Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

The Joy of Obedience

Traditional

“The Joy of Obedience” as printed in The Army and Navy Hymnal (1920).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 402 1920 · historical text
Public domainHymnSacred song
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Army and Navy Hymnal, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

BLESSED are they that are perfect in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.

Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, that seek him with the whole heart.

Verse 2

Yea, they do no unrighteousness; they walk in his ways.

Thou hast commanded us thy precepts, that we should observe them diligently.

Oh that my ways were established to observe thy statutes!

Then shall I not be put to shame.

Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way?

By taking heed thereto according to thy word.

With my whole heart have I sought thee:

Oh let me not wander from thy commandments.

Thy word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Blessed art thou, O Lord: Teach me thy statutes.

With my lips have I declared all the ordinances of thy mouth.

I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.

I will meditate on thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Verse 3

I WILL judge you; every one according to his ways, saith the Lord.

Return ye, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

Cast away from you all your transgressions, wherein ye have transgressed;

And make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die;

For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord,

Wherefore turn yourselves, and live.

Credits

Written by Traditional

Traditional words. Historical text published in The Army and Navy Hymnal (1920); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Army and Navy Hymnal (1920), “The Joy of Obedience”

The 1920 published edition is in the public domain in the United States (pre-1931 publication). Entries whose credited author died more than 70 years ago are also in the public domain in life-plus-70 jurisdictions; traditional and anonymous entries are public domain. Pages whose scan quality is below the proofread threshold are held for review.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-26. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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