Hebrews 7

1This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham, who was coming back from defeating the kings, and blessed him, 2and Abraham set aside for him a tenth of everything. Translated, his name means first of all “king of righteousness”; and he is also king of Salem, which means “king of peace.” 3He is without father, without mother, without genealogy, with no beginning of days and no end of life. Made like the Son of God, he remains a priest for all time.

4See how great this man was: Abraham the patriarch himself gave him a tenth of the choicest plunder. 5Now those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office are commanded by the law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their fellow Israelites, though they too are descended from Abraham. 6But this man, whose descent is not traced from Levi, took a tenth from Abraham and blessed the man who held the promises. 7No one can dispute that it is the greater who blesses the lesser. 8In the one case, the tenth is collected by mortal men; in the other, by one of whom Scripture testifies that he lives. 9One might even say that Levi, who receives the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10for Levi was still in the body of his ancestor when Melchizedek met Abraham.

11If the Levitical priesthood could have brought perfection (and the people’s law was given on the basis of that priesthood), why would a different priest still have to arise, a priest of the order of Melchizedek, and not one named of the order of Aaron? 12A change of priesthood necessarily brings with it a change of law. 13The one of whom these things are said belongs to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. 14It is plain to all that our Lord came from Judah, and Moses said nothing at all about priests from that tribe.

15And this becomes clearer still, since another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16one who has become a priest not by a legal rule about bodily descent but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. 17For Scripture testifies of him, “You are a priest forever of the order of Melchizedek.” 18So the commandment that came before is annulled, for it was weak and could not help, 19since the law brought nothing to perfection. Instead a better hope has been brought in, and by that hope we come near to God.

20And this was done with an oath. The others became priests with no oath, 21but he became a priest with an oath, sworn by the one who said to him, “The Lord has sworn, and he will not go back on it: ‘You are a priest forever.’” 22As much greater as that oath makes his priesthood, so much better is the covenant of which Jesus has become the guarantee.

23There have been many Levitical priests, one after another, because death cut short each one’s service; 24But he remains forever, and so the priesthood he holds will never pass to another. 25For this reason he is able to save completely those who approach God through him, since he is always alive to plead on their behalf.

26This is the kind of high priest that suits our need: holy, innocent, unstained, separate from sinners, and raised above the heavens. 27He has no need to do what the other high priests do day by day: offer sacrifices first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people. He did that once for all when he offered up himself. 28The law appoints mortal men, weak as they are, to be high priests. But the oath, sworn later than the law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.