Why, Herod, Unrelenting Foe

lyricist: Martin Luther, 1541
Composer: Johann Crüger, 1640

Why

He­rod

un­re­lent­ing foe

Doth the Lord’s com­ing move thee so?

He doth no earth­ly king­dom seek

Who brings His king­dom to the meek.

Led by the star

the wise men find

The Light that light­ens all man­kind;

The three­fold pre­sents which they bring

Declare Him God

and Man

and King.

In Jor­dan’s sac­red wa­ters stood

The meek and heav­en­ly Lamb of God

And He who did no sin

there­by

Cleansed us from all ini­qui­ty!

And now a mi­ra­cle was done:

Six wa­ter pots stood there of stone;

Christ spake the word with pow­er di­vine

The wa­ter red­dened in­to wine.

All hon­or un­to Christ be paid

Pure off­spring of the ho­ly maid

With Fa­ther and with Ho­ly Ghost

Till time in end­less time be lost.

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