King James Version KJV
The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
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This Malki-Tzedek, king of Shalem, a cohen of God Ha'Elyon, met Avraham on his way back from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him;
2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
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also Avraham gave him a tenth of everything. Now first of all, by translation of his name, he is "king of righteousness"; and then he is also king of Shalem, which means "king of peace."
3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
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There is no record of his father, mother, ancestry, birth or death; rather, like the Son of God, he continues as a cohen for all time.
4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
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Just think how great he was! Even the Patriarch Avraham gave him a tenth of the choicest spoils.
5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:
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Now the descendants of Levi who became cohanim have a commandment in the Torah to take a tenth of the income of the people, that is, from their own brothers, despite the fact that they too are descended from Avraham.
6 But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.
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But Malki-Tzedek, even though he was not descended from Levi, took a tenth from Avraham. Also, he blessed Avraham, the man who received God's promises;
7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.
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and it is beyond all dispute that the one who blesses has higher status than the one who receives the blessing.
8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.
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Moreover, in the case of the cohanim, the tenth is received by men who die; while in the case of Malki-Tzedek, it is received by someone who is testified to be still alive.
9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.
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One might go even further and say that Levi, who himself receives tenths, paid a tenth through Avraham;
10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.
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inasmuch as he was still in his ancestor Avraham's body when Malki-Tzedek met him.
11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
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Therefore, if it had been possible to reach the goal through the system of cohanim derived from Levi (since in connection with it, the people were given the Torah), what need would there have been for another, different kind of cohen, the one spoken of as to be compared with Malki-Tzedek and not to be compared with Aharon?
12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
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For if the system of cohanim is transformed, there must of necessity occur a transformation of Torah.
13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.
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The one about whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar;
14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
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for everyone knows that our Lord arose out of Y'hudah, and that Moshe said nothing about this tribe when he spoke about cohanim.
15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
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It becomes even clearer if a "different kind of cohen," one like Malki-Tzedek, arises,
16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
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one who became a cohen not by virtue of a rule in the Torah concerning physical descent, but by virtue of the power of an indestructible life.
17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
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For it is stated, "You are a cohen FOREVER, to be compared with Malki-Tzedek."
18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.
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Thus, on the one hand, the earlier rule is set aside because of its weakness and inefficacy
19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
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(for the Torah did not bring anything to the goal); and, on the other hand, a hope of something better is introduced, through which we are drawing near to God.
20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:
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What is more, God swore an oath. For no oath was sworn in connection with those who become cohanim now;
21 (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)
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but Yeshua became a cohen by the oath which God swore when he said to him, "ADONAI has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a cohen forever.'"
22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
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Also this shows how much better is the covenant of which Yeshua has become guarantor.
23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
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Moreover, the present cohanim are many in number, because they are prevented by death from continuing in office.
24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
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But because he lives forever, his position as cohen does not pass on to someone else;
25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
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and consequently, he is totally able to deliver those who approach God through him; since he is alive forever and thus forever able to intercede on their behalf.
26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
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This is the kind of cohen gadol that meets our need - holy, without evil, without stain, set apart from sinners and raised higher than the heavens;
27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.
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one who does not have the daily necessity, like the other cohanim g'dolim, of offering up sacrifices first for their own sins and only then for those of the people; because he offered one sacrifice, once and for all, by offering up himself.
28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.
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For the Torah appoints as cohanim g'dolim men who have weakness; but the text which speaks about the swearing of the oath, a text written later than the Torah, appoints a Son who has been brought to the goal forever.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.