Hebrews 7
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1This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,1This Melchizedek was king of the city of Salem and also a priest of God Most High. When Abraham was returning home after winning a great battle against the kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him.
2and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means "king of righteousness"; then also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace."2Then Abraham took a tenth of all he had captured in battle and gave it to Melchizedek. The name Melchizedek means “king of justice,” and king of Salem means “king of peace.”
3Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.3There is no record of his father or mother or any of his ancestors—no beginning or end to his life. He remains a priest forever, resembling the Son of God.
4Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!4Consider then how great this Melchizedek was. Even Abraham, the great patriarch of Israel, recognized this by giving him a tenth of what he had taken in battle.
5Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people--that is, from their fellow Israelites--even though they also are descended from Abraham.5Now the law of Moses required that the priests, who are descendants of Levi, must collect a tithe from the rest of the people of Israel, who are also descendants of Abraham.
6This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.6But Melchizedek, who was not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God.
7And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater.7And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed.
8In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living.8The priests who collect tithes are men who die, so Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on.
9One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham,9In addition, we might even say that these Levites—the ones who collect the tithe—paid a tithe to Melchizedek when their ancestor Abraham paid a tithe to him.
10because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.10For although Levi wasn’t born yet, the seed from which he came was in Abraham’s body when Melchizedek collected the tithe from him.
11If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood--and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood--why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?11So if the priesthood of Levi, on which the law was based, could have achieved the perfection God intended, why did God need to establish a different priesthood, with a priest in the order of Melchizedek instead of the order of Levi and Aaron?
12For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also.12And if the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed to permit it.
13He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar.13For the priest we are talking about belongs to a different tribe, whose members have never served at the altar as priests.
14For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.14What I mean is, our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never mentioned priests coming from that tribe. Jesus Is like Melchizedek
15And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears,15This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared.
16one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.16Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.
17For it is declared: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."17And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
18The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless18Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was 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.19For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
20And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath,20This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron’s descendants became priests without such an oath,
21but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever.'"21but there was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to him, “The LORD has taken an oath and will not break his vow: ‘You are a priest forever.’”
22Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.22Because of this oath, Jesus is the one who guarantees this better covenant with God.
23Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office;23There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office.
24but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.24But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever.
25Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.25Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.
26Such a high priest truly meets our need--one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.26He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.
27Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.27Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins.
28For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.28The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.
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Hebrews 6
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