1. O Israel, to thy tents repair,
Why so secure on hostile ground?
The King commands thee to beware,
For many foes thy camp surround.
2. The trumpet sounds a martial strain,
Then Israel gird thee for the fight;
Arise, the combat to maintain,
And put thine enemies to flight.345
3. Thou should’st not sleep as others do,
Awake, be vigilant, be brave;
The coward and the sluggard too,
Must wear the fetters of the slave.
4. A nobler lot is cast for thee,
Fair Canaan’s spread before thine eyes:
With such a hope, shall Israel flee?
Or yield through weariness the prize?
5. No, though a careless world repose,
And slumber on through life’s short day,
God’s Israel to the conflict goes,
And bears the glorious prize away.