While shep­herds in Jew­ry were guard­ing their sheep,
Promiscuously seat­ed, es­trang­èd from sleep,
An an­gel from Hea­ven pre­sent­ed to view,
And thus he ac­cost­ed the trem­bling few:
Dispel all your sor­rows, and ban­ish your fears,
For Je­sus your Sav­ior in Jew­ry ap­pears.

When Ad­am the first in re­bel­lion was found,
Forbidden to tar­ry on hal­low­èd ground,
Now Ad­am the se­cond ap­pears to re­trieve
The loss you sus­tained by the de­vil and Eve;
Then, shep­herds, be tran­quil, this in­stant arise,
Go vi­sit the Sav­ior and see where He lies.

A to­ken I leave you where­by you may find
This hea­ven­ly stran­ger, this friend to man­kind;
A man­ger His cra­dle, a stall His ab­ode,
The ox­en are near Him be­hold­ing your Lord.
Then, shep­herds, be hum­ble, be meek and lie low,
For Je­sus your Sav­ior’s abun­dant­ly so.

This won­drous sto­ry scarce bowed on the ear,
When thou­sands of an­gels in glo­ry ap­pear;
They join in the con­cert, and this was the theme,
All glo­ry to God and good will to­ward men.
Then she­pherds, strike in, join your voice to the choir
And catch a few sparks of ce­les­ti­al fire.

Hosannah, the ad­or­ing shep­herds now cried,
Hosannah, the an­gels in glo­ry re­plied;
Salvation through Je­sus to mor­tals made known,
In glo­ry to God through the birth of His Son.
Now, shep­herds, adieu, we com­mend you to God,
Go vi­sit the Son in His hum­ble abode.

To Beth­le­hem’s ci­ty the shep­herds re­paired,
For full con­fir­ma­tion of what they had heard;
They en­tered the sta­ble with as­pects so mild,
And there they be­held both the mo­ther and child.
Then make pro­cla­ma­tion, di­vulge it abroad,
That Jews and Gen­tiles may hear of the Lord.