Hebrews7

¹For this Melchizedek , king of Salem , priest of the Most High God , met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him ,

²and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything . He is first , by translation of his name, king of righteousness , and then he is also king of Salem , that is , king of peace .

³He is without father or mother or genealogy , having neither beginning of days nor end of life , but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever .

⁴See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils !

⁵And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people , that is , from their brothers , though these also are descended from Abraham .

⁶But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises .

⁷It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior .

⁸In the one case tithes are received by mortal men , but in the other case , by one of whom it is testified that he lives .

⁹One might even say that Levi himself , who receives tithes , paid tithes through Abraham ,

¹⁰for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him .

¹¹Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood ( for under it the people received the law ), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek , rather than one named after the order of Aaron ?

¹²For when there is a change in the priesthood , there is necessarily a change in the law as well .

¹³For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe , from which no one has ever served at the altar .

¹⁴For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah , and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests .

¹⁵This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek ,

¹⁶who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent , but by the power of an indestructible life .

¹⁷For it is witnessed of him, You are a priest forever , after the order of Melchizedek .

¹⁸For on the one hand , a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness

¹⁹( for the law made nothing perfect ); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced , through which we draw near to God .

²⁰And it was not without an oath . For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath,

²¹but this one was made 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 .

²²This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant .

²³The former priests were many in number , because they were prevented by death from continuing in office,

²⁴but he holds his priesthood permanently , because he continues forever .

²⁵Consequently , he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him , since he always to make intercession for them .

²⁶For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest , holy , innocent , unstained , separated from sinners , and exalted above the heavens .

²⁷He has no need , like those high priests , to offer sacrifices daily , first for his own sins and then for those of the people , since he did this once for all when he offered up himself .

²⁸For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests , but the word of the oath , which came later than the law , appoints a Son who has been perfect forever .