The first Noel the an­gel did say
Was to cer­tain poor shep­herds
In fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay tend­ing their sheep,
On a cold win­ter’s night that was so deep.

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Noel, No­el, No­el, No­el,
Born is the King of Is­ra­el.

They look­èd up and saw a star
Shining in the east, be­yond them far;
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it con­tin­ued both day and night.

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And by the light of that same star
Three wise men came from coun­try far;
To seek for a king was their in­tent,
And to fol­low the star wher­ev­er it went.

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This star drew nigh to the north­west,
Over Beth­le­hem it took its rest;
And there it did both stop and stay,
Right ov­er the place where Je­sus lay.

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Then did they know as­sur­ed­ly
Within that house the King did lie;
One en­tered it them for to see,
And found the Babe in po­ver­ty.

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Then en­tered in those wise men three,
Full rev­er­ent­ly up­on the knee,
And of­fered there, in His pre­sence,
Their gold and myrrh and frank­in­cense.

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Between an ox stall and an ass,
This Child tru­ly there He was;
For want of cloth­ing they did Him lay
All in a man­ger, among the hay.

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Then let us all with one ac­cord
Sing prais­es to our heav’n­ly Lord;
That hath made Heav’n and earth of naught,
And with His blood man­kind hath bought.

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If we in our time shall do well,
We shall be free from death and hell;
For God hath pre­pared for us all
A rest­ing place in ge­ne­ral.

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