What does eleison mean?

It means "have mercy." It is the same verb used in Kyrie eleison.

Are there different forms of the Jesus Prayer?

Yes. Some traditions use a shorter form, and plural forms can say "have mercy on us."

Jesus Prayer in Greek

The Jesus Prayer is a compact Greek prayer of mercy: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Here it is in Greek script with pronunciation, a literal meaning, and notes on common shorter forms.

Working with a passage of your own? Koine Greek translator translates Koine Greek both ways.

Prayer in Koine Greek

Traditional Eastern Christian prayer

Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐλέησόν με τὸν ἁμαρτωλόν.

Transliteration

Kyrie Iesou Christe, Huie tou Theou, eleison me ton hamartolon.

How to say it

KEE-ree-eh ee-ay-SOO khrees-TEH, ee-EH too theh-OO, eh-LEH-ee-SON meh tone hah-mar-toh-LON.

What it means in English

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner.

The familiar wording (Traditional public-domain English form):

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Other wordings you may see

Short form

Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, ἐλέησόν με.

A shorter form, "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me," is also widely used.

Plural form

ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς

For "have mercy on us," Greek uses ἡμᾶς instead of με.

A few things worth knowing

The final phrase τὸν ἁμαρτωλόν is grammatically masculine singular, often rendered generically as "a sinner."
Many living traditions use shorter versions; this page shows the full common form.
The prayer draws on Gospel cries for mercy and the publican's prayer in Luke 18:13.

A prayer built from biblical language

The exact formula is traditional, but its pieces are deeply biblical: Lord, Jesus, Christ, Son of God, mercy, and sinner.

Why the article appears before sinner

Greek says τὸν ἁμαρτωλόν, literally "the sinner." In English prayer it is usually rendered "a sinner" because the phrase identifies the speaker humbly rather than pointing to a separate person.

Where this text comes from

We use Traditional Greek form of the Jesus Prayer, a public-domain edition, so the wording here is stable and free to read, copy, and share. You can check the source for yourself.

More prayers and verses in their original languages

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Jesus Prayer in Greek?: Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐλέησόν με τὸν ἁμαρτωλόν.
What does eleison mean?: It means "have mercy." It is the same verb used in Kyrie eleison.
Are there different forms of the Jesus Prayer?: Yes. Some traditions use a shorter form, and plural forms can say "have mercy on us."