1For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
2and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth of everything — he is first, by interpretation, king of dikaiosyne(righteousness), and then also king of Salem, that is, king of eirene(peace).
3Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of zoe(life), but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest continually.
4See how great this man is — even Abraham the patriarch gave him a tenth of the choicest spoils.
5And those of the sons of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the nomos(law) to collect a tenth from the people — that is, from their brothers — even though they also are descended from Abraham.
6But this man, who does not have his descent from them, received tithes from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises.
7It is beyond all dispute that the lesser is blessed by the greater.
8In the one case, tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives.
9One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham,
10for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
11Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood — for under it the people received the nomos(law) — what further need would there be for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named according to the order of Aaron?
12For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the nomos(law) as well.
13For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar.
14For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.
15This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek,
16who has become a priest not according to a nomos(law) of fleshly commandment but according to the dynamis(power) of an indestructible zoe(life).
17For it is testified of him, "You are a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
18For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness
19— for the nomos(law) made nothing perfect — but on the other hand, a better elpis(hope) is introduced through which we draw near to God.
20And it was not without an oath — for those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath,
21but this one was made with an oath by the One who said to him, "The Lord has sworn and metameledesetai(will-not-regret, soul-domain), 'You are a priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek'" —
22by so much more Yeshua(Jesus) has become the guarantor of a better diatheke(covenant).
23The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing,
24but He, because He continues for ever, holds His priesthood permanently.
25Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.
26For such a high priest was fitting for us — holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens —
27who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices first for His own sins and then for those of the people; for He did this once for all when He offered up Himself.
28For the nomos(law) appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the rhema(spoken-word) of the oath — which came after the nomos(law) — appoints the Son who has been made perfect for ever.