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, and blessed him; 2 To
whom also Abraham 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; 3 Without
father, without
mother, without
descent, having neither beginning of
days, nor end of
life; but made
like unto the
Son of
God; abideth a
priest continually.
4 Now consider how
great this
man was, unto
whom even the
patriarch Abraham gave the
tenth of the
spoils. 5 And verily they that are
of the
sons of
Levi, who receive the office of the
priesthood, have a
commandment to take
tithes of the
people according
to the
law, that
is, of
their brethren, though they
come out
of the
loins of
Abraham: 6 But he whose descent
is not counted from them received
tithes of
Abraham, and blessed him that
had the
promises. 7 And without all contradiction the
less is
blessed of the
better. 8 And here men that
die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is
witnessed that he
liveth.
9 And as I may so
say,
Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed
tithes in Abraham. 10 For he
was yet in the
loins of his
father, when Melchisedec met him. 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? 12 For the
priesthood being
changed, there is
made of necessity a
change also of the
law. 13 For he
of whom these
things are
spoken pertaineth to
another tribe, of which no
man gave
attendance at the
altar. 14 For it is
evident that our Lord sprang out
of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. 15 And it
is yet far
more evident: for that
after the
similitude of
Melchisedec there
ariseth another priest, 16 Who is
made,
not after the
law of a
carnal commandment, but after the
power of an
endless life. 17 For he
testifieth,
Thou art a
priest for ever after the
order of
Melchisedec. 18 For there
is verily a
disannulling of the
commandment going
before for the
weakness and unprofitableness thereof. 19 For the
law made nothing perfect,
but the bringing
in of a
better hope did;
by the
which we draw
nigh unto
God. 20 And inasmuch
as not without an
oath he was made priest:
21 (For those
priests were made without an
oath; but this
with an
oath by him that
said unto him, The
Lord sware and will not repent,
Thou art a
priest for ever after the
order of Melchisedec:)
22 By so
much was Jesus made a
surety of a
better testament. 23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not
suffered to
continue by reason
of death: 24 But this man,
because he continueth ever,
hath an
unchangeable priesthood. 25 Wherefore he is
able also to save
them to the
uttermost that
come unto
God by him, seeing he
ever liveth to make
intercession for them. 26 For such an high
priest became us, who is
holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher
than the
heavens; 27 Who needeth 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. 28 For the
law maketh men high
priests which
have infirmity; but the
word of the
oath, which was
since the
law, maketh the
Son, who is
consecrated for evermore.