Once in Bethlehem of Judah

Once in Beth­lehem of Ju­dah

Far away across the sea

There was laid a lit­tle ba­by

On a vir­gin mo­ther’s knee.

O Sav­ior

gen­tle Sav­ior

Hear Thy lov­ing child­ren sing

The God of our sal­va­tion

The child that is a king.

It was not a state­ly pal­ace

Where that lit­tle Ba­by lay

With His serv­ants to at­tend Him

And with guards to keep the way.

But the ox­en stood around Him

In a sta­ble low and dim;

In the world He had cre­at­ed

There was not a room for Him.

For He left His Fa­ther’s glo­ry

And the gold­en halls above

And He took our hu­man na­ture

In the great­ness of His love.

Of His in­fi­nite com­pas­sion

He can feel our want and woe;

For He suf­fered

He was tempt­ed

When He lived our life be­low.

Still His child­hood’s bright ex­am­ple

Gives a light to our poor homes;

From the blood of His aton­ing

Still our hope of par­don comes.

Still He stands and pleads in Heav­en

For us

weak and sin-de­filed;

God

who is a man for ev­er

Jesus

who was once a child.