🎵 Christmas Carol Lyrics

Joy to the World lyrics

The full traditional words to Joy to the World, verse by verse, with a little of the carol's history.

The words

Traditional Medium

Joy to the world! The Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world! The Saviour reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders of His love.

All carol lyrics

About Joy to the World

Joy to the World was written by the English hymn writer Isaac Watts and published in 1719 in his book The Psalms of David Imitated. It is a free version of the second half of Psalm 98, and Watts wrote it about the coming of Christ in general rather than the Nativity itself.

The tune usually sung, known as Antioch, was arranged by the American Lowell Mason in 1839. Mason credited it to Handel, and some phrases do echo Messiah, though the tune as a whole is not by Handel.

Joy to the World is traditional and out of copyright, so the words are free to print and sing at school, at church or at home. For printable sheets, download our free carols and activities pack (PDF).