Hebrews 5–7

5Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God,^x to offer gifts and sacrifices^y for sins.^{z 2}He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray,^a since he himself is subject to weakness.^{b 3}This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.^{c 4}And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.^d

⁵In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory^e of becoming a high priest.^f But God said^g to him,

“You are my Son;

today I have become your Father.”^ah

⁶And he says in another place,

“You are a priest forever,

in the order of Melchizedek.ⁱ”^bj

⁷During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions^k with fervent cries and tears^l to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard^m because of his reverent submission.^{n 8}Son^o though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered^{p 9}and, once made perfect,^q he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him ¹⁰and was designated by God to be high priest^r in the order of Melchizedek.^s

Warning Against Falling Away

6:4–6Ref—Heb 10:26–31

¹¹We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. ¹²In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths^t of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!^{u 13}Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant,^v is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. ¹⁴But solid food is for the mature,^w who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.^x

6Therefore let us move beyond^y the elementary teachings^z about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,^aa and of faith in God, ²instruction about cleansing rites,^bb the laying on of hands,^c the resurrection of the dead,^d and eternal judgment. ³And God permitting,^e we will do so.

⁴It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened,^f who have tasted the heavenly gift,^g who have shared in the Holy Spirit,^{h 5}who have tasted the goodnessⁱ of the word of God^j and the powers of the coming age ⁶and who have fallen^c away, to be brought back to repentance.^k To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God^l all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. ⁷Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. ⁸But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed.^m In the end it will be burned.

⁹Even though we speak like this, dear friends,ⁿ we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. ¹⁰God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.^{o 11}We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope^p for may be fully realized. ¹²We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate^q those who through faith and patience^r inherit what has been promised.^s

The Certainty of God’s Promise

¹³When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,^{t 14}saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”^{du 15}And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.^v

¹⁶People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.^{w 17}Because God wanted to make the unchanging^x nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised,^y he confirmed it with an oath. ¹⁸God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie,^z we who have fled to take hold of the hope^a set before us may be greatly encouraged. ¹⁹We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,^{b 20}where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.^c He has become a high priest^d forever, in the order of Melchizedek.^e

Melchizedek the Priest

7This Melchizedek was king of Salem^f and priest of God Most High.^g He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,^{h 2}and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” ³Without father or mother, without genealogy,ⁱ without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God,^j he remains a priest forever.

⁴Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch^k Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!^{l 5}Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people^m—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. ⁶This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessedⁿ him who had the promises.^{o 7}And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. ⁸In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living.^{p 9}One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, ¹⁰because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.

Jesus Like Melchizedek

¹¹If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people^q established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come,^r one in the order of Melchizedek,^s not in the order of Aaron? ¹²For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. ¹³He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe,^t and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar.^{u 14}For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah,^v and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. ¹⁵And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, ¹⁶one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷For it is declared:

“You are a priest forever,

in the order of Melchizedek.”^aw

¹⁸The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless^{x 19}(for the law made nothing perfect),^y and a better hope^z is introduced, by which we draw near to God.^a

²⁰And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, ²¹but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:

“The Lord has sworn

and will not change his mind:^b

‘You are a priest forever.’ ”^bc

²²Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.^d

²³Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; ²⁴but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.^{e 25}Therefore he is able to save^f completely^c those who come to God^g through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.^h

²⁶Such a high priestⁱ truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners,^j exalted above the heavens.^{k 27}Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices^l day after day, first for his own sins,^m and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for allⁿ when he offered himself.^{o 28}For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness;^p but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son,^q who has been made perfect^r forever.