Almighty Ruler of the Skies

Almighty Ruler of the skies,
Thro’ the wide earth Thy Name is spread;
And Thine eternal glories rise
O’er all the heav’ns Thy hands have made.

To Thee the voices of the young
A monument of honor raise;
And babes, with uninstructed tongue,
Declare the wonders of Thy praise.

Thy power assists their tender age
To bring proud rebels to the ground,
To still the bold blasphemer’s rage,
And all their policies confound.

Children amidst Thy temple throng
To see their great Redeemer’s face;
The Son of David is their song,
And young hosannas fill the place.

The frowning scribes and angry priests
In vain their impious cavils bring;
Revenge sits silent in their hearts;
While Jewish babes proclaim their King.

Author: Isaac Watts

Year: 1719

This is a metrical paraphrase of Psalm 8 from Watts' Psalms of David Imitated (1719). The text matches the original wording exactly, including the distinctive phrasing about 'young hosannas' and 'frowning scribes' drawn from the Gospel accounts.