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Jesus Loves Me
by Anna Bartlett Warner
Anna Bartlett Warner (1824-1915).png
Anna Bartlett Warner
Genre Hymn
Written 1859
Based on 1 Corinthians 6:19
Meter 7.7.7.7 with refrain
Melody "China" by William Batchelder Bradbury
Saint Paul Church (Westerville, Ohio) - Angel room, Jesus Loves Me
Saint Paul Church (Westerville, Ohio) - Angel room, Jesus Loves Me stained glass window

"Jesus Loves Me" is a Christian hymn written by Anna Bartlett Warner (1827–1915). The lyrics first appeared as a poem in the context of an 1860 novel called Say and Seal, written by her older sister Susan Warner (1819–1885), in which the words were spoken as a comforting poem to a dying child. The tune was added in 1862 by William Batchelder Bradbury (1816–1868). Along with his tune, Bradbury added his own chorus "Yes, Jesus loves me, Yes, Jesus Loves me..." After publication as a song it became one of the most popular Christian hymns in churches around the world, especially among children.

Poem by Anna Bartlett Warner

As originally published in 1860, it appeared in three stanzas, as follows:

Jesus loves me—this I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to him belong,—
They are weak, but he is strong.

Jesus loves me—loves me still,
Though I'm very weak and ill;
From his shining throne on high,
Comes to watch me where I lie.

Jesus loves me—he will stay,
Close beside me all the way.
Then his little child will take,
Up to heaven for his dear sake.

Hymn by William Batchelder Bradbury

William Bradbury
William Batchelder Bradbury

Jesus loves me, this I know,
for the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong;
they are weak, but he is strong.

Refrain
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me he who died
heaven's gate to open wide.
He will wash away my sin,
let his little child come in.

Refrain

Jesus loves me, this I know,
as he loved so long ago,
taking children on his knee,
saying, "Let them come to me."

Refrain

Revised versions

The poem and the hymn, or portions of them, have sometimes been revised. Some examples of this are

  • The book Jack Bauer's Having a Bad Day presented a version which alternated Yes, Jesus Loves Me with ... Loves Us and Loves You.
  • A message presented in the book Good Morning Message builds on the line refrain as follows: "Yes, Jesus loves me ... Yes, Jesus loves you ... allow Him to help you through your day, every day. ..."
  • The inspirational book From Chains to Change presented a version in which the line "Little ones to Him belong" was rendered as "Little ones to Him below".

Notable performances

The song has been recorded by a large number of different artists, either obscure or famous. Some versions include the following:

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