Dual Panel1THIS Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him;
2and Abraham gave him a tithe of everything as his share. His name, in the first place, means “king of righteousness”; next he is king of Salem, that is, “king of peace”.
3He has no father, no mother, no ancestors; his life has no beginning and no end. Bearing the likeness of the Son of God, he remains a priest for all time.
4Consider now how great he must be for the patriarch Abraham to give him his tithe from the finest of the spoil.
5The descendants of Levi who succeed to the priestly office are required by the law to tithe the people, that is, their fellow-countrymen, although they too are descendants of Abraham.
6But Melchizedek, though he does not share their ancestry, tithed Abraham himself and gave his blessing to the man who had been given the promises;
7and, beyond all dispute, it is always the lesser who is blessed by the greater.
8Moreover, in the one instance tithes are received by men who must die; but in the other, by one whom scripture affirms to be alive.
9It might even be said that Levi, the receiver of tithes, was himself tithed through Abraham;
10for he was still in his ancestor's loins when Melchizedek met him.
11Now if perfection had been attainable through the levitical priesthood (on the basis of which the people were given the law), there would have been no need for another kind of priest to arise, described as being in the order of Melchizedek, instead of in the order of Aaron.
12But a change of priesthood must mean a change of law;
13for he who is spoken of here belongs to a different tribe, no member of which has ever served at the altar.
14It is beyond all doubt that our Lord is sprung from Judah, a tribe to which Moses made no reference in speaking of priests.
15What makes this still clearer is that a new priest has arisen, one like Melchizedek;
16he owes his priesthood not to a system of rules relating to descent but to the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.
17For here is the testimony: “You are a priest for ever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
18The earlier rules are repealed as ineffective and useless,
19since the law brought nothing to perfection; and a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.
20Notice also that no oath was sworn when the other men were made priests; but for this priest an oath was sworn in the words addressed to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not go back on his word, ‘You are a priest for ever.’” In the same way, God's oath shows how superior is the covenant which Jesus guarantees.
21(7:20)
22(7:20)
23There have been many levitical priests, because death prevents them from continuing in office;
24but Jesus holds a perpetual priesthood, because he remains for ever.
25That is why he is able to save completely those who approach God through him, since he is always alive to plead on their behalf.
26Such a high priest is indeed suited to our need: he is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and raised high above the heavens.
27He has no need to offer sacrifices daily, as the high priests do, first for their own sins and then for those of the people; he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
28The high priests appointed by the law are men in all their weakness; but the priest appointed by the words of the oath which supersedes the law is the Son, who has been made perfect for ever.