¹⁸ After he had finished sacrificing^(A) the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed^(B) the people in the name of the Lord Almighty.

⁵⁵ He stood and blessed^(A) the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying:

Melchizedek the Priest

7 This Melchizedek was king of Salem^(A) and priest of God Most High.^(B) He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,^{(C) 2} and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” ³ Without father or mother, without genealogy,^(D) without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God,^(E) he remains a priest forever.

⁴ Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch^(F) Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!^{(G) 5} Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people^(H)—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. ⁶ This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed^(I) him who had the promises.^{(J) 7} And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater.

²⁶ When God raised up^(A) his servant, he sent him first^(B) to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

²⁷ The priests and the Levites stood to bless^(A) the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place.

¹⁸ Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves,^(A) yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone ¹⁹ who sets their heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of their ancestors—even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.”

³ While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them.

² After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed^(A) the people in the name of the Lord.

¹⁴ While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed^(A) them.

²² Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them.^(A) And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down.