Luke 2:1-15: "In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'
"When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.'"
Luke 1:68-75: "'Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.'"
Ephesians 3:16-19: "That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith - that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
Micah 5:2: "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days."
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The text is public domain:
O little town of Bethlehem,
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.
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.
For Christ is born of Mary,
And, gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wond'ring love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the king
And peace to all the earth!
How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is giv'n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heav'n.
No ear may hear His coming;
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him, still
The dear Christ enters in.
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;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Immanuel!
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The first verse comes partially from the Micah 5 text, specifically the direct address to the city of Bethlehem itself. The other part of the first verse comes from Luke 1. Zechariah's prophecy recorded there is about the birth of Jesus, and in the hymn, this is referred to in the lines "The hopes and fears of all the years / Are met in thee tonight." I'm not quite sure what the "fears" there refer to, but the "hopes" would include "that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us" and "that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days."
The second verse - detailing Jesus' birth and the angel's announcement of it - comes from the Luke 2 text. This also appears as "great glad tidings" in the fourth verse.
The text from Ephesians 3 forms the basis of the last two verses. The hymn's "blessings of His heav'n" include "be[ing] strengthened with power through his Spirit," "know[ing] the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge," and "be[ing] filled with all the fullness of God." These last two verses mention that "the dear Christ enters in" "where meek souls receive Him" and asks that He "be born in us today," reflecting the "strengthen[ing] with power through his Spirit in your inner being" and Christ's "dwell[ing] in your hearts" from the text.
It's not cited, but part of the lines "O come to us, abide with us, / Our Lord Immanuel" comes from Matthew 1:23 (which quotes Isaiah 7:14): "'Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel' (which means, God with us)."
It's not cited, but part of the lines "O come to us, abide with us, / Our Lord Immanuel" comes from Matthew 1:23 (which quotes Isaiah 7:14): "'Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel' (which means, God with us)."
