Stanza 1
"Father, forgive (the Savior said)
They know not what they do:"
His heart was moved when thus he prayed
For me, my friends, and you.
Stanza 2
He saw, that as the Jews abused
And crucified his flesh;
So he, by us, would be refused,
And crucified afresh.
Stanza 3
Through love of sin, we long were prone
To act as Satan bid;
But now, with grief and shame we own,
We knew not what we did.
Stanza 4
We knew not the desert of sin,
Nor whom we thus defied;
Nor where our guilty souls had been,
If JESUS had not died.
Stanza 5
We knew not what a law we broke,
How holy, just and pure!
Nor what a God we durst provoke,
But thought ourselves secure.
Stanza 6
But Jesus all our guilt foresaw,
And shed his precious blood
To satisfy the holy law,
And make our peace with GOD.
Stanza 7
My sin, dear Savior, made thee bleed,
Yet didst thou pray for me!
I knew not what I did, indeed,
When ignorant of thee.