The Twelve Apostles

Words: English Traditional
Compare: The Twelve Apostles - A Version from Sharp, With Sheet Music

Contrast: The Twelve Apostles - A Different Song From Broadwood & Maitland

Music: English Traditional

Meter: 6666

Source: G. Walters, A Good Christmas Box (Dudley: G. Walters, 1847; reprinted Ashley: Michael Raven, 2007), p. 18.

When Jesus Christ had lived
Full thirty years and more,
He worked many wondrous works,
With his twelve Apostles pure.

He delivered up the twelve,
A sacrament to take,
He showed Simon an Hebrew house.
A Testament to make.

Then Judas with the Jews.
Our Savior did betray,
And unto him, for thirty pence,
Jesus was sold away.

Then Judas he came in,
With a troop of armed men,
And bound his master fast in bands,
In whom there was no sin.

And for his garments brave,
The soldiers did cast dice,
Which was a garment without seam,
And a jewel of great price.

They led him on straightway,
Unto his judgment place,
Without God's leave he was condemned.
To die in vile disgrace.

Between two ruffian rogues,
They nailed our Savior up,
They left his body there to bleed,
In torment's bitter cup.

They nailed his hands and feet,
And crowned his head with thorns,
And gave him vinegar to drink,
With many reproachful scorns.

Now all things seem to mourn,
When our blessed Savior died,
The hills and rocks did rend,
The mountains did divide.

The heavens themselves to very dark,
The moon forsook her light,
And for three hours in the day,
It was a dismal night.

The earth did tremble and quake,
And graves did open wide,
Dead men's ghosts walk'ed up and down.
In a frightful matter beside.

At any Christmas time,
Amongst good Christians all,
This Christmas carol may be sung
In any house or whole.

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