Hebrews 7

1This Melchizedek was king of Salem and a priest of God Most High. He met Abraham as Abraham was returning from defeating the kings, and he blessed Abraham.

2And Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means king of what is right. Also, king of Salem means king of peace.

3We have no record of his father, his mother, or his family, and no record of his birth or his death. Like the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

4Think how great Melchizedek was! Even Abraham, the great ancestor, gave Melchizedek a tenth part of all the captured battle riches!

5The law commands the priests from Levi's family to collect a tenth from the people. They collect it from their own relatives. Those relatives are also descendants of Abraham.

6But Melchizedek was not a descendant of Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the man who had God's promises.

7And there is no question that the greater person blesses the lesser.

8In the one case, the tenth is collected by priests who die. But in the other case, it is collected by Melchizedek, who is said to be still living.

9You could say that Levi also paid a tenth to Melchizedek through Abraham.

10Why? Levi was not born yet. He still existed inside the genetic seed of his ancestor Abraham!

11The old Law was based on the Levitical priesthood. Could that human priesthood make people spiritually complete? No! If it could, why would God need to appoint a different priest? Why would He need a priest like Melchizedek instead of Aaron?

12For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed too.

13The one we are talking about belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar.

14It is clear that our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses said nothing about priests coming from that tribe.

15And this becomes even clearer: another priest like Melchizedek has appeared,

16one who became a priest not because of a rule about human ancestry, but because of the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.

17For the Scripture says about Him: You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek.

18So the old rule is set aside, because it was weak and useless.

19(The law never made anything perfect.) And a better hope is brought in, by which we come near to God.

20And it did not happen without an oath! Others became priests without any oath,

21but Jesus became a priest with an oath. God said to Him: The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind. You are a priest forever.

22Because of this oath, Jesus is the guarantee of a better agreement.

23There were hundreds of Levitical priests over time. Death stopped each of them from continuing their work! Death ended their ministry.

24Jesus lives forever, so His priesthood never ends!

25He is able to save completely everyone who comes to God through Him. He lives forever to stand before God and plead on our behalf!

26This is the kind of high priest we needed: holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, and lifted higher than the heavens.

27Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices day after day. They offered sacrifices first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people. He did this once for all when He offered Himself.

28The law appoints as high priests men who are weak. But the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.