Hebrews 7

 

1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings (bringing him gifts of bread and wine), and (who) blessed him (saying, blessed are you from the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth);

2 To this Melchisedec also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (the goods); first being interpreted King of righteousness (possessing the life which God saw as it ought to be), and after that also King of Salem, which is (interpreted), King of peace;

3 Without father, without mother, without descendants, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the image of the Son of God; who abides a priest (to the world) continually (in perpetuity).

4 Now consider how great (Abraham recognized) this man was, that even the founding father offered the tenth of all the goods.

5 For indeed those who are from the sons of Levi have received the office of the priesthood, and have a commandment to take a tenth from the people according to the law, and that is, from their brethren, even though they have come out of the lions of Abraham:

6 But he who has no descendants (whose ancestry) is not counted from the sons of Levi received a tenth from Abraham and blessed him, the one who received the promise (of His life and immortality).

7 Apart now from any and all dispute (we can say with certainty that) the lesser (possessing no ability to serve himself with life and immortality) is blessed by the greater (the only immortal, the possessor of heaven and earth).

8 And here men that die receive the tenth; but there the one who received them, is one of whom it testifies that he lives (forever without end of days).

9 And if I may so say, Levi also, who received the tenth under the law, paid the tenth in Abraham.

10 Because he was yet in the lions of his father (Abraham) when Melchisedec met him.

11 Therefore if perfection (where seeing your death has been sent away once and for all time, and you rest from all your work in the promise of His life unto immortality in your flesh) were to come through the Levitical priesthood, {for under that priesthood the people received the law}, why would there be any need for another priesthood to rise after the image of Melchisedec, and not be called after the image of Aaron’s priesthood?

12 But because the priesthood (of Aaron was inferior in its ability to bring perfection, it needed to be) changed, and therefore by necessity there would also be a change of the law.

13 Because He (who is called of God a high priest after the image of Melchisedec) of whom these things are spoken (and prophesied of Christ Jesus our Lord), belongs to another tribe, from which (tribe) no man has served at the altar.

14 For it is apparent that our Lord Jesus has sprung from out of Judah; of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning the priesthood.

15 But it is even more apparent: that after the resemblance of Melchisedec there would arises another priest, 

16 Who is made (the high priest of God), not according to (the weakness and inferiority of) performing the carnal commandments (and ceremonies) under the law, but according to the power of an endless life (in His resurrection from the dead).

17 Because He testified (about Him saying), You are a priest forever after the image of Melchisedec (without beginning or end, in perpetuity).

 

18 For there is indeed a disannulling (a putting away of that priesthood that was) of the commandment (being that it was only ever a shadow of good things to come and was) beforehand intended to be done away with because of the weakness and unprofitableness of it to bring (perfection to the hearers).

19 For the law (of commandment) made nothing perfect (pertaining to our conscience), but the bringing in of a better hope (in bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ) did; by (the hearing of) which (faith) we draw near to God (unto perfection; His life unto immortality in our flesh).

20 To the degree that He was not made a priest without an oath (but God Himself swore an oath):

21 Because those priests (from Aaron’s priesthood) were made (priests) without an oath; but this (man) with an oath by the One that said unto Him, The Lord (Himself) has sworn and will not repent, you are a priest forever after the image of Melchisedec:

22 By so much (more then) was Jesus made (a high priest that is) the certainty of a better covenant (which is able to bring us to perfection; in the same life and immortality that is in Him).

23 And truly (under this old priesthood) there were many priests that were not allowed to continue by reason of death:

24 But this man, because He lives forevermore (in glorified flesh that can never die again) He has an unchangeable priesthood.

25 Therefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost (completely healing them from the sting of death unto immortality in their flesh) who come to God through Him, seeing as He ever lives to make intercession in their hearts (of the certainty of His same life manifested in them).

26 For truly it was fitting for us (and for the life God promised us from the beginning) to have a high priest who is holy, (set apart for the life that cannot ever die), innocent (of death’s accusation), undefiled (by death), (forever) separated from death and who was made (in immortal flesh so that He could ascend in it) higher than the heavens;

27 Who does not need to daily, as those (Levitical) high priests to offer up sacrifice, first for His own death, and then for the people’s (death): because this He did one time (sanctifying all from death) when He offered up Himself.

28 Because the law makes men high priests who have (the) infirmity (of death in their flesh); but the word of the oath (which He swore declares the Son a high priest after the power of an endless life), which changes the law, making the Son (a high priest), who is perfected (in an immortal human body at the right hand of the Father) forevermore.