by Henry van Dyke
The rivers of God are full of water,
They are wonderful in the renewal of their strength,
He poureth them out from a hidden fountain.
They are born among the hills in the high places,
Their cradle is in the bosom of the rocks,
The mountain is their mother and the forest is their father.
They are nourished among the long grasses,
They receive the tribute of a thousand springs,
The rain and the snow provide their inheritance.
They are glad to be gone from their birthplace,
With a joyful noise they hasten away,
They are going forever and never departed.
The courses of the rivers are all appointed;
They roar loudly but they follow the road,
For the finger of God hath marked their pathway.
The rivers of Damascus rejoice among their gardens;
The great river of Egypt is proud of his ships;
The Jordan is lost in the Lake of Bitterness.
Surely the Lord guideth them every one in his wisdom,
In the end he gathereth all their drops on high,
And sendeth them forth again in the clouds of mercy.
O my God, my life floweth away like a river:
Guide me, I beseech thee, in a pathway of good:
Let me run in blessing to my rest in thee.
Last updated January 14, 2019