Bethesda Is Open

Bethesda is open, the angel has come,
The Spirit is calling for thee;
The waters are troubled, behold, there is room;
Salvation through Jesus is free.

Refrain

Salvation is free, salvation is free,
Salvation through Jesus is free;
The waters are troubled, behold, there is room,
Bethesda is open for thee.

Come press to the waters while mercy is here,
Accept of a cleansing complete;
O, hear the entreaty, dismissing your fear;
Lo, judgment and mercy now meet.

Refrain

The house of Bethesda for sinners was built,
The pool is a fountain of love;
The waters are troubled for canceling guilt,
And still for our healing they move.

Refrain

Author: Fanny Crosby

Year: 1884

This hymn is one of many gospel songs written by Fanny Crosby (Frances Jane Crosby, 1820–1915). The style, refrain structure, and use of the Bethesda pool as a metaphor for salvation are characteristic of her work from the 1880s. It was published in several hymnals of that era, often set to music by composers such as William J. Kirkpatrick.