Scripture Verse

Sing and rejoice…for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. Zechariah 2:10

Introduction

portrait
Johann Bach (1685–1750)

Words: Cor­ne­li­us Freund (1535–1591) (Freut euch, ihr Mensch­en­kin­der all). Trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Au­gust Crull in the Ev­an­gel­ic­al Lu­ther­an Hymn Book with Tunes (St. Lou­is, Mis­sou­ri: Con­cor­dia Publishing House, 1912), num­ber 151.

Music: Vom Him­mel hoch Geist­liche Lied­er, by Val­en­tin Schu­mann (Leip­zig, Ger­ma­ny: 1539). Har­mo­ny by Jo­hann S. Bach (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
August Crull (1845–1923)

Lyrics

Rejoice, ye sons of men al­way,
God comes to you from Heav’n to­day;
The Lord is born a lit­tle child
Of Mary, vir­gin un­de­filed.

He is the Branch of Jes­se’s tree,
The Li­on out of Ju­dah, He,
The Gen­tiles’ light, the pro­mised Seed
Who was to bruise the ser­pent’s head.

He brings us peace and hap­pi­ness
And heals all sor­row and dis­tress
Which on account of A­dam’s fall
Forever weighed up­on us all.

Through His low birth and ho­ly blood
We are all saved by Christ, true God;
The an­gels’ glory we shall share,
And in His king­dom live fore’er.