O Little Town of Bethlehem

Verse 1
O lit­tle town of Beth­le­hem, (Mic. 5:2, Matt. 2:6)
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dream­less sleep
The si­lent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shin­eth
The ev­er­last­ing Light; (Isa. 9:2, John 1:5, John 1:9, John 8:12)
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee to­night.

Verse 2
For Christ is born of Ma­ry, (Luke 2:6-7)
And ga­thered all above,
While mor­tals sleep, the an­gels keep
Their watch of won­der­ing love.
O morn­ing stars to­ge­ther, (Job 38:7)
Proclaim the ho­ly birth,
And prais­es sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth! (Luke 2:8-14)

Verse 3
How si­lent­ly, how si­lent­ly,
The won­drous Gift is giv’n; (Isa. 9:6, John 3:16, II Cor. 9:15)
So God im­parts to hu­man hearts
The bless­ings of His Heav’n.
No ear may hear His com­ing, (John 3:8)
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will re­ceive Him still, (John 1:11)
The dear Christ en­ters in. (Eph. 3:17)

Verse 4
Where child­ren pure and hap­py
Pray to the bless­èd Child,
Where mi­se­ry cries out to Thee,
Son of the mo­ther mild;
Where char­ity stands watch­ing
And faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glo­ry breaks, (Isa. 60:1-2, II Cor. 4:6)
And Christ­mas comes once more.

Verse 5
O ho­ly Child of Beth­le­hem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and en­ter in,
Be born in us to­day.
We hear the Christ­mas an­gels
The great glad tid­ings tell; (Luke 2:10-14)
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Em­ma­nu­el! (Isa. 7:14, Matt. 1:23)