On Ju­dah’s plains as shep­herds kept,
Watch o’er their flocks by night,
The an­gel of the Lord ap­peared,
Clad in ce­les­ti­al light.

Awe struck the vi­sion they regard,
Appalled with trem­bling fear;
When thus a che­rub voice di­vine
Breathed sweet­ly on their ear.

“Shepherds of Ju­dah! cease your fears,
And calm your trou­bled mind;
Glad tid­ings of great joy I bring
To you and all man­kind.

“This day al­migh­ty Love ful­fills
Its great eter­nal Word;
This day is born in Beth­le­hem
A Sav­ior, Christ the Lord.

There shall you find the hea­ven­ly Babe
In hum­blest weeds ar­rayed;
All mean­ly wrapped in swad­dling clothes
And in a man­ger laid.

He ceased, and sud­den all around
Appeared a ra­di­ant throng
Of an­gels, prais­ing God, and thus
Warbling their cho­ral song.

Glory to God, from whom on high
All gra­cious mer­cies flow!
Who sends His Heav’n des­cend­ed Peace
To dwell with man be­low.