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SDA Hymnal 416

The Judgment Has Set

Studio

1The judgment has set, the books have been opened;
How shall we stand in that great day
When every thought, and word, and action,
God, the righteous Judge, shall weigh?

RefrainHow shall we stand in that great day?
How shall we stand in that great day?
Shall we be found before Him wanting?
Or with our sins all washed away?

2The work is begun with those who are sleeping,
Soon will the living here be tried.
When every thought, and word, and action,
God, the righteous Judge, shall weigh?

3O, how shall we stand that moment of searching,
When all our sins those books reveal?
When from that court, each case decided,
Shall be granted no appeal?

The verse

Meter
11.8.10.7
Foot
trochaic (DUM-da) · 45% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABCB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

The judgment has set, the books have been opened;˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘11A
How shall we stand in that great day/˘˘/˘˘//8B
When every thought, and word, and action,//˘˘/˘/˘/˘10C
God, the righteous Judge, shall weigh?/˘/˘/˘/7B

Verse 2

The work is begun with those who are sleeping,˘/˘˘/˘˘˘˘/˘11A
Soon will the living here be tried./˘˘/˘/˘/8B
When every thought, and word, and action,//˘˘/˘/˘/˘10C
God, the righteous Judge, shall weigh?/˘/˘/˘/7D

Verse 3

O, how shall we stand that moment of searching,˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘11A
When all our sins those books reveal?///˘/˘/˘/9B
When from that court, each case decided,/˘˘/////˘9C
Shall be granted no appeal?˘˘/˘˘˘/7B

Refrain

How shall we stand in that great day?/˘˘/˘˘//8A
How shall we stand in that great day?/˘˘/˘˘//8A
Shall we be found before Him wanting?˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘9B
Or with our sins all washed away?˘˘/˘///˘/9A

Counted by machine from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. It cannot hear emphasis or a poet’s licence, so treat it as a place to start reading, not the last word.