Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and a priest of the Most High God. As Abraham was coming back from the battle in which he defeated the four kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him,
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For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
2 and Abraham gave him one tenth of all he had taken. (The first meaning of Melchizedek's name is "King of Righteousness"; and because he was king of Salem, his name also means "King of Peace.")
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to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, King of righteousness, and then also King of Salem, which is King of peace;
3 There is no record of Melchizedek's father or mother or of any of his ancestors; no record of his birth or of his death. He is like the Son of God; he remains a priest forever.
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without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God), remains a priest continually.
4 You see, then, how great he was. Abraham, our famous ancestor, gave him one tenth of all he got in the battle.
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Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the best spoils.
5 And those descendants of Levi who are priests are commanded by the Law to collect one tenth from the people of Israel, that is, from their own people, even though they are also descendants of Abraham.
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They indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest's office have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brothers, though these have come out of the loins of Abraham,
6 Melchizedek was not descended from Levi, but he collected one tenth from Abraham and blessed him, the man who received God's promises.
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but he whose genealogy is not counted from them has taken tithes of Abraham, and has blessed him who has the promises.
7 There is no doubt that the one who blesses is greater than the one who is blessed.
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But without any dispute the less is blessed of the better.
8 In the case of the priests the tenth is collected by men who die; but as for Melchizedek the tenth was collected by one who lives, as the scripture says.
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Here men who die receive tithes, but there one, of whom it is testified that he lives.
9 And, so to speak, when Abraham paid the tenth, Levi (whose descendants collect the tenth) also paid it.
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So to say, through Abraham even Levi, who receives tithes, has paid tithes,
10 For Levi had not yet been born, but was, so to speak, in the body of his ancestor Abraham when Melchizedek met him.
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for he was yet in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
11 It was on the basis of the levitical priesthood that the Law was given to the people of Israel. Now, if the work of the levitical priests had been perfect, there would have been no need for a different kind of priest to appear, one who is in the priestly order of Melchizedek, not of Aaron.
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Now if there was perfection through the Levitical priesthood (for under it have the people received the law), what further need was there for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
12 For when the priesthood is changed, there also has to be a change in the law.
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For the priesthood being changed, there is of necessity a change made also of the law.
13 And our Lord, of whom these things are said, belonged to a different tribe, and no member of his tribe ever served as a priest.
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For he of whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no man has given attendance at the altar.
14 It is well known that he was born a member of the tribe of Judah; and Moses did not mention this tribe when he spoke of priests.
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For it is evident that our Lord has sprung out of Judah, as to which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.
15 The matter becomes even plainer; a different priest has appeared, who is like Melchizedek.
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This is yet more abundantly evident, if after the likeness of Melchizedek there arises another priest,
16 He was made a priest, not by human rules and regulations, but through the power of a life which has no end.
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who has been made, not after the law of a fleshly commandment, but after the power of an endless life:
17 For the scripture says, "You will be a priest forever, in the priestly order of Melchizedek."
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for it is testified, "You are a priest forever, According to the order of Melchizedek."
18 The old rule, then, is set aside, because it was weak and useless.
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For there is an annulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and uselessness
19 For the Law of Moses could not make anything perfect. And now a better hope has been provided through which we come near to God.
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(for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in thereupon of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
20 In addition, there is also God's vow. There was no such vow when the others were made priests.
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Inasmuch as it is not without the taking of an oath,
21 But Jesus became a priest by means of a vow when God said to him, "The Lord has made a solemn promise and will not take it back: "You will be a priest forever.' "
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for they indeed have been made priests without an oath; but he with an oath by him that says of him, "The Lord swore and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest forever, According to the order of Melchizedek'".
22 This difference, then, also makes Jesus the guarantee of a better covenant.
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By so much has Jesus become the collateral of a better covenant.
23 There is another difference: there were many of those other priests, because they died and could not continue their work.
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Many, indeed, have been made priests, because they are hindered from continuing by death.
24 But Jesus lives on forever, and his work as priest does not pass on to someone else.
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But he, because he lives forever, has his priesthood unchangeable.
25 And so he is able, now and always, to save those who come to God through him, because he lives forever to plead with God for them.
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Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them.
26 Jesus, then, is the High Priest that meets our needs. He is holy; he has no fault or sin in him; he has been set apart from sinners and raised above the heavens.
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For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
27 He is not like other high priests; he does not need to offer sacrifices every day for his own sins first and then for the sins of the people. He offered one sacrifice, once and for all, when he offered himself.
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who doesn't need, like those high priests, to daily offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For this he did once for all, when he offered up himself.
28 The Law of Moses appoints men who are imperfect to be high priests; but God's promise made with the vow, which came later than the Law, appoints the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
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For the law appoints men high priests, having infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was after the law, appoints a Son, perfected forevermore.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.