1. Christ, the Life of all the living,
   Christ, the Death of death, our foe,
   Who, Thyself for me once giving
   To the darkest depths of woe,—
   Through Thy suff’rings, death, and merit,
   I eternal life inherit:
   Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
   Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.

2. Thou, ah! Thou, hast taken on Thee
   Bonds and stripes, a cruel rod;
   Pain and scorn were heaped upon Thee,
   O Thou sinless Son of God!
   Thus didst Thou my soul deliver
   From the bonds of sin forever.
   Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
   Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.

3. Thou hast born the smiting only
   That my wounds might all be whole;
   Thou hast suffered, sad and lonely,
   Rest to give my weary soul;
   Yea, the curse of God enduring,
   Blessing unto me securing.
   Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
   Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.

4. Heartless scoffers did surround Thee,
   Treating Thee with shameful scorn
   And with piercing thorns they crowned Thee.
   All disgrace Thou, Lord, hast borne
   That as Thine Thou mightest own me
   And with heav’nly glory crown me.
   Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
   Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.

5. Thou hast suffered men to bruise Thee
   That from pain I might be free;
   Falsely did Thy foes accuse Thee,—
   Thence I gain security;
   Comfortless Thy soul did languish
   Me to comfort in mine anguish.
   Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
   Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.

6. Thou hast suffered great affliction
   And hast borne it patiently,
   Even death by crucifixion,
   Fully to atone for me;
   Thou didst choose to be tormented
   That my doom should be prevented.
   Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
   Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.

7. That Thou wast so meek and stainless,
   Doth atone for my proud mood;
   And Thy death makes dying painless,
   All Thine ills have wrought our good.
   Yea, Thy deep humiliation
   Tendeth to mine exaltation.
   Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
   Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.

8. Then, for all that wrought my pardon,
   For Thy sorrows deep and sore,
   For Thine anguish in the Garden,
   I will thank Thee evermore,
   Thank Thee for Thy groaning, sighing,
   For Thy bleeding and Thy dying,
   For that last triumphant cry,
   And shall praise Thee, Lord, on high.

Jesu, meines Lebens Leben
Ernst Christoph Homburg, 1659
Tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1863, alt.
Source: Sts. 1–6, 8, The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, No. 151
St. 7, Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Bool, 1893, No. 62