NIV
New International Version · 1978 (rev. 2011)
“‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’
31 words · Balance of accuracy and readability
Numbers 6:24 — Compare Translations
Read this verse in 6 Bible translations — from word-for-word to thought-for-thought.
Dynamic equivalence
KJV
King James Version · 1611
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.
32 words · Formal / word-for-word
ESV
English Standard Version · 2001 (rev. 2016)
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
33 words · Essentially literal
NLT
New Living Translation · 1996 (rev. 2015)
‘May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.’
31 words · Thought-for-thought clarity
MSG
The Message · 2002
God bless you and keep you, God smile on you and gift you, God look you full in the face and make you prosper.
24 words · Contemporary paraphrase
NASB
New American Standard Bible · 1971 (rev. 2020)
The LORD bless you, and keep you; The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.'
32 words · Most literal English translation
Translation Length Comparison
NIV
31 words
KJV
32 words
ESV
33 words
NLT
31 words
MSG
24 words
NASB
32 words
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Bible translations are there for Numbers 6:24?
Bible Verse Randomizer offers Numbers 6:24 in 6 translations: New International Version, King James Version, English Standard Version, New Living Translation, The Message, New American Standard Bible. Each uses a different translation philosophy — from word-for-word (KJV, ESV, NASB) to thought-for-thought (NIV, NLT) to paraphrase (MSG).
Which translation of Numbers 6:24 is best?
No single translation is "best" — it depends on your purpose. For deep study, use the ESV or NASB (word-for-word). For devotional reading, the NIV balances accuracy and readability. The NLT and MSG are excellent for understanding the general meaning in modern English. Comparing multiple translations helps grasp the full richness of the text.
What is the difference between literal and dynamic Bible translations?
Literal (formal equivalence) translations like KJV, ESV, and NASB translate word-for-word from the original Hebrew/Greek. Dynamic equivalence translations like NIV and NLT translate thought-for-thought for clarity. The MSG is a paraphrase that captures the spirit in contemporary language. Each approach has strengths — that's why comparing translations is valuable.
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