O come, O come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel Traditional, translated by John Mason Neale

Version 1

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

Refrain:

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free

Thine own from Satan's tyranny;

From depths of hell Thy people save,

And give them victory over the grave.

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer

Our spirits by Thine advent here;

And drive away the shades of night

And pierce the clouds and bring us light!

O come, Thou Key of David, come,

And open wide our heavenly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,

Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height

In ancient times once gave the law

In cloud, and majesty, and awe.

Version 2 (revised by Thomas Alexander Lacey)

O come, O come Emmanuel!

Redeem thy captive Israel,

That into exile drear is gone,

Far from the face of God’s dear son,

Refrain:

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou branch of Jesse! Draw

The quarry from the lion’s claw,

From the dread caverns of the grave,

From nether hell, thy people save.

O come, O come, thou dayspring bright!

Pour on our souls thy healing light,

Dispel the long night’s lingering gloom,

And pierce the shadows of the tomb.

O come, thou lord of David’s key!

The royal door fling wide and free;

Safeguard for us the heavenward road,

And bar the way to death’s abode.

O come, O come, Adonai,

Who in thy glorious majesty,

From that high mountain clothed with awe,

Gavest thy folk the elder law.