| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1This Melchizedek was king of the city of Salem and also a priest of God Most High. When Abraham was returning home after winning a great battle against the kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him. | 1This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, |
| 2Then Abraham took a tenth of all he had captured in battle and gave it to Melchizedek. The name Melchizedek means “king of justice,” and king of Salem means “king of peace.” | 2and Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness.” Then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” |
| 3There is no record of his father or mother or any of his ancestors—no beginning or end to his life. He remains a priest forever, resembling the Son of God. | 3Without father or mother or genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God, he remains a priest for all time. |
| 4Consider then how great this Melchizedek was. Even Abraham, the great patriarch of Israel, recognized this by giving him a tenth of what he had taken in battle. | 4Consider how great Melchizedek was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder. |
| 5Now the law of Moses required that the priests, who are descendants of Levi, must collect a tithe from the rest of the people of Israel, who are also descendants of Abraham. | 5Now the law commands the sons of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their brothers—though they too are descended from Abraham. |
| 6But Melchizedek, who was not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God. | 6But Melchizedek, who did not trace his descent from Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. |
| 7And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed. | 7And indisputably, the lesser is blessed by the greater. |
| 8The priests who collect tithes are men who die, so Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on. | 8In the case of the Levites, mortal men collect the tenth; but in the case of Melchizedek, it is affirmed that he lives on. |
| 9In addition, we might even say that these Levites—the ones who collect the tithe—paid a tithe to Melchizedek when their ancestor Abraham paid a tithe to him. | 9And so to speak, Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham. |
| 10For although Levi wasn’t born yet, the seed from which he came was in Abraham’s body when Melchizedek collected the tithe from him. | 10For when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the loin of his ancestor. |
| 11So if the priesthood of Levi, on which the law was based, could have achieved the perfection God intended, why did God need to establish a different priesthood, with a priest in the order of Melchizedek instead of the order of Levi and Aaron? | 11Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on this basis the people received the law), why was there still need for another priest to appear—one in the order of Melchizedek and not in the order of Aaron? |
| 12And if the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed to permit it. | 12For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed as well. |
| 13For the priest we are talking about belongs to a different tribe, whose members have never served at the altar as priests. | 13He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. |
| 14What I mean is, our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never mentioned priests coming from that tribe. Jesus Is like Melchizedek | 14For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, a tribe as to which Moses said nothing about priests. |
| 15This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared. | 15And this point is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, |
| 16Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. | 16one who has become a priest not by a law of succession, but by the power of an indestructible life. |
| 17And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” | 17For it is testified: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” |
| 18Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. | 18So the former commandment is set aside because it was weak and useless |
| 19For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God. | 19(for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. |
| 20This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron’s descendants became priests without such an oath, | 20And none of this happened without an oath. For others became priests without an oath, |
| 21but there was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to him, “The LORD has taken an oath and will not break his vow: ‘You are a priest forever.’” | 21but Jesus became a priest with an oath by the One who 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 one who guarantees this better covenant with God. | 22Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. |
| 23There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. | 23Now there have been many other priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office. |
| 24But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. | 24But because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. |
| 25Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. | 25Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them. |
| 26He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. | 26Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. |
| 27Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. | 27Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for sin once for all when He offered up Himself. |
| 28The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever. | 28For the 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. |
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