[Verse 1] By the rivers of exile You woke a king’s heart Cyrus signed the paper And the long dark broke apart You called us by our homeland From the dust and the ash Forty-two thousand answered With the shovels and the sacks The old men wept together At the gate of the wreck They could still see the glory Even through the wreckage But a fire kept burning In the bones of the few What the Lord had promised He would surely see us through [Pre-Chorus] So we laid down our baggage At the hill of mercy Every trembling step Was a step toward mercy The enemy was watching But our eyes were on You You began the good thing And You carried us through [Chorus] Build it again Build it again Raise the house of God Build it again Lift the stone Lift the song We will not be lost Build it again Build it again You bring the dead to life Build it again Holy flame Stay awake in us tonight [Verse 2] First the altar stood there On the place of tears Morning smoke rose upward Through the threat and fear Then the foundations answered In a tremble of grace Every stone remembered What Your name can raise But the neighbors came accusing With their letters and their lies Trying to freeze the promise Trying to steal our time Still the work kept moving By the hand of our King Every blocked up doorway Had to bow to Your decree [Pre-Chorus] So we lifted our voices When the pressure came down You are with Your people You will not back down Where the walls were broken You were making them new What Your word has started Only You can undo [Chorus] Build it again Build it again Raise the house of God Build it again Lift the stone Lift the song We will not be lost Build it again Build it again You bring the dead to life Build it again Holy flame Stay awake in us tonight [Verse 3] Then came Ezra reading At the water gate Every word like thunder Cutting through the hate We stood in the morning And the law burned clean Faces hit the pavement When we saw what sin could mean Tears fell like a river Hands were raised in grief But Your mercy met the mourner And Your truth gave relief You called us to repentance Not to hide or pretend You are slow to anger And You always make amends [Bridge] Oh, open our ears Let the Word cut deep Oh, break our pride Till the whole house weeps Send us home again With a humble flame Make us holy Make us brave Oh, teach our hands to build What our hearts believe Oh, plant Your law In the dust beneath our feet We were made to return We were made to bow You are gathering Your people Even now, even now [Final Chorus] Build it again Build it again Raise the house of God Build it again Lift the stone Lift the song We will not be lost Build it again Build it again You bring the dead to life Build it again Holy flame Stay awake in us tonight [Outro] From Babylon to Zion From the ruin to the dawn The hand of God is over us And His promises go on Build it again Build it again
