The Agony of My Heart

"The Agony of My Heart" is a choral piece scored for SATB voices with organ accompaniment. The text is Jeremiah 4:19-22, in which the prophet Jeremiah laments the sudden catastrophe of Judah being overtaken by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylonia. The civil and religious leaders of Judah never thought God would allow a heathen nation to destroy them. Jeremiah cries out in distress at the scenes of destruction. The music matches the mood of the text, with the repeated refrain from verse 19" Oh, the agony of my heart." The text: Jeremiah 4: 19 -Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry. Jeremiah 4: 20-Disaster follows disaster; the whole land lies in ruins. In an instant my tents are destroyed, my shelter in a moment. Jeremiah 4: 21-How long must I see the battle standard and hear the sound of the trumpet? Jeremiah 4: 22- "My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good."