twelve, came, and

with him a great multitude with swords

and staves from the chief priests and

the elders of the people.

Now he that betrayed Him, gave them a sign,

saying “Whomsoever I shall kiss,

that same is He, hold Him fast.”

And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said:

Judas

“Hail Master”,

Evangelist

and kissed Him. And Jesus said unto him:

Jesus

“Friend, wherefore art thou come?”

Evangelist

Then came they, and laid hands

on Jesus and took Him.



27. Aria

Behold, my Saviour now is taken,

Loose Him! Leave Him! Bind Him not!

Moon and Stars,

Have for grief the night forsaken,

Since my Saviour now is taken.

Loose Him! Leave Him! Bind Him not!

They lead Him hence, with cords they bind Him!



Chorus

Have lightnings and thunders their fury

forgotten? Then open, o fathomless pit,

all thy terrors! Destroy them, o’erwhelm them,

devour them, consume them With tumult

of rage, The treach’rous betrayer,

the merciless throng.



28. Recitative

Evangelist

And behold, one of them that were with

Jesus, stretched out his hand, and struck

a servant of the High Priest’s, and smote off

his ear. Then said Jesus

unto Him:

Jesus

“Put up thy sword into its place,

for all they that take the sword,

shall perish with the sword.

For thinkest thou that I cannot

now pray to my Father,

and He shall presently give me more

than twelve legions of angels?

But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled,

that thus it must be?”

Evangelist

In that hour, said Jesus to the multitudes:

Jesus

“Are ye come out, as against a thief,

with swords and staves for to take Me?

I sat daily with you

teaching in the temple

and ye laid no hold on Me.”

But all this was done,

that the Scriptures of the Prophets

might be fulfilled.

Evangelist

Then all the disciples forsook Him,

and fled.



29. Chorale

O man, thy heavy sin lament,

For which the Son of God was sent

To die upon the Cross.

He left His Father’s throne above

To save thy soul, o wondrous love!

From everlasting loss.

He healed the sick, He raised the dead

And hungry multitudes He fed

Until the time drew nigh,

When He should be betrayed and slain

That we God’s pardon might obtain.

O praise the Lamb, the Lamb for aye!





Part two



30. Aria

Alas! Now is my Saviour gone!

Whither is thy beloved gone,

O thy fairest among women?

Is it possible?

Whither is thy beloved turned aside?

Can I behold it?

Ah! My Lamb, in tiger’s clutches!

Ah! Where is my Saviour gone?

That we may seek Him, seek Him with thee.

Ah! How shall I answer my soul

When she anxiously doth ask me?



31. Recitative

Evangelist

And they that had laid hold of Jesus

led Him away to Caiaphas the

high priest, where the scribes

and the elders were assembled.

But Peter followed Him afar off

unto the high priest’s palace,

and went in, and sat

with the servants

to see the end.

Now the chief priests

and elders and all the council sought

false witness against Jesus,

that they might kill Him but found none.



32. Chorale

For me the untrue world hath set

With lie and fable, many a net,

And trap in secret places:

In parlous plight

Defend my right

O Lord, from double faces.



33. Recitative

Evangelist

Yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,

and said:

Witnesses

"This fellow said ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days."

Evangelist

And the high priest arose, and said to Him:

High priest

Answerest Thou nothing? What is it which these witness against Thee?

Evangelist

But Jesus held His peace.



34. Arioso

To witness false,

my Saviour answereth not,

That He thereby may show us

That with Divine compassion moved

His will for us did bow to sorrow,

And that when trouble is our lot

We should resemble Him,

And hold our peace, when persecuted.



35. Aria

Rejoice! Rejoice!

If ye be reproached

For the name of Christ,

Happy are ye, rejoice!

That when His glory shall be revealed,

Ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.



36. Recitative, Chorus

Evangelist

And the high priest answered

and said unto Him:

High priest

I adjure Thee by the living God,

that Thou tell us, whether Thou be

the Christ, the Son of God.

Evangelist

Jesus said unto him:

Jesus

Thou hast said; nevertheless I say unto you,

Hereafter shall ye see

the Son of Man sitting

on the right hand of power,

and coming in the clouds of Heaven.

Evangelist

Then the high priest rent

his clothes, saying:

High priest

He hath spoken blasphemy:

What further need have we of witnesses?

Behold, now ye have heard His blasphemy.

What think ye?

Evangelist

They answered and said:



Chorus

He is worthy of death.



Evangelist

Then did they spit in His face,

and buffeted Him, and others smote

Him with the palms of their hands,

saying:



Chorus

Now tell us, Thou Christ,

who is he that smote Thee?



37. Chorale

O Lord who dares to smite Thee,

And falsely to indict Thee,

Deride and mock Thee so?

Thou canst not need confession,

Who knowest not transgression

As we and all our children know.



38. Recitative

Evangelist

Now Peter sat without in the palace,

and a damsel came unto him,

saying:

First Maid

Thou also wast with

Jesus of Galilee.

Evangelist

But he denied before them all,

saying:

Peter

I know not what thou sayest.

Evangelist

And when he was gone out into the porch,

another maid saw him and said

unto them that were there:

Second Maid

This fellow was also with Jesus

of Nazareth.

Evangelist

And again he denied

with an oath:

Peter

I do not know the man.

Evangelist

And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter:



Chorus

Surely thou also are one of them, for thy speech betrayeth thee.



Evangelist

Then began he to curse and to swear,

saying:

Peter

I know not the man.

Evangelist

And immediately the cock crew.

And Peter remembered the word of Jesus,

which said unto him,

“Before the cock crow,

thou shalt deny Me thrice.”

And he went out, and wept bitterly.



39. Aria

Have mercy, Lord, on me,

Regard my bitter weeping,

Look at me, heart and eyes

Both weep to Thee bitterly.



40. Chorale

Lamb of God, I fall before Thee,

Humbly trusting in Thy Cross;

That alone be all my glory,

All things else I count but loss.

Jesus, all my hope and joy

Flow from Thee, Thou sov’reign good,

Hope, and love, and faith, and

patience, All were purchased by Thy blood.



41. Recitative, Chorus

Evangelist

When the morning was come,

all the chief priests and elders of the people

took counsel against Jesus to put Him

to death. And when they had bound Him

they led Him away, and delivered Him to

Pontius Pilate the governor.

Then Judas, which had betrayed Him,

when he saw that He was condemned,

repented himself, and brought again

the thirty pieces of silver to the

chief priest and elders, saying:

Judas

I have sinned, in that I have betrayed

the innocent blood.

Evangelist

And they said:



Chorus

But what is that to us?

See thou to that.



Evangelist

And he cast down the pieces of silver

in the temple, and departed,

and went and hanged himself.

And the chief priests took the silver pieces,

and said:

High priests

It is not lawful for us to put them

into the treasury, because it is the

price of blood.



42. Aria

Give, o give me back my Lord,

See the silver, price of blood,

At your feet in horror pour’d

By the lost betrayer.



43. Recitative

Evangelist

And they took counsel together,

and bought with them the potter’s field,

to bury strangers in;

Wherefore that field was called

the field of blood, unto this day.

Then was fulfilled that

which was spoken by Jeremy the Prophet,

saying, “And they took the thirty pieces

of silver, the price of Him that was valued,

whom they bought of the children of Israel,

and gave them for the potter’s field,

as the Lord appointed me.”

And Jesus stood before the governor,

and the governor asked Him,

saying:

Pilate

Art Thou the King of the Jews?

Evangelist

And Jesus said unto him:

Jesus

Thou sayest.

Evangelist

And when He was accused

of the chief priests and elders,

He answered nothing.

Then said Pilate unto Him:

Pilate

Hearest Thou not how many things they witness against Thee?

Evangelist

And He answered him never a word,

insomuch that the governor

marvelled greatly.



44. Chorale

Commit thy way to Jesus,

Thy burdens and thy cares;

He from them all releases,

He all thy sorrows shares.

He gives the winds their courses,

And bounds the ocean’s shore,

He suffers not temptation

To rise beyond thy power.



45. Recitative, Chorus

Evangelist

Now at that feast the governor

was wont to release unto the

people a prisoner, whom they would.

And they had then a notable prisoner

called Barabbas.

Therefore when they were gathered,

together, Pilate

said unto them:

Pilate

Whom will ye that I release unto you?

Barabbas, or Jesus,

which is called Christ?

Evangelist

For he knew that for envy they

had delivered Him.

When he was sat down on the judgement

seat, his wife sent unto him, saying:

Pilate’s Wife

Have thou nothing to do with that just man!

For I have suffered many things this day

in a dream because of Him.

Evangelist

But the chief priests and elders

persuaded the multitude that

they should ask Barabbas and

destroy Jesus. The governor answered

and said unto them:

Pilate

Whether of the twain will ye

that I release unto you?

Evangelist

They said:

Chorus

Barabbas!

Evangelist

Pilate said unto them:

Pilate

What shall I do then with Jesus,

which is called Christ?

Evangelist

They all say unto him:



Chorus

Let Him be crucified!



46. Chorale

O wond’rous love, that suffers this correction!

The Shepherd dying for his flock’s protection,

The Master pays the debts

His Servants owe Him!

And they betray Him!



47. Recitative

Evangelist

And the governor said:

Pilate

Why, what evil hath He done?



48. Arioso

To us He hath done all things well;

The blind man sight from Him received,

The lame man leaped and walked;

He told us of His Father’s word;

He sent the devils forth,

The mourners He hath comforted,

And sinners, too, He hath received,

Besides this, Jesus nought hath done.



49. Aria

For love

my Saviour now is dying,

Of sin and guilt He knoweth nought,

So eternal desolation

And the sinner’s righteous doom

Shall not rest upon my spirit.



50. Recitative, Chorus

Evangelist

But they cried out the more, saying:



Chorus

Let Him be crucified!



Evangelist

When Pilate saw that he could

prevail nothing, but that rather

a tumult was made,

he took water, and washed his hands

before the multitude, saying:

Pilate

I am innocent of the blood of this just person:

see ye to it.

Evangelist

Then answered all the people, and said:



Chorus

“His blood be on us and on

our children.”



Evangelist

Then released he Barabbas unto them,

and when he had scourged Jesus,

he delivered Him to be crucified.



51. Arioso

O gracious God!

Behold, the Saviour standeth bound.

Now scourge they Him, and smite and wound Him!

Tormenters, stay your hands!

Are not your hearts

with pity moved

To see such anguish meekly borne?

Ah no! Your hearts are hard.

And must be like the rock itself,

Nay, more unyielding still.

Have pity! Stay your hands!



52. Aria

Be my weeping and my wailing

Unavailing,

Still receive my willing heart.

When Thy suff’rings are completed,

When at God’s right hand Thou art seated,

Let me have in Thee a part.



53. Recitative, Chorus

Evangelist

Then the soldiers of the governor

took Jesus into the common hall,

and gathered unto Him the whole

band of soldiers, and stripped Him,

and put on Him a scarlet robe, and

when they had platted a crown of thorns,

they put it upon His head, and a reed

in His right hand, and they bowed

the knee before Him,

and mocked Him, and said:



Chorus

Hail, Hail, King of the Jews!

Evangelist

And they spit upon Him,

and took the reed,

and smote Him on the head.



54. Chorale

O sacred head sore wounded,

Defiled and put to scorn!

O Kingly Head surrounded

With mocking crown of thorn!

What sorrow mars Thy grandeur?

Can death Thy bloom deflower?

O countenance whose splendour

The hosts in heaven adore.



The beauty long desired,

Hath vanished from our sight.

Thy power is all expired,

And quenched the Light of Light.

Ah me! For whom Thou diest,

Hide not so far Thy grace;

Show me, o Love most highest,

The brightness of Thy face.



55. Recitative

Evangelist

And after that they had mocked

Him they took the robe off from Him,

and put His own raiment on Him,

and led Him away, to crucify Him.

And as they came out, they found

a man of Cyrene, Simon by name,

him compelled they

to bear His cross.



56. Arioso

The flesh must even be crucified.

If we would follow Christ:

Each sinful lust must be subdued,

Though sore the conflict be.



57. Aria

Come blessed cross, thus will I sing,

My Saviour ever give it me.

Should burdens ever too heavy be,

I’ll cast them on my Saviour King.



58. Recitative, Chorus

Evangelist

When they were come unto

a place called Golgotha

(that is, a place of a skull),

they gave Him vinegar to drink

mingled with gall. And when He had

tasted it, He would not drink.

And they crucified Him, and

parted His garments, casting lots;

that it might be fulfilled, which was

spoken by the prophet:

“They parted My garments among

them, and upon My vesture did

they cast lots.” And sitting down,

they watched Him there. And they

set up over His head His accusation

written, saying,

“This is Jesus, the King of the Jews!”

Then were there two thieves crucified

with Him, one on the right hand,

and another on the left.

And they that passed by reviled Him,

wagging their heads, and saying:



Chorus

Thou that destroyest the temple of God,

and buildest it in three days,

Save Thyself, if Thou be the Son of God,

come down from the cross.



Evangelist

Likewise also the chief priests

mocking Him,

with the scribes and elders said:



Chorus

He saved others, Himself He cannot save.

If He be King of Israel, let Him now

come down from the cross,

and we will believe Him;

He trusted in God, let Him deliver Him now,

if He will have Him, for He hath said,

I am the Son of God.



Evangelist

The thieves also which were crucified

with Him cast the same

in His teeth.



59. Arioso

Ah, Golgotha! Unhappy Gologotha!

‘Twas there the Lord of glory vilely was rejected.

The blessed Saviour of the world,

Here hangs upon th’accursed tree.

The God who heav’n and earth created,

On thee must perish from the earth,

The innocent must die,

as do the guilty.

Ah! how this grief afflicts my soul.

Ah, Golgotha! Unhappy Golgotha!



60. Aria

See ye, see the Saviour’s outstretched

Hands! He would draw us to Himself.

Come!

– Where? –

In Jesus’ bosom.

Seek Redemption, seek ye mercy,

Seek them!

– Where? –

In Jesus’ bosom.

Live ye, die ye, rest ye here,

Ye whom sin and guilt oppress,

Rest.

– Where? –

In Jesus’ bosom.



61. Recitative, Chorus

Evangelist

Now from the sixth hour there was

darkness over all the land

until the ninth hour. And about the

ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice,

saying:

Jesus

Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani.

Evangelist

That is to say, “My God, My God,

why hast Thou forsaken Me?”

Some of them that stood there,

when they heard that, said:



Chorus

He calleth for Elias.



Evangelist

And straightway one of them ran, and

took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar,

and put it on a reed,

and gave Him to drink.

The rest said:



Chorus

Let be, let us see whether Elias

will come to save Him.



Evangelist

Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.



62. Chorale

Be near me, Lord, when dying,

O part not Thou from me!

And to my succour flying,

Come, Lord, and set me free!

And when my heart must languish

In death’s last awful throe,

Release me from mine anguish,

By Thine own pain and woe.



63. Recitative

Evangelist

And behold, the veil of the temple

was rent in twain, from the top

unto the bottom, and the earth did

quake, and the rocks rent.

And the graves were opened,

and there arose many bodies

of the saints which had slept,

and came out of the graves after

His resurrection, and went into

the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Now when the centurion, and they that

were with him, watching Jesus,

saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying:



Chorus

Truly, this was the Son of God.



Evangelist

And many women were there

(beholding afar off) which followed

Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto Him.

Among which was Mary Magdalene,

and Mary the mother of James and Joses,

and the mother of Zebedee’s children.

When the even was come,

there came a rich man of Arimathea,

named Joseph, who also himself

was Jesus’ disciple: He went to Pilate,

and begged the body of Jesus.

Then Pilate commanded the body

to be delivered.



64. Arioso

At evening, hour of calm and peace,

Was Adam’s fall made manifest:

At evening, too,

the Lord’s redeeming love;

At evening homeward turned the dove

And bore the olive-leaf as token.

O beauteous time!

O evening hour!

Our lasting peace is now

with God made sure,

For Jesus hath His Cross endured.

His body sinks to rest.

Go, loving servant, ask thou it -

Go, be it thine, the lifeless Saviour’s Body.

O, wond’rous Gift! A precious, holy burden.



65. Aria

Make thee clean, my heart, from sin.

Unto Jesus give thou welcome.

So within my cleansed breast

Shall He rest, Dwelling evermore within

me, World, depart; let Jesus in!



66. Recitative, Chorus

Evangelist

And when Joseph had taken the body,

he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

and laid it in his own new tomb,

which he had hewn out in the rock;

and he rolled a great stone

to the door of the sepulchre, and he departed.

And there was Mary Magdalene,

and the other Mary,

sitting over against the sepulchre.

Now the next day that followed the day of the

preparation, the chief priest and the

Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

saying:



Chorus

Sir, we remember that that deceiver said,

while He was yet alive,

“After three days I will rise again.”

Therefore command the grave to be

made sure, until the third day,

lest His disciples come by night and steal

Him away, and say unto the people,

“He is risen from the dead”,

so the last error shall be

worse than the first.



Evangelist

Pilate said unto them:

Pilate

Ye have a watch, go your way,

make it as sure as you can.

Evangelist

So they went, and made the sepulchre sure,

sealing the stone,

and setting a watch.



67. Recitative

And now the Lord to rest is laid.

Lord Jesus, fare Thee well!

His task is o’er;

For all our sins He hath atoned.

Lord Jesus, fare Thee well!

O weary, broken Body!

See, with repentant tears we would bedew it,

Which our offence to such a death has brought.

Lord Jesus, fare Thee well!

While life shall last, O let Thy suffering

claim our love, Since Thou for man

salvation sure hast wrought.

Lord Jesus, fare Thee well!



68. Chorus

In tears of grief, dear Lord, we leave Thee.

Hearts cry to Thee, o Saviour dear.

Lie Thou softly, softly here.

Rest Thy worn and bruised Body.

Lie Thou softly, softly here.

At Thy grave, o Jesu blest.

May the sinner, worn with weeping,

Comfort find in Thy dear keeping,

And the weary soul find rest.

Sleep in peace, sleep Thou

In the Father’s breast.