7Hebrews 7

The Priestly Family of Melchizedek

1Melchizedek was both king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He was the one who went out and gave Abraham his blessing, when Abraham returned from killing the kings.Select Hebrews 7:1

2Then Abraham gave him a tenth of everything he had. The meaning of the name Melchizedek is “King of Justice.” But since Salem means “peace,” he is also “King of Peace.”Select Hebrews 7:2

3We are not told he had a father or mother or ancestors or beginning or end. He is like the Son of God and will be a priest forever.Select Hebrews 7:3

4Notice how great Melchizedek was! Our famous ancestor Abraham gave him a tenth of what he had taken from his enemies.Select Hebrews 7:4

5The Law teaches that even Abraham's descendants must give a tenth of what they possess. And they are to give this to their own relatives, who are the descendants of Levi and are priests.Select Hebrews 7:5

6Although Melchizedek wasn't a descendant of Levi, Abraham gave him a tenth of what he had. Then Melchizedek blessed Abraham, who had been given God's promise.Select Hebrews 7:6

7Everyone agrees a person who gives a blessing is greater than the one who receives the blessing.Select Hebrews 7:7

8Priests are given a tenth of what people earn. But all priests die, except Melchizedek, and the Scriptures teach that he is alive.Select Hebrews 7:8

9Levi's descendants are now the ones who receive a tenth from people. We could even say that when Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth, Levi also gave him a tenth.Select Hebrews 7:9

10This is because Levi was born later into the family of Abraham, who gave a tenth to Melchizedek.Select Hebrews 7:10

11Even though the Law of Moses says the priests must be descendants of Levi, those priests cannot make anyone perfect. So there needs to be a priest like Melchizedek, rather than one from the priestly family of Aaron.Select Hebrews 7:11

12And when the rules for selecting a priest are changed, the Law must also be changed.Select Hebrews 7:12

13The person we are talking about is our Lord, who came from a tribe that had never had anyone to serve as a priest at the altar.Select Hebrews 7:13

14Everyone knows he came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never said priests would come from that tribe.Select Hebrews 7:14

15All of this becomes clearer, when someone who is like Melchizedek is appointed to be a priest.Select Hebrews 7:15

16That person wasn't appointed because of his ancestors, but because his life can never end.Select Hebrews 7:16

17The Scriptures say about him, “You are a priest forever, just like Melchizedek.”Select Hebrews 7:17

18In this way a weak and useless command was put aside,Select Hebrews 7:18

19because the Law cannot make anything perfect. At the same time, we are given a much better hope, and it can bring us close to God.Select Hebrews 7:19

21God himself made a promise when this priest was appointed. But he did not make a promise like this when the other priests were appointed. The promise he made is, “I, the Lord, promise that you will be a priest forever! And I will never change my mind!”Select Hebrews 7:21

22This means that Jesus guarantees us a better agreement with God.Select Hebrews 7:22

23There have been a lot of other priests, and all of them have died.Select Hebrews 7:23

24But Jesus will never die, and so he will be a priest forever!Select Hebrews 7:24

25He is forever able to save the people he leads to God, because he always lives to speak to God for them.Select Hebrews 7:25

26Jesus is the high priest we need. He is holy and innocent and faultless, and not at all like us sinners. Jesus is honored above all beings in heaven,Select Hebrews 7:26

27and he is better than any other high priest. Jesus doesn't need to offer sacrifices each day for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. He offered a sacrifice once for all, when he gave himself.Select Hebrews 7:27

28The Law appoints priests who have weaknesses. But God's promise, which came later than the Law, appoints his Son. And he is the perfect high priest forever.Select Hebrews 7:28