Ah, holy Jesus, how hast Thou offended,

Ah, holy Jesus, how hast Thou offended,
That man to judge Thee hath in hate pretended?
By foes derided, by Thine own rejected,
O most afflicted.

Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon Thee?
Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone Thee.
’Twas I, Lord, Jesus, I it was denied Thee!
I crucified Thee.

Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered;
The slave hath sinned, and the Son hath suffered;
For man’s atonement, while he nothing heedeth,
God intercedeth.

For me, kind Jesus, was Thy incarnation,
Thy mortal sorrow, and Thy life’s oblation;
Thy death of anguish and Thy bitter passion,
For my salvation.

Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay Thee,
I do adore Thee, and will ever pray Thee,
Think on Thy pity and Thy love unswerving,
Not my deserving.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Words: Jo­hann Heer­man, Herz­lieb­ster Je­su, 1630; trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Ro­bert S. Bridg­es, 1899.

Music: Herz­lieb­ster Je­su, Jo­hann Crü­ger, 1640. Bach used this mu­sic as the ba­sis for part of his St. Mat­thew Pas­sion.