The three-verse blessing of Numbers 6:24-26, pronounced by kohanim in the synagogue service and used by parents to bless children on Sabbath eve and at weddings and other life-cycle moments. Its synagogue recitation is restricted to those of priestly descent; its domestic use is not.
Every text below was transcribed from the edition named under it and checked twice, independently, against that edition. That is a claim about wording only: nothing here is selected or endorsed for a particular situation, and nobody credentialed in the tradition has signed it. Older spelling is kept as the edition prints it.
The Priestly Blessing (JPS 1917)
The three-verse blessing of Numbers 6:24-26, pronounced by kohanim in the synagogue service and used by parents to bless children on Sabbath eve and at weddings and other life-cycle moments. Its synagogue recitation is restricted to those of priestly descent; its domestic use is not.
English · The Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text (JPS), 1917
The LORD bless thee, and keep thee;
The LORD make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
Jewish Publication Society of America, 1917. Published 1917, before 1929, US public domain. Source
Hebrew · Tanach with Nikkud, a digital edition of the Leningrad Codex, 2026
Sefaria, from the Unicode/XML Leningrad Codex at tanach.us, 2026. Tanach.us states that all biblical Hebrew text on its site may be viewed or copied without restriction, and Sefaria labels this version Public Domain. Retrieved and verified 2026-09-02. Source
Wording and scope vary between editions and between communities, so each edition here is named and this entry makes no claim about which form is right in a given setting.
The Priestly Blessing (Singer 1890)
The three-verse blessing of Numbers 6:24-26, pronounced by kohanim in the synagogue service and used by parents to bless children on Sabbath eve and at weddings and other life-cycle moments. Its synagogue recitation is restricted to those of priestly descent; its domestic use is not.
English · The Authorised Daily Prayer Book, with a New Translation, 1890
Our God and God of our fathers, bless us with the three-fold blessing of thy Law written by the hand of Moses thy servant, which was spoken by Aaron and his sons, the priests, thy holy people, as it is said, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee : the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee : the Lord turn his face unto thee, and give thee peace.
Simeon Singer. Eyre and Spottiswoode, London, 1890. Published 1890, before 1929, US public domain, and the translator died in 1906, so it is also clear in life-plus-70 jurisdictions. Source
Wording and scope vary between editions and between communities, so this entry is tied to one named edition and makes no claim about which form is right in a given setting.
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