Hebrews 7

1This Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, met Abraham as he was returning from the defeat of the kings, and he blessed him,

2and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness”; then he is also king of Salem, which means “king of peace.”

3Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest for all time.

4Just think how great this man was: even Abraham the patriarch gave him a tenth of the best of the spoils!

5Now the descendants of Levi who receive the priesthood have a command in the law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their own kin, even though these also are descended from Abraham.

6But this man, who does not trace his descent from them, collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises.

7And beyond all dispute, the lesser is blessed by the greater.

8In the one case, the tenths are received by men who die; in the other, by one who is declared to be living.

9One might even say that Levi, who receives tenths, paid a tenth through Abraham,

10for he was still in the body of his ancestor when Melchizedek met Abraham.

11Now if perfection could have been reached through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the law), why was there still a need for another priest to arise in the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named in the order of Aaron?

12For when the priesthood is changed, there must also be a change of law.

13For the one these things are said about belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar.

14For it is clear that our Lord was descended from Judah, and Moses said nothing about priests in connection with that tribe.

15And this becomes even clearer if another priest arises who is like Melchizedek,

16one who has become a priest not on the basis of a legal requirement about physical descent, but by the power of an indestructible life.

17For it is declared, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

18For the former command is set aside because it was weak and useless,

19for the law made nothing perfect. Instead, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

20And it was not without an oath.

21Others became priests without any oath, 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.’”

22To that same degree Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

23The former priests were many in number, because death prevented them from continuing in office,

24but because Jesus lives forever, he holds his priesthood permanently.

25So he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them.

26For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.

27Unlike 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. He did this once for all when he offered up himself.

28For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.