1 Now|strong="G2532" this|strong="G3778" Melchizedek|strong="G3198" was|strong="G3588" king|strong="G3588" of|strong="G2316" Salem|strong="G4532" and|strong="G2532" priest|strong="G2409" of|strong="G2316" God|strong="G2316" Most|strong="G5310" High|strong="G5310". When|strong="G2532" Abraham was|strong="G3588" returning|strong="G5290" from|strong="G2532" the|strong="G2532" slaughter|strong="G2871" of|strong="G2316" the|strong="G2532" kings|strong="G3588", Melchizedek|strong="G3198" met|strong="G4876" him|strong="G3588" and|strong="G2532" blessed|strong="G2127" him|strong="G3588",
2 and|strong="G2532" Abraham gave|strong="G2532" him|strong="G3739" a|strong="G2532" tenth|strong="G1181" of|strong="G2532" all|strong="G3956" the|strong="G2532" spoils. His|strong="G3956" name|strong="G3739" means|strong="G1510" “king of|strong="G2532" righteousness|strong="G1343",” but|strong="G1161" he|strong="G2532" is|strong="G1510" also|strong="G2532" “king of|strong="G2532" Salem|strong="G4532",” which|strong="G3739" means|strong="G1510", “king of|strong="G2532" peace|strong="G1515".”
3 He|strong="G1161" is|strong="G3588" without|strong="G2316" father, without|strong="G2316" mother, and|strong="G1161" without|strong="G2316" genealogy; there|strong="G1161" is|strong="G3588" no|strong="G3383" beginning to|strong="G1519" his|strong="G1519" days|strong="G2250" or|strong="G3383" end|strong="G5056" to|strong="G1519" his|strong="G1519" life|strong="G2222". But|strong="G1161" resembling the|strong="G1519" Son|strong="G5207" of|strong="G5207" God|strong="G2316", he|strong="G1161" remains|strong="G3306" a|strong="G2192" priest|strong="G2409" forever|strong="G1519".
4 Consider|strong="G2334" how|strong="G1161" great|strong="G4080" this|strong="G3778" man|strong="G3778" must|strong="G3588" be|strong="G2532", that|strong="G3739" even|strong="G2532" Abraham the|strong="G2532" patriarch|strong="G3966" gave|strong="G1325" him|strong="G3588" a|strong="G2532" tenth|strong="G1181" of|strong="G1537" the|strong="G2532" spoils.
5 Now|strong="G2532" the|strong="G2532" law|strong="G3551" commands|strong="G1785" the|strong="G2532" sons|strong="G5207" of|strong="G1537" Levi|strong="G3017" who|strong="G3588" receive|strong="G2983" the|strong="G2532" priestly|strong="G2405" office|strong="G2405" to|strong="G2532" collect|strong="G2983" tithes from|strong="G1537" the|strong="G2532" people|strong="G2992", that|strong="G3588" is|strong="G1510", their|strong="G2532" brothers, even|strong="G2532" though|strong="G2539" their|strong="G2532" brothers are|strong="G1510" also|strong="G2532" descended|strong="G1831" from|strong="G1537" Abraham.
6 But|strong="G1161" Melchizedek|strong="G1075", who|strong="G3588" was|strong="G3588" not|strong="G3361" among|strong="G1537" the|strong="G2532" descendants of|strong="G1537" Levi, received|strong="G2192" a|strong="G2192" tithe from|strong="G1537" Abraham. He|strong="G2532" also|strong="G2532" blessed|strong="G2127" Abraham, who|strong="G3588" had|strong="G2192" received|strong="G2192" the|strong="G2532" promises|strong="G1860".
7 It|strong="G1161" is|strong="G3588" beyond all|strong="G3956" dispute that|strong="G3588" the|strong="G3956" inferior is|strong="G3588" blessed|strong="G2127" by|strong="G5259" the|strong="G3956" superior.
8 In|strong="G2532" the|strong="G2532" one|strong="G3303" case|strong="G5602", tithes|strong="G1181" are|strong="G2532" received|strong="G2983" by|strong="G2532" mortal men, but|strong="G1161" in|strong="G2532" the|strong="G2532" other|strong="G1161" case|strong="G5602", they|strong="G2532" are|strong="G2532" received|strong="G2983" by|strong="G2532" one|strong="G3303" who|strong="G3748" is|strong="G3748" attested|strong="G3140" to|strong="G2532" be|strong="G2532" living|strong="G2198".
9 One|strong="G3588" might|strong="G2532" even|strong="G2532" say|strong="G3004" that|strong="G3588" Levi|strong="G3018" himself, who|strong="G3588" receives|strong="G2983" tithes|strong="G1181", paid|strong="G1183" tithes|strong="G1181" through|strong="G1223" Abraham.
10 For|strong="G1063" Levi was|strong="G1510" still|strong="G2089" in|strong="G1722" the|strong="G1722" loins|strong="G3751" of|strong="G3962" his|strong="G1722" ancestor|strong="G3962" Abraham when|strong="G3753" Melchizedek|strong="G3198" met|strong="G4876" him|strong="G3588".
11 Now|strong="G2532" if|strong="G1487" perfection|strong="G5050" had|strong="G2532" been|strong="G1510" attainable through|strong="G1223" the|strong="G2532" Levitical|strong="G3020" priesthood|strong="G2420" (for|strong="G1063" under|strong="G1909" this|strong="G3588" priesthood|strong="G2420" the|strong="G2532" people|strong="G2992" received|strong="G3549" the|strong="G2532" law|strong="G3549"), what|strong="G5101" further|strong="G2089" need|strong="G5532" would|strong="G2532" there|strong="G2532" have|strong="G2532" been|strong="G1510" for|strong="G1063" another|strong="G2087" priest|strong="G2409" to|strong="G2532" arise according|strong="G2596" to|strong="G2532" the|strong="G2532" order|strong="G5010" of|strong="G1223" Melchizedek|strong="G3198" rather|strong="G3756" than|strong="G2532" the|strong="G2532" order|strong="G5010" of|strong="G1223" Aaron?
12 For|strong="G1063" when|strong="G2532" the|strong="G2532" priesthood|strong="G2420" is|strong="G3588" changed|strong="G3346", the|strong="G2532" law|strong="G3551" must|strong="G1096" also|strong="G2532" be|strong="G1096" changed|strong="G3346".
13 Now he|strong="G3739" of|strong="G1909" whom|strong="G3739" these|strong="G3778" things|strong="G3778" are|strong="G3588" spoken|strong="G3004" belongs|strong="G3348" to|strong="G1909" a|strong="G1909" different|strong="G2087" tribe|strong="G5443", from|strong="G3588" which|strong="G3739" no|strong="G3762" one|strong="G3762" has|strong="G3739" ever|strong="G3762" served at|strong="G1909" the|strong="G1909" altar|strong="G2379".
14 For|strong="G1063" it|strong="G3754" is|strong="G3588" clear that|strong="G3754" our|strong="G2962" Lord|strong="G2962" arose from|strong="G1537" Judah|strong="G2455", and|strong="G2962" in|strong="G1519" connection|strong="G4012" with|strong="G1537" that|strong="G3754" tribe|strong="G5443" Moses|strong="G3475" said|strong="G2980" nothing|strong="G3762" about|strong="G4012" priesthood.
15 Now|strong="G2532" this|strong="G3588" point becomes even|strong="G2532" more|strong="G2089" clear when|strong="G2532" there|strong="G2532" arises another|strong="G2087" priest|strong="G2409" like|strong="G2596" Melchizedek|strong="G3198",
16 one|strong="G3739" who|strong="G3739" has|strong="G3739" become|strong="G1096" a|strong="G1096" priest, not|strong="G3756" through|strong="G2596" a|strong="G1096" legal requirement|strong="G1785" concerning|strong="G2596" physical|strong="G4560" descent|strong="G1096", but|strong="G3551" through|strong="G2596" the|strong="G2596" power|strong="G1411" of|strong="G3551" an|strong="G1096" endless life|strong="G2222".
17 For|strong="G1063" God|strong="G1519" testifies|strong="G3140",
18 The|strong="G2532" former|strong="G4254" commandment|strong="G1785" is|strong="G3588" set|strong="G2532" aside because|strong="G1223" of|strong="G1223" its|strong="G1223" weakness and|strong="G2532" ineffectiveness
19 (for|strong="G1063" the|strong="G1161" law|strong="G3551" made|strong="G5048" nothing|strong="G3762" perfect|strong="G5048"), and|strong="G1161" a|strong="G1161" better|strong="G2909" hope|strong="G1680" is|strong="G3588" introduced, by|strong="G1223" which|strong="G3739" we|strong="G3739" draw|strong="G1448" near|strong="G1448" to|strong="G1161" God|strong="G2316".
20 And|strong="G2532" none|strong="G3756" of|strong="G2532" this|strong="G3588" happened|strong="G1096" without|strong="G5565" an|strong="G2532" oath|strong="G3728". Aaron's descendants become|strong="G1096" priests|strong="G2409" without|strong="G5565" an|strong="G2532" oath|strong="G3728",
21 but|strong="G1161" Jesus|strong="G3004" was|strong="G3588" made|strong="G3756" a|strong="G2532" priest|strong="G2409" with|strong="G3326" an|strong="G2532" oath|strong="G3728" by|strong="G1223" the|strong="G2532" one|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3588" said|strong="G3004" to|strong="G1519" him|strong="G3588",
22 Accordingly|strong="G2596", Jesus|strong="G2424" has|strong="G1096" become|strong="G1096" the|strong="G2532" guarantor of|strong="G2532" a|strong="G1096" better|strong="G2909" covenant|strong="G1242".
23 Now|strong="G2532" the|strong="G2532" former|strong="G3588" priests|strong="G2409" were|strong="G1510" many|strong="G4183" in|strong="G2532" number, because|strong="G1223" they|strong="G2532" were|strong="G1510" prevented|strong="G2967" by|strong="G1223" death|strong="G2288" from|strong="G2532" continuing|strong="G3887" in|strong="G2532" office;
24 but|strong="G1161" because|strong="G1223" Jesus continues|strong="G3306" forever|strong="G1519", he|strong="G1161" has|strong="G2192" a|strong="G2192" permanent priesthood|strong="G2420".
25 Therefore|strong="G1223" he|strong="G2532" is|strong="G3588" able|strong="G1410" to|strong="G1519" save|strong="G4982" to|strong="G1519" the|strong="G2532" uttermost|strong="G3838" those|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3588" come|strong="G4334" to|strong="G1519" God|strong="G2316" through|strong="G1223" him|strong="G3588", because|strong="G1223" he|strong="G2532" always|strong="G3842" lives|strong="G2198" to|strong="G1519" intercede|strong="G1793" for|strong="G1519" them|strong="G3588".
26 It|strong="G2532" was|strong="G1096" fitting|strong="G4241" for|strong="G1063" us|strong="G1096" to|strong="G2532" have|strong="G2532" such|strong="G5108" a|strong="G1096" high|strong="G5308" priest, one|strong="G5108" who|strong="G3588" is|strong="G3588" holy|strong="G3741", innocent, undefiled, separated|strong="G5563" from|strong="G2532" sinners, and|strong="G2532" exalted|strong="G5308" above|strong="G5308" the|strong="G2532" heavens|strong="G3772".
27 He|strong="G3739" has|strong="G2192" no|strong="G3756" need|strong="G2192", like|strong="G5618" the|strong="G2596" other|strong="G3739" high priests, to|strong="G2596" offer|strong="G4374" up|strong="G4374" daily|strong="G2250" sacrifices|strong="G2378", first|strong="G4386" for|strong="G1063" his|strong="G1438" own|strong="G2398" sins, and|strong="G2250" then|strong="G1899" for|strong="G1063" the|strong="G2596" sins of|strong="G2250" the|strong="G2596" people|strong="G2992". For|strong="G1063" he|strong="G3739" did|strong="G4160" this|strong="G3778" once|strong="G2178" for|strong="G1063" all|strong="G2596" when|strong="G3739" he|strong="G3739" offered|strong="G4374" up|strong="G4374" himself|strong="G1438".
28 For|strong="G1063" the|strong="G1519" law|strong="G3551" appoints|strong="G2525" as|strong="G1519" high priests men|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3588" have|strong="G2192" weakness, but|strong="G1161" the|strong="G1519" word|strong="G3056" of|strong="G5207" the|strong="G1519" oath|strong="G3728", which|strong="G3588" came|strong="G3588" after|strong="G3326" the|strong="G1519" law|strong="G3551", appoints|strong="G2525" the|strong="G1519" Son|strong="G5207", who|strong="G3588" has|strong="G2192" been|strong="G2192" made|strong="G2525" perfect|strong="G5048" forever|strong="G1519".