On Judah’s Plains as Shepherds Kept

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.