Jubilee2000 - Hebrews - 7

7:1  For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

7:2  to whom Abraham also gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is King of peace;

7:3  without father, without mother, without lineage, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God; abides a priest continually.

7:4  Now consider how great this one [was], unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

7:5  And verily those that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they also have come out of the loins of Abraham;

7:6  but he whose descent is not counted in those took tithes from Abraham and blessed him that had the promises.

7:7  And without any contradiction the less is blessed of the better.

7:8  In the same manner, here men that die take tithes; but there he [received them], of whom it is witnessed that he lives.

7:9  And as I may so say, Levi also, who received tithes, paid tithes in Abraham.

7:10  For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

7:11  If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need [was there] that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec and not be called after the order of Aaron?

7:12  For the priesthood being transposed, there is made of necessity a translation also of the law.

7:13  For he of whom these things are spoken pertains to another tribe, of which no one presided [at] the altar.

7:14  For [it is] manifest that our Lord sprang out of Juda, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.

7:15  And it is yet far more manifest: if there arises another priest who is like unto Melchisedec,

7:16  who is not made according to the law of a carnal commandment, but by the virtue of an indissoluble life;

7:17  for the testimony is of this manner, Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

7:18  For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness of it;

7:19  for the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope [did], by which we draw near unto God.

7:20  And [even more], inasmuch as it [is] not without an oath

7:21  (for the others indeed without an oath were made priests, but this one with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord swore and will not repent, Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec);

7:22  by so much better testament is Jesus made surety.

7:23  And the others, truly, were many priests because they were not able to continue by reason of death:

7:24  but this [man], because he continues forever, has the intransmissible priesthood.

7:25  Therefore he is able also to save to the uttermost those that come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them.

7:26  For it was expedient that we have such a high priest, [who is] holy, innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens,

7:27  who needs not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins and then for the people's; for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

7:28  For the law makes men high priests who have weakness; but the word of the oath, which was after the law, has made perfect [a] Son forever.: