The Shema

The Shema is a Jewish prayer that Jesus would have learnt as a small boy and he would have said it every day. The Shema is the first prayer a Jewish child learns. The word "Shema" means Hear and that is the first word of the prayer.

The Shema is made up of three paragraphs from the Torah (the Jewish Scriptures)

•Paragraph 1 - Deuteronomy 6:4-9
•Paragraph 2 - Deuteronomy 11:13-21
•Paragraph 3 - Numbers 15:37-41

Here is the English translation of the first paragraph.

Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.

Blessed is His name, whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your might. These words that I command you today shall be upon your heart. Repeat them to your children, and talk about them when you sit in your home, and when you walk in the street; when you lie down, and when you rise up. Hold fast to them as a sign upon your hand, and let them be as reminders before your eyes. Write them on the doorposts of your home and at your gates.

Deuteronomy 6: 4-9