Hebrews 7–8

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.

The High Priest of a New Covenant

8Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest,^s who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,^{t 2}and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle^u set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.

³Every high priest^v is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices,^w and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer.^{x 4}If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law.^{y 5}They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy^z and shadow^a of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned^b when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”^{ac 6}But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant^d of which he is mediator^e is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

⁷For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.^{f 8}But God found fault with the people and said^b:

“The days are coming, declares the Lord,

when I will make a new covenant^g

with the people of Israel

and with the people of Judah.

⁹It will not be like the covenant

I made with their ancestors^h

when I took them by the hand

to lead them out of Egypt,

because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,

and I turned away from them,

declares the Lord.

¹⁰This is the covenantⁱ I will establish with the people of Israel

after that time, declares the Lord.

I will put my laws in their minds

and write them on their hearts.^j

I will be their God,

and they will be my people.^k

¹¹No longer will they teach their neighbor,

or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’

because they will all know me,^l

from the least of them to the greatest.

¹²For I will forgive their wickedness

and will remember their sins no more.^m”^cn

¹³By calling this covenant “new,”^o he has made the first one obsolete;^p and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.