Hebrews 7
1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, met Abraham as he was returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him.
2 Abraham also gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name, translated, means “king of righteousness”; then he is also king of Salem, which means “king of peace.”
3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, with no beginning of days or end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.
4 Consider, then, how great this man was, to whom the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the choicest spoils.
5 Those descendants of Levi who receive the priesthood are commanded by the Law to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their brothers—even though those brothers also descended from Abraham.
6 But the one who did not trace his descent from them received a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises.
7 There is no dispute that the lesser is blessed by the greater.
8 Here, people who die receive tithes; there, they are received by one who is testified to as living.
9 And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who receives tithes, paid a tenth.
10 For he was still in his father’s body when Melchizedek met him.
11 Now if perfection had come through the Levitical priesthood—for the people received the Law on its basis—what further need would there have been for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, rather than being called according to the order of Aaron?
12 For when the priesthood changes, a change of law must necessarily take place as well.
13 For the one about whom these things are said belonged to another tribe, from which no one has served at the altar.
14 For it is clear that our Lord arose from Judah, and Moses said nothing about priests from that tribe.
15 This becomes even clearer when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek.
16 He became a priest not according to a law of a physical commandment, but according to the power of an indestructible life.
17 For this is testified about him: “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”
18 On the one hand, the former commandment is set aside because it was weak and useless.
19 For the Law perfected nothing. On the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.
20 And this did not happen without an oath. The others, in fact, became priests without an oath.
21 But he became a priest with an oath, through the one who said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’”
22 By that same measure, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.
23 The others became priests in great numbers because death kept them from continuing in office.
24 But because he remains forever, he holds a permanent priesthood.
25 Therefore he is also able to save completely those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them.
26 For this is the kind of high priest we needed: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
27 He has no need, like the high priests, to offer sacrifices every day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did this once for all when he offered himself.
28 For the Law appoints as high priests people who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints the Son, perfected forever.
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