The Wise Men’s Offering

Now who are these that thus re­pair

To Sa­lem’s streets

with tra­vel worn

And ask the won­der­ing people

where

The King of Zi­on should be born?

Wise men are they

from east­ern parts

Who fail not

in their zeal

to bring

Rich trea­sures

and obe­di­ent hearts

Oblations to the new-born King.

For they

in their far-dist­ant home

A Gen­tile re­gion

dark and dim

Have seen His star; and they are come

To Ju­dah’s land

to wor­ship Him.

But not in pal­aces nor halls

On pil­lows rich and soft re­clined

’Midst ce­dar roofs

and mar­ble walls

Shall they the King of Zi­on find.

No min­is­ters of high es­tate

Nor chiefs

nor learn­èd ones of earth

Are ga­thered in His courts

to wait

The tid­ings of Im­ma­nu­el’s birth.

Nor yet on Zi­on’s glit­ter­ing dome

The star of glo­ry shed its ray;

But stood o’er Beth­l’hem’s hum­ble home

And showed them where the young Child lay.

’Twas there the Son of Da­vid’s race

Whom God of old was pleased to grant

They saw; and in that low­ly place

Th’abode of in­di­gence and want

Devoutly kneel­ing on their knees

They spread their gifts

their ho­ly things

And hearts more pre­cious far than these

An of­fer­ing to the King of kings.

Lord! be it ours Thy guid­ing light

In eve­ry path of life to see;

And still let wis­dom

wealth

and might

Devote their rich­est stores to Thee!