Hebrews7

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

²to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace.

³Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.

⁴Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils.

⁵And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have a commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their countrymen, although they are descended from Abraham.

⁶But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises.

⁷But without any dispute the lesser person is blessed by the greater.

⁸In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on.

⁹And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, has paid tithes,

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

¹¹So if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron?

¹²For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also.

¹³For the one about whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar.

¹⁴For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses said nothing concerning priests.

¹⁵And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek,

¹⁶who has become a priest not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life.

¹⁷For it is attested of Him, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

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

¹⁹(for the Law made nothing perfect); on the other hand, there is the introduction of a better hope, through which we come near to God.

²⁰And to the extent that it was not without an oath

²¹(for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He 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’”);

²²by the same extent Jesus also has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

²³The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing;

²⁴Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently.

²⁵Therefore He is also able to save forever those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

²⁶For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens;

²⁷who has no daily need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because He did this once for all time when He offered up Himself.

²⁸For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, who has been made perfect forever.