Hebrews 7:14–28

¹⁴Everyone knows that our Lord came from the tribe of Judah. Moses never said anything about priests coming from that tribe. ¹⁵The regulations were different. This became clear when a different priest who is like Melchizedek appeared. ¹⁶That person is a priest, not because he met human requirements, but because he has power that comes from a life that cannot be destroyed. ¹⁷The Scriptures say the following about him: “You are a priest forever, in the way Melchizedek was a priest.” ¹⁸The former requirements are rejected because they are weak and useless. ¹⁹Moses’ Teachings couldn’t accomplish everything that God required. But we have something else that gives us greater confidence and allows us to approach God. 

²⁰None of this happened without an oath. The men from the tribe of Levi may have become priests without an oath, ²¹but Jesus became a priest when God took an oath. God said about him, “The Lord has taken an oath and will not change his mind. You are a priest forever.” ²²In this way Jesus has become the guarantee of a better promise.^a

²³There was a long succession of priests because when a priest died he could no longer serve. ²⁴But Jesus lives forever, so he serves as a priest forever. ²⁵That is why he is always able to save those who come to God through him. He can do this because he always lives and intercedes for them. 

²⁶We need a chief priest who is holy, innocent, pure, set apart from sinners, and who holds the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne. ²⁷We need a priest who doesn’t have to bring daily sacrifices as those chief priests did. First they brought sacrifices for their own sins, and then they brought sacrifices for the sins of the people. Jesus brought the sacrifice for the sins of the people once and for all when he sacrificed himself. ²⁸Moses’ Teachings designated mortals as chief priests even though they had weaknesses. But God’s promise, which came after Moses’ Teachings, designated the Son who forever accomplished everything that God required.