Hebrews 7

1 [Now I will say more about] this [man] Melchizedek. He was the king of Salem [city and was] a priest of God, the one who is greater [than anyone else]. He met Abraham who was returning [home] after [he and his men] had defeated the [armies of four] kings [SYN]. Melchizedek [asked God to] bless Abraham.

For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings,

2 Then Abraham gave to him one tenth of all [the spoils he] took after winning [the battle. Melchizedek’s name] means firstly ‘king [who rules] righteously’, and since Salem means ‘peace’, he was the ‘king [who rules] peacefully’.

and blessed him, to whom also Abraham divided the tenth of all his spoils; being in the first place, by interpretation of his name, king of righteousness, and moreover king of Salem, which is king of peace;

3 [In the Scriptures there is] no [record of who his] father [was], nor [is there any record of who his] mother [was], nor [is there any record of who his] ancestors [were]. There is no [record of when he was] born, nor [is there any record of when he] died. [For these reasons], [it is as though] he continues to be a priest forever, and for this reason he is like God’s Son.

without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days recorded, nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, remaineth a priest continually.

4 You can realize how great this [man Melchizedek was] from the fact that Abraham, [our famous] ancestor, gave him (a tithe/one tenth) of the spoils [from the battle].

Now consider how great a man this was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

5 According to the laws [God gave Moses], the descendants of [Abraham’s great-grandson] Levi, who were priests, should take tithes from [God’s] people who were their relatives, even though those people also were Abraham’s descendants.

And those indeed of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment according to the law to take tithes of the people, that is, of their brethren, though they came out of the loins of Abraham:

6 But this man [Melchizedek], who was not among the descendants [of Levi], took tithes from Abraham. He also [asked God to] bless Abraham, the man to whom [God] promised [many descendants].

but he, whose pedigree is not reckoned among them, took tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.

7 We know for certain that it is the more [important people] who [ask God to] bless the less important people. [And Melchizedek blessed Abraham. So we conclude that Melchizedek was greater than Abraham].

Now without all contradiction the inferior is blessed by the superior:

8 In the case of [the priests who are descendants of Levi], men who some day will die receive tithes. But in the case of [Melchizedek it is as if God] testifies that he was still living, [since there is no record in Scriptures about his death].

besides, here men that die receive tithes; but there he of whom it is testified that he liveth.

9 And it was as though Levi himself, and [all the priests descended from him]—who received tithes [from the people]—paid tithes [to Melchizedek]. And when Abraham paid tithes, it [was as though Levi and all the priests descended from him acknowledged that the work Melchizedek did as a priest was greater than the work Levi did],

And (as one may say) even Levi, who receiveth tithes, paid tithes in Abraham:

10 since [the sperm from which all those priests were eventually born] was still in Abraham’s body [EUP] when Melchizedek met Abraham.

for he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

11 [God] gave his laws to his people at the same time he gave regulations about the priests. So, if what the priests who were descended from Levi did could have provided a way for God to completely [forgive] people [for disobeying those laws], certainly no other priest like Melchizedek would have been necessary. [RHQ] Instead, priests who were descended from Aaron, [Levi’s descendant, would have been adequate].

Now if perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law) what farther need was there that another priest should arise after the order of Melchisedec, and not after the order of Aaron?

12 [But we know they were not adequate, because a new type of priest like Melchizedek has come]. And since [God] has appointed a new type of priest, he also had to change the regulations [concerning how priests were appointed] {[he appointed priests]}.

For the priesthood being changed, there is of necessity a change also of the law.

13 [Jesus], the one about whom I am saying these things, is a descendant of someone else, [not a descendant of Levi]. None of the men from whom Jesus descended ever served as priests [MTY].

Now He, of whom these things are said, is of another tribe, of which none ever attended at the altar.

14 [We know that] since it is obvious that it is from [the tribe of] Judah that our Lord was descended. Moses never said that any of Judah’s descendants would [become] priests.

For it is evident that our Lord sprang from Judah, as to which tribe Moses spake nothing about the priesthood.

15 Furthermore, [we know that the priests who were descended from Levi were inadequate, since] it is even more obvious that another priest has appeared who is like Melchizedek.

And it is yet more abundantly evident, that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,

16 Jesus became a priest, but not because [he fulfilled] what [God’s] law required [about being a descendant of Levi]. Instead, he has the kind of power that [came from a] life that nothing can destroy (OR, [enabled him to] live [again after he was] killed).

who is made not according to the law of a temporary command, but according to the power of an endless life.

17 [We know this] since [God] confirmed it in [the Scripture passage in which he said to his Son], You [(sg)] are a priest eternally just like Melchizedek was a priest. (aiōn g165)

For He testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. (aiōn g165)

18 On the one hand, God canceled what he commanded previously [concerning the priests] because it failed in every way to enable anyone [to become all that God intended].

For there is indeed a disannulling of the preceding command, on account of it's weakness and unprofitableness;

19 Remember that no one was able to become all that God intended [by obeying] the laws [that God gave Moses]. On the other hand, [God caused that we could] confidently expect better things [than we could expect by obeying God’s laws]. [He did that by his establishing Christ as priest]. Now by means of [Christ sacrificing himself for us] we can come near to God.

for the law made nothing perfect, but the introducing of a better hope did, by which we draw near to God.

20 Furthermore, [when God appointed Christ, it was when God] solemnly declared [that Christ would be a priest] [LIT]. When [God appointed former] priests, it was not by his solemnly declaring [that they would be priests].

Moreover inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath,

21 However, when he [appointed Christ to be a priest], it was by these words that [the Psalmist wrote in Scripture]: The Lord has solemnly declared [to the Messiah], —and he will not change his mind— “You will be a priest forever!” (aiōn g165)

(for they indeed are become priests without the solemnity of an oath; but He with an oath, by Him who said unto Him, "The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:") (aiōn g165)

22 Because of that, Jesus guarantees that [the new] covenant will be better [than the old one].

by so much is Jesus become the surety of a better covenant.

23 And formerly, the priests could not keep serving [as priests], because they all died [PRS]. So there were many priests [to take the place of the ones who died].

And they were many priests, because they were by death hindered from continuing in their office;

24 But because [Jesus] lives eternally, he will continue to be a Supreme Priest forever. (aiōn g165)

but He, because He abideth for ever, hath a priesthood that passeth not to any other: (aiōn g165)

25 So, he can completely and eternally save those who come to God by [trusting in what Jesus has done for them], since he lives forever to plead [with God] to help them.

wherefore also He is able to save to the uttermost, those that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.

26 Jesus is the kind of Supreme Priest that we need. He was holy; he did no wrong; he was completely innocent. [God] has now taken him up to the highest heaven separated from [living among] sinners.

For such an high-priest was meet for us, who was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and higher than the heavens;

27 [The other] Supreme Priests need to sacrifice [animals] day by day [as well as year by year]. They do this, firstly, [to atone] for their own sins, and then [to atone for other] people [who have sinned]. [But because Jesus never sinned], he does not need to atone for his own sin. The only thing [he needed to do to save people] was to sacrifice himself once!

who hath no need, as the Levitical high-priests had, daily to offer sacrifices first for his own sins, and then for those of the people: for this He did once for all, in offering up Himself.

28 [We need a Supreme Priest like] him, because in the laws [that God gave Moses] [PRS] the ones who would be appointed to be priests would be men who tended [to sin easily]. But [God] solemnly [declared] [PRS] after [he had given] his laws [to Moses] that [he would appoint] (his Son/the man who is also God) [to be a Supreme Priest. Now] ([his Son/the man who is also God]) has forever become all that God intends him to be. (aiōn g165)

For the law appointeth men high-priests, who have infirmity; but the oath, recorded since the law, appointeth the Son to be priest for ever, being fully perfected for it. (aiōn g165)