Hebrews 7:1–10

¹For this Melchisedec, King of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from smiting the kings, and blessed him; ²to whom Abraham gave also the tenth portion of all; first being interpreted King of righteousness, and then also King of Salem, which is King of peace; ³without father, without mother, without genealogy; having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but assimilated to the Son of God, abides a priest continually. ⁴Now consider how great this personage was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth out of the spoils. ⁵And they indeed from among the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have commandment to take tithes from the people according to the law, that is from their brethren, though these are come out of the loins of Abraham: ⁶but he who has no genealogy from them has tithed Abraham, and blessed him who had the promises. ⁷But beyond all gainsaying, the inferior is blessed by the better. ⁸And here dying men receive tithes; but there one of whom the witness is that he lives; ⁹and, so to speak, through Abraham, Levi also, who received tithes, has been made to pay tithes. ¹⁰For he was yet in the loins of his father when Melchisedec met him.