Lyrics
Verse 1
Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Verse 2
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
Verse 3
The Lord hath promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
Verse 4
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
Amazing Grace is a hymn about the grace that finds the lost. The first verse says that grace saved a wretch, that the singer was once lost but is now found, and was blind but now sees. The second says grace taught the heart to fear and then relieved those fears, calling the hour of first believing precious.
The third verse rests on God's promise of good, with His word securing hope and Himself as shield and portion for as long as life endures. The last looks ahead to heaven, where after ten thousand years there will be no fewer days to sing God's praise than at the start. These ideas reflect Ephesians 2:8, John 9:25 and Luke 15:24 on grace, sight and being found, while shield and portion fit Psalm 84:11 and Psalm 73:26. Simple wording and a steady, singable pace explain why the text works so well for congregational and a cappella singing.
Related Scripture
- Ephesians 2:8 Believers are saved by grace through faith.
- John 9:25 The man healed of blindness says he was blind but now sees.
- Psalm 84:11 The Lord is described as a sun and shield who gives grace and glory.