RKJNT - Hebrews - 7

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

7:2  And to him Abraham gave a tenth part of everything. He is first, by interpretation of his name, King of righteousness, and after that is also King of Salem, which is, King of peace.

7:3  He is without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but like the Son of God, he remains a priest continually.

7:4  Now consider how great this man was: to him even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils.

7:5  And truly, those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brethren, though these also come out of the loins of Abraham:

7:6  But he whose descent is not traced from them received a tithe from Abraham, and blessed him who had the promises.

7:7  And without any dispute, the lesser is blessed by the greater.

7:8  And here, men who die receive tithes; but there, they are received by him of whom it is witnessed that he lives.

7:9  And, one might even say, Levi, who receives tithes, payed tithes through Abraham.

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

7:11  Therefore, if perfection was from the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there for another priest to arise, in the order of Melchizedek, and not in the order of Aaron?

7:12  For when the priesthood is changed, there is, of necessity, also a change in the law.

7:13  For he of whom these things are spoken is from another tribe, from which no man ever served at the altar.

7:14  For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah; and of this tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priests.

7:15  And this becomes far more evident when, in the likeness of Melchizedek, another priest arises,

7:16  Who is made such, not by a law concerning a physical requirement, but by the power of an endless life.

7:17  For it is testified of him, You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

7:18  So, there is a setting aside of the former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness,

7:19  (For the law made nothing perfect;) but there is the bringing in of a better hope; by which we draw near to God.

7:20  And it was not without an oath.

7:21  For others were indeed made priests without an oath; but he with an oath from the one who said to him, The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, You are a priest forever.

7:22  By this has Jesus become the guarantee of a better covenant.

7:23  And there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing:

7:24  But he, because he continues forever, has a perpetual priesthood.

7:25  Therefore, he is also able to completely save those who come to God through him, for he ever lives to make intercession for them.

7:26  For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and exalted above the heavens;

7:27  Who has no need, as do those high priests, to offer up daily sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people: for this he did once for all, when he offered up himself.

7:28  For the law appoints men, who are frail, to be high priests; but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son, who has been made perfect forever.