| New Living Translation | NET 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. | 1Now this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, met Abraham as he was returning from defeating 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.” | 2To him also Abraham apportioned a tithe of everything. His name first means king of righteousness, then king of Salem, that is, 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, without mother, without genealogy, he has neither beginning of days nor end of life but is like the son of God, and 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. | 4But see how great he must be, if Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe of his 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. | 5And those of the sons of Levi who receive the priestly office have authorization according to the law to collect a tithe from the people, that is, from their fellow countrymen, although they too are descendants of 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 does not share their ancestry collected a tithe from Abraham and blessed the one who possessed the promise. |
| 7And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed. | 7Now without dispute the inferior is blessed by the superior, |
| 8The priests who collect tithes are men who die, so Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on. | 8and in one case tithes are received by mortal men, while in the other by him who is affirmed to be alive. |
| 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 it could be said that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid a tithe 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 he was still in his ancestor Abraham's loins when Melchizedek met him. |
| 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? | 11So if perfection had in fact been possible through the Levitical priesthood--for on that basis the people received the law--what further need would there have been for another priest to arise, said to be in the order of Melchizedek and not in Aaron's order? |
| 12And if the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed to permit it. | 12For when the priesthood changes, a change in the law must come as well. |
| 13For the priest we are talking about belongs to a different tribe, whose members have never served at the altar as priests. | 13Yet the one these things are spoken about belongs to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever officiated 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 is descended from Judah, yet Moses said nothing about priests in connection with that tribe. |
| 15This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared. | 15And this is even clearer if another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, |
| 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. | 16who has become a priest not by a legal regulation about physical descent 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 here is the testimony about him: "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. | 18On the one hand a former command is set aside because it is 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. | 19for the law made nothing perfect. On the other hand a better hope is introduced, through 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 since this was not done without a sworn affirmation--for the others have become priests without a sworn affirmation, |
| 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 did so with a sworn affirmation 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. | 22accordingly 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. | 23And the others who became priests were numerous, because death prevented them from continuing in office, |
| 24But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. | 24but he holds his priesthood permanently since he lives forever. |
| 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. | 25So he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because 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. | 26For it is indeed fitting for us to have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separate 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. | 27He has no need to do every day what those priests do, to offer sacrifices first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people, since he did this in offering himself once for all. |
| 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 subject to weakness, but the word of solemn affirmation that came after the law appoints a son made perfect forever. |
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