When Joseph Went to Bethlehem
Author: Bessie Saunders Spencer
Composer: I. Reed Payne
Languages (42)
This song text has been indexed at SingPraises.net in the following languages:
- Albanian: Kur Jozefi Shkoi n’Bethlehem
- Bulgarian: Когато Иосиф тръгна за Витлеем
- Cebuano: Pag-adto ni Jose sa Bethlehem
- Chinese (Simplified): 当约瑟前往伯利恒
- Chinese (Traditional): 當約瑟前往伯利恆
- Croatian: Na dalek put u Betlehem
- Czech: Když Jozef do Betléma jel
- Danish: Da Josef drog til Betlehem
- Dutch: Toen Jozef vertrok naar Betlehem
- English: When Joseph Went to Bethlehem
- Estonian: Kui Joosep läks kord Petlemma
- Fijian: Peceliema Na Koro
- Finnish: Kun Betlehemiin Joosef lähti
- French: Joseph à Bethléhem
- German: Als Josef auf die Reise ging
- Greek: Ο Ιωσήφ ’τοιμάστηκε να πάει στη Βηθλεέμ
- Hungarian: Mielőtt József útra kelt
- Icelandic: Þá Jósef fór til Betlehem
- Indonesian: Waktu Yusuf Ke Betlehem
- Italian: Così Giuseppe andò a Betlemme
- Japanese: ベツレへムへの旅
- Kekchi: Naq laj Jose xkoʼo Belen
- Khmer (Cambodian): កាលយ៉ូសែបទៅឯបេថ្លេហិម
- Korean: 베들레헴 가는 요셉
- Latvian: Jāzeps
- Lithuanian: Kai Juozapas Betliejun ėjo
- Malagasy: Raha niakatra ho any Betlehema i Josefa
- Mandarin (Romanized/Pinyin): Dāng Yuēsè qiánwǎng Bólìhéng
- Mongolian: Иосеф Бетлехем рүү явахдаа
- Norwegian: Da Josef dro til Betlehem
- Polish: Gdy Józef do Betlejem szedł
- Portuguese: Quando José Foi a Belém
- Romanian: Când Iosif a plecat spre Betleem
- Russian: Иосиф в Вифлееме
- Samoan: Ina Ua Alu Iosefa I Peteleema
- Spanish: Al irse a Belén José
- Swedish: När Josef gick till Betlehem
- Tagalog: Nang si Jose ay Magtungo sa Bethlehem
- Tahitian: Hou te tere i Betelehema
- Thai: เมื่อโจเซฟไปที่เบธเลเฮม
- Tongan: Fononga ʻa Siosefa ki Pētelihemá
- Ukrainian: Коли йшов Йосип в Віфлеєм
- All Languages →
Statistics
Most common tunes for “When Joseph Went to Bethlehem”
This chart shows the tunes that are paired with this text most frequently, in hymnbooks and other collections published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If the text appears with the same tune in multiple editions or translations of the same hymnbook, it is only counted once.
Appearances of “When Joseph Went to Bethlehem” over time
This timeline shows which tunes have been used with this text over time, in hymnbooks and other collections published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Copyright status of original text
This text was first published in English, in 1977 or earlier.
In copyright (IRI)
Earliest source indexed at SingPraises.net: Music from the Friend (1971–2020) (1971–2020), Dec 1977.
Representative lyrics
English (Original Language)
1. When Joseph went to Bethlehem, I think he took great care To place his tools and close his shop and leave no shavings there. He urged the donkey forward then, with Mary on its back, And carried bread and goat cheese in a little linen sack.
2. I think there at the busy inn that he was meek and mild And awed to be the guardian of Mary’s sacred child. Perhaps all through the chilly hours he smoothed the swaddling bands, And Jesus felt the quiet strength of Joseph’s gentle hands.
3. And close beside the manger bed, he dimmed the lantern’s light And held the little Jesus close upon that holy night.
Compare
Compare different versions of the lyrics side-by-side: English