Refrain: IF PEOPLE POOR SUMMON LORD, HE-rt HELP-ctr WILL. COME-ON, PRAISE THE-rt LORD.

1. ME PRAISE LORD FOREVER. TELL-STORY ABOUT HIS GOOD~THINGS OVERFLOW. MY SOUL GO-AHEAD ENJOY LORD alt.GIFT-TO-me. WHY? HE-rt ALWAYS WILLING HELP PEOPLE POOR. Refrain

2. PEOPLE LOWLY THEY-lf HEAR MY STORY, HAPPY THEY-lf. LORD PAY-ATTENTION THEIR-lf COMPLAIN. YOUR"all" HEART BREAK, GOD APPROACH"step by step". HE-rt ALWAYS WILLING HELP PEOPLE POOR. Refrain

3. EACH SPIRIT FEEL OPPRESSED, GOD LIBERATE. HE-rt PAY-OFF THEIR-lf SIN DEBT. THEY-lf FEAR, GOD COMFORT WILL. HE-rt ALWAYS WILLING HELP PEOPLE POOR. Refrain

4. WE ANNOUNCE YOU-rt WONDERFUL, GOD. WE PRAISE++ YOU-rt. YOUR LIGHT SHINE-DOWN, WE SMILE. HE-rt ALWAYS WILLING HELP PEOPLE POOR. Refrain

Notes: SUMMON - DH [B] taps NDH [B], PO down, FO > signer, then moves > signer while closing to an [A], PO away from signer, FO up, and moving up.

HE - Underlined words are honorific indices ("indexes"), using the FT of the upturned palm to indicate who is being honored.

COME-ON - (2h)[B^] move in circles pivoting at the wrists to beckon someone to do something.

OVERFLOW - [5], PO down, FO away, covers top of [S], PO > DS, FO away, and FT wiggle as the hand moves away, like a cup overflowing. For a QuickTime movie of this sign, see ASL browser - overflow.

SOUL - NDH [C] or [S] is held close to body and [F] which inserts FT into NDH then slowly draws it upwards with a wavy path.

GO-AHEAD - (2h)[B^ dot], POs ><, FOs away, move forward in a jerk.

alt.GIFT-TO-me - (2h)[X], POs ><, FOs up, hands alt. flip > signer.

LOWLY - (2h)[B^], POs ><, FOs up, move downwards arcing towards the signer. This is the opposite of the sign ADVANCED. For an animated gif of ADVANCED, see Animated dictionary of religious signs - Deaf Missions: Exalted.

APPROACH - (2h)[B], FOs up, DH PO away, ND is held in front of NDH and palm faces it, then both hands approach one another slightly.

LIBERATE - Starts like PRESSURE, DH [B], PO down, FO away, push down slightly on [S], PO > DS, FO away, then the DH is brought upwards suddenly and the signer mouths "off".

PAY-OFF - [open 8] runs middle finger up palm (> wrist), changes to a [B], PO down, and then moves back across palm.

FEAR - (2h)[5], POs away, FOs up, hands are held far from body and move back to body in a wavy pattern.

COMFORT - Like COMFORTABLE but signed more slowly.

LIGHT - Same sign as BRIGHT and CLEAR, that is, (2h)[O^], POs away, FOs up, open to (2h)[5], while separating. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Light - 1.

SHINE-DOWN - [O^] is held high PO > signer; hands open to [5^] while moving > signer.

Lyrics:

Refrain: The Lord hears the cry of the poor;
Blessed be the Lord.

1. I will bless the Lord at all times,
His praise ever in my mouth;
Let my soul glory in the Lord,
For He hears the cry of the poor.

2, Let the lowly hear and be glad:
The Lord listens to their pleas;
And to hearts broken, God is near,
For He hears the cry of the poor.

3. Every spirit crushed, God will save,
Will be ransom for their lives,
Will be safe shelter for their fears,
And will hear the cry of the poor.

4. We proclaim you greatness, O God;
Your praise ever in our mouth;
Ev'ry face brightened in your light;
For you hear the cry of the poor.

To hear the music (without words), go to Bob's MIDI Sequences and click on "The Cry of the Poor (J. Foley)."