Melchizedek’s Priesthood Like Christ’s

1 For this aMelchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the bMost High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace.

3 Without father, without mother, awithout genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like bthe Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.

4 Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the apatriarch, bgave a tenth of the choicest spoils.

5 And those indeed of athe sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment 1in the Law to collect 2a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these 3are descended from Abraham.

6 But the one awhose genealogy is not traced from them bcollected 1a tenth from Abraham and 2bblessed the one who chad the promises.

7 But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater.

8 In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, aof whom it is witnessed that he lives on.

9 And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes,

10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

11 aNow if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it bthe people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise caccording to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron?

12 For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also.

13 For athe one concerning whom bthese things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar.

14 For it is evident that our Lord 1was adescended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests.

15 And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek,

16 who has become such not on the basis of a law of 1aphysical requirement, but according to the power of ban indestructible life.

17 For it is attested of Him,

“aYou are a priest forever

According to the order of Melchizedek.”

18 For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment abecause of its weakness and uselessness

19 (for athe Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better bhope, through which we cdraw near to God.

20 And inasmuch as it was not without an oath

21 (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him,

“aThe Lord has sworn

And bwill not change His mind,

‘You are a priest cforever’ ”);

22 so much the more also Jesus has become the aguarantee of ba better covenant.

23 1The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing,

24 but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues aforever, holds His priesthood permanently.

25 Therefore He is able also to asave 1forever those who bdraw near to God through Him, since He always lives to cmake intercession for them.

26 For it was fitting for us to have such a ahigh priest, bholy, cinnocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and dexalted above the heavens;

27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to aoffer up sacrifices, bfirst for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did conce for all when He doffered up Himself.

28 For the Law appoints men as high priests awho are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints ba Son, cmade perfect forever.

Chapter 8

A Better Ministry

1 Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a ahigh priest, who has taken His seat at bthe right hand of the throne of the bMajesty in the heavens,

2 a aminister 1in the sanctuary and 1in the btrue 2tabernacle, which the Lord cpitched, not man.

3 For every ahigh priest is appointed bto offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer.

4 Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who aoffer the gifts according to the Law;

5 who serve aa copy and bshadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses 1was cwarned by God when he was about to erect the 2tabernacle; for, “dSee,” He says, “that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.”

6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the amediator of ba better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.

A New Covenant

7 For aif that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.

8 For finding fault with them, He says,

“aBehold, days are coming, says the Lord,

1When I will effect ba new covenant

With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;

9 aNot like the covenant which I made with their fathers

On the day when I took them by the hand

To lead them out of the land of Egypt;

For they did not continue in My covenant,

And I did not care for them, says the Lord.

10 “aFor this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel

After those days, says the Lord:

1I will put My laws into their minds,

And I will write them bon their hearts.

And I will be their God,

And they shall be My people.

11 “aAnd they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen,

And everyone his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’

For ball will know Me,

From 1the least to the greatest of them.

12 “aFor I will be merciful to their iniquities,

bAnd I will remember their sins no more.”

13 1When He said, “aA new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. bBut whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is 2ready to disappear.

Chapter 9

The Old and the New

1 Now even the first covenant had aregulations of divine worship and bthe earthly sanctuary.

2 For there was aa 1tabernacle prepared, the 2outer one, in which were bthe lampstand and cthe table and dthe 3sacred bread; this is called the holy place.

3 Behind athe second veil there was a 1tabernacle which is called the bHoly of Holies,

4 having a golden 1aaltar of incense and bthe ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was ca golden jar holding the manna, and dAaron’s rod which budded, and ethe tables of the covenant;

5 and above it were the acherubim of glory bovershadowing the mercy seat; but of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

6 Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests aare continually entering the 1outer 2tabernacle performing the divine worship,

7 but into athe second, only bthe high priest enters conce a year, dnot without taking blood, which he eoffers for himself and for the 1fsins of the people committed in ignorance.

8 aThe Holy Spirit is signifying this, bthat the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the 1outer tabernacle is still standing,

9 which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly aboth gifts and sacrifices are offered which bcannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience,

10 since they relate only to afood and bdrink and various cwashings, dregulations for the 1body imposed until ea time of reformation.

11 But when Christ appeared as a ahigh priest of the bgood things 1to come, He entered through cthe greater and more perfect 2tabernacle, dnot made with hands, that is to say, enot of this creation;

12 and not through athe blood of goats and calves, but bthrough His own blood, He centered the holy place donce for all, 1having obtained eeternal redemption.

13 For if athe blood of goats and bulls and bthe ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the 1cleansing of the flesh,

14 how much more will athe blood of Christ, who through 1bthe eternal Spirit coffered Himself without blemish to God, dcleanse 2your conscience from edead works to serve fthe living God?

15 For this reason aHe is the bmediator of a cnew covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been dcalled may ereceive the promise of fthe eternal inheritance.

16 For where a 1covenant is, there must of necessity 2be the death of the one who made it.

17 For a 1covenant is valid only when 2men are dead, 3for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.

18 Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood.

19 For when every commandment had been aspoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, bhe took the cblood of the calves and the goats, with dwater and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both ethe book itself and all the people,

20 saying, “aThis is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.”

21 And in the same way he asprinkled both the 1tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood.

22 And according to the 1Law, one may aalmost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and bwithout shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

23 Therefore it was necessary for the acopies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but athe heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

24 For Christ adid not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of bthe true one, but into cheaven itself, now dto appear in the presence of God for us;

25 nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as athe high priest enters bthe holy place ayear by year with blood that is not his own.

26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since athe foundation of the world; but now bonce at cthe consummation of the ages He has been dmanifested to put away sin 1eby the sacrifice of Himself.

27 And inasmuch as ait is 1appointed for men to die once and after this bcomes judgment,

28 so Christ also, having been aoffered once to bbear the sins of many, will appear ca second time for dsalvation ewithout reference to sin, to those who feagerly await Him.

Chapter 10

One Sacrifice of Christ…