Hebrews 7

¹This Melchizedek [was] king of Salem [and] priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

²and Abraham apportioned to [him] a tenth of everything. First, [his name] means “king of righteousness.” Then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”

³Without father [or] mother [or] genealogy, without beginning of days [or] end of life, like the Son of God, he remains a priest for all time.

⁴Consider how great [Melchizedek was]: Even the patriarch Abraham gave [him] a tenth of the plunder.

⁵Now the law commands the sons of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people — that is, from their brothers — though they [too] are descended from Abraham.

⁶But [Melchizedek], who did not trace his descent from [Levi], collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.

⁷And indisputably, the lesser is blessed by the greater.

⁸In the case [of the Levites], mortal men collect the tenth; but in the case [of Melchizedek], it is affirmed that he lives on.

⁹And so to speak, Levi, who collects [the] tenth, paid [the] tenth through Abraham.

¹⁰For when Melchizedek met Abraham, [Levi] was still in the loin of [his] ancestor.

¹¹Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood ( for on this basis the people received [the] law ), why [was there] still need [for] another priest to appear — [one] in the order of Melchizedek and not in the order of Aaron?

¹²For [when] the priesthood is changed, [the] law must be changed as well.

¹³[He] of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar.

¹⁴For [it is] clear that our Lord descended from Judah, a tribe as to which Moses said nothing about priests.

¹⁵And [ this point ] is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears,

¹⁶one who has become [a priest] not by a law of succession, but by [the] power of an indestructible life.

¹⁷For it is testified: “You [are] a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

¹⁸So the former commandment is set aside because it [was] weak and useless

¹⁹( for the law made nothing perfect ), and a better hope [is] introduced, by which we draw near to God.

²⁰And none of this [happened] without an oath. For [others] became priests without an oath,

²¹but [Jesus became a priest] with an oath by the [One who] said to Him: “[The] Lord has sworn and will not change His mind:‘ You [are] a priest forever.’”

²²Because of this [oath], Jesus has become [the] guarantee of a better covenant.

²³Now there have been many [other] priests, since death prevented them from continuing [in office].

²⁴But because [Jesus] lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood.

²⁵Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, [since He] always lives to intercede for them.

²⁶Such a high priest truly befits us — [One who is] holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.

²⁷[Unlike] the [other] high priests, [He] does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for [His] own sins and then for [the sins] of the people; He [sacrificed for sin] once for all when He offered up Himself.

²⁸For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which [came] after the law, [appointed] [the] Son, who has been made perfect forever.