New International Version NIV
New Revised Standard NRS
1 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,
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This "King Melchizedek of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he was returning from defeating the kings and blessed him";
2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”
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and to him Abraham apportioned "one-tenth of everything." His name, in the first place, means "king of righteousness"; next he is also king of Salem, that is, "king of peace."
3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling 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 resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.
4 Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!
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See how great he is! Even Abraham the patriarch gave him a tenth of the spoils.
5 Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham.
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And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to collect tithes from the people, that is, from their kindred, though these also are descended from Abraham.
6 This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.
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But this man, who does not belong to their ancestry, collected tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had received the promises.
7 And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater.
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It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.
8 In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living.
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In the one case, tithes are received by those who are mortal; in the other, by one of whom it is testified that he lives.
9 One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham,
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One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham,
10 because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.
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for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.
11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?
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Now if perfection had been attainable through the levitical priesthood—for the people received the law under this priesthood—what further need would there have been to speak of another priest arising according to the order of Melchizedek, rather than one according to the order of Aaron?
12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also.
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For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.
13 He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar.
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Now the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar.
14 For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.
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For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.
15 And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears,
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It is even more obvious when another priest arises, resembling Melchizedek,
16 one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.
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one who has become a priest, not through a legal requirement concerning physical descent, but through the power of an indestructible life.
17 For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
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For it is attested of him, "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless
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There is, on the one hand, the abrogation of an earlier commandment because it was weak and ineffectual
19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.
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(for the law made nothing perfect); there is, on the other hand, the introduction of a better hope, through which we approach God.
20 And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath,
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This was confirmed with an oath; for others who became priests took their office without an oath,
21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’ ”
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but this one became a priest with an oath, because of the one who said to him, "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever' "—
22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.
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accordingly Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant.
23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office;
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Furthermore, the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office;
24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.
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but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.
25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
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Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
26 Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.
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For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.
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Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself.
28 For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
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For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.
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New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.