"and a little child shall lead them."
(Isaiah 11:6)
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.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
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.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
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.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
"A Story Behind The Song"
Philadelphia Armenian priest, took his wife and little daughter on a perilous missionary
journey from Tarsus in Asia Minor ( which is located today in western Turkey), the
home city of the apostle Paul, to Sivas in Armenia (which is also part of Turkey today).
The couple and their daughter traveled on horseback through desolate, bandit-infested
landscape for two weeks- directly into the heart of the domain of a notorious outlaw-
called Chollo. The mere mention of his name "cast terror on every side" since he had
successfully eluded government forces for many months. The travelers eventually
reached another province under the control of the bandit's greatest rival in the region,
a man by the name of Kara Agha, a fearsome Koorish* chieftain whose very name
made even the formidable Chollo and his men tremble with fear.
who he met along the way that he was going to be Agha's guest in his own village. When
they reached the chieftain's village, the missionary asked if he and his family could be received
as guests for the night. His earnest request took the chieftain by surprise, and yet, he gave the
weary travelers shelter. The chieftain welcomed the Reverend to stay in his own spacious
tent, while his wife, Helene, and their little daughter, Grace, were cared for in
another tent by the women of the village.
Before they resumed their journey the next morning, Reverend Jenanyan asked Kara Agha's
permission to read a portion of Holy Scripture and then to offer a prayer. The chieftain seemed
so impressed afterwards that the Reverend then asked him, "Do you wish to have the little child
sing for you?" to which the man eagerly replied, "Oh, yes! Can she?"
Then little Grace, only three and a half years old, was brought forward, and standing before
the aging Kara Agha, sang two songs she had recently learned in Sunday School in Tarsus,
singing in the native tongue, "Jesus loves me, this I know" and "I want to be an angel."
The chieftain was so deeply moved that he sent his own son, Bekker Agha, mounted on a
handsome Arabian steed, to escort the small missionary group through the rest of his territory.
"Jesus Loves Me"
(1860)
Anna Bartlett Warner
(1827-1915)
American writer & hymnist
*Koorish: Origin unknown. Possibly an archaic term for "Moorish" or "Muslim".
During the days of the Ottoman Empire, some court functionaries and leaders of
organizations like bazaar or the Janissary units were given the title, "Agha". In
rural areas, such as the one in which Reverend Jenanyan and his family traveled,
the title was given to men who owned a considerable amount of land and
were seen as influential members of their communities.
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