Hebrews 7:1–28

¹This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High.^a He met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 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.” 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 how great Melchizedek was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder. 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 did not trace his descent from Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. ⁷And indisputably, the lesser is blessed by the greater.

⁸In the case of the Levites, mortal men collect the tenth; but in the case of Melchizedek, it is affirmed that he lives on. ⁹And so to speak, Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham. ¹⁰For when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the loin of his ancestor.

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? ¹²For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed as well.

¹³He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. ¹⁴For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, a tribe as to which Moses said nothing about priests.

¹⁵And this point is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, ¹⁶one who has become a priest not by a law of succession, but by the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷For it is testified:

“You are a priest forever

in the order of Melchizedek.”^b

¹⁸So the former commandment is set aside because it was weak and useless ¹⁹(for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

²⁰And none of this happened without an oath. For others became priests without an oath, 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.’”^c

²²Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

²³Now there have been many other priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office. ²⁴But because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. ²⁵Therefore He is able to save completely^d those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.

²⁶Such a high priest truly befits us — One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 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. 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.