The Aaronic Blessing
Numbers 6:24-26
The oldest blessing in scripture — spoken over Israel by the priests.
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The Lord bless thee,
and keep thee.
The Lord make his face shine upon thee,
and be gracious unto thee.
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee,
and give thee peace.
Amen.
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About this prayer
The Aaronic Blessing is the priestly blessing God gave to Aaron and his sons in the book of Numbers. It is the oldest known biblical text — a tiny silver scroll with these words on it, dated to the 7th century BC, was unearthed in Jerusalem in 1979. The church still prays it over its people at the close of countless services.
When to pray it
Over your children. Over a friend you are sending out. At the end of a meal, a meeting, a day.