The King of Righteousness

7 For this aMelchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,” 3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.

4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the 1spoils. 5 And indeed bthose who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; 6 but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham cand blessed dhim who had the promises. 7 Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. 8 Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, eof whom it is witnessed that he lives. 9 Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, 10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

Need for a New Priesthood

11 fTherefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has 2officiated at the altar.

14 For it is evident that gour Lord arose from hJudah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning 3priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. 17 For 4He testifies:

i“You are a priest forever

According to the order of Melchizedek.”

18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of jits weakness and unprofitableness, 19 for kthe law made nothing 5perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of la better hope, through which mwe draw near to God.

Greatness of the New Priest

20 And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath 21 (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him:

n“The Lord has sworn

And will not relent,

‘You are a priest 6forever

According to the order of Melchizedek’ ”),

22 by so much more Jesus has become a 7surety of a obetter covenant.

23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also pable to save 8to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives qto make intercession for them.

26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, rwho is holy, 9harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, sand has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His town sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.

The New Priestly Service

8 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, awho is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a Minister of bthe 1sanctuary and of cthe true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

3 For devery high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore eit is necessary that this One also have something to offer. 4 For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; 5 who serve fthe copy and gshadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, h“See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” 6 But now iHe has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a jbetter covenant, which was established on better promises.

A New Covenant

7 For if that kfirst covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: l“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the mLord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and nI will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 oNone of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the pLord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, qand their sins 2and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

13 rIn that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.