Go Wash in the Beautiful Stream

There was Naaman the leper, that honorable man

Author: Charles Albert Tindley
Tune: [There was Naaman the leper, that honorable man]
Published in 11 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, Noteworthy Composer
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1. Now Naaman the leper, that hon'rable man,
A captain of Syria's guard,
Was badly afflicted and covered by rash,
But favored in sight of the Lord.
Oh my! what a sight; disease made him white;
No doctor could help him he'd seen;
He never did pray
And knew not the way
To wash in the beautiful stream.

Go wash in the beautiful stream,
Go wash in the beautiful stream;
O Naaman, O Naaman, go down and wash,
Go wash in the beautiful stream.

2. He heard of a man in the Israelite land
A woman had told him about;
I'll go if I can, thus he said to his friends,
For he may relieve me, no doubt.
He went and he called the prophet of God;
Elisha refused to be seen,
But offered his care
And sent him down there
To wash in the beautiful stream. [Refrain]

3. So Naaman raged on, and the servant had gone
Whom 'lisha had sent to the door;
He did not believe what he had just received,
Instructions for his perfect cure;
He tho't waters flowing in his own land
Were better because they were clean;
'Twas just about night,
He got in the light
And plunged in the beautiful stream. [Refrain]

4. Now sinner, O sinner, are you not the same
As Naaman, that strong Syrian?
Your sickness, it injures both body and soul
And makes you feel loathsome and mean;
You feel you are lost, but turn to the cross,
And Jesus will then make you clean.
All those who are sick,
Be humble and quick,
And wash in the beautiful stream. [Refrain]

Source: Hymns and Devotions for Daily Worship #224

Author: Charles Albert Tindley

Charles Albert Tindley was born in Berlin, Maryland, July 7, 1851; son of Charles and Hester Tindley. His father was a slave, and his mother was free. Hester died when he was very young; he was taken in my his mother’s sister Caroline Miller Robbins in order to keep his freedom. It seems that he was expected to work to help the family. In his Book of Sermons (1932), he speaks of being “hired out” as a young boy, “wherever father could place me.” He married Daisy Henry when he was seventeen. Together they had eight children, some of whom would later assist him with the publication of his hymns. Tindley was largely self-taught throughout his lifetime. He learned to read mostly on his own. After he and Daisy moved to Philadelphia… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: There was Naaman the leper, that honorable man
Title: Go Wash in the Beautiful Stream
Author: Charles Albert Tindley
Language: English
Refrain First Line: Go wash in the beautiful stream
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

First known appearance was in the Ebenezer Hymnal (1887), text only, uncredited. When it was published in Soul Echoes No. 2 (1909), both words and music were credited to Charles A. Tindley, but the copyright date was given as 1901. Presently, there is no available evidence to discount Tindley's authorship of the text. —Chris Fenner

Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #8420
  • PDF (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer Score (NWC)

Instances

Instances (1 - 4 of 4)
Text

Beams of Heaven #44

Text

Hymns and Devotions for Daily Worship #224

Scripture Song Database #3563

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #8420

Include 7 pre-1979 instances
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