Hebrews 7

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 Melchizedek, king of Salem, a priest of God Most High, came to meet Abraham when he returned fromdefeating the kings, and blessed him;	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 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. By the interpretation of his name, he is, first, 'king ofsaving justice' and also king of Salem, that is, 'king of peace';	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 he has no father, mother or ancestry, and his life has no beginning or ending; he is like the Son of God.He remains a priest for ever.	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 think how great this man must have been, if the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the finestplunder.	4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
5 We know that any of the descendants of Levi who are admitted to the priesthood are obliged by theLaw to take tithes from the people, that is, from their own brothers although they too are descended fromAbraham.	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 this man, who was not of the same descent, took his tithe from Abraham, and he gave his blessingto the holder of the promises.	6 But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.
7 Now it is indisputable that a blessing is given by a superior to an inferior.	7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.
8 Further, in the normal case it is ordinary mortal men who receive the tithes, whereas in that case it wasone who is attested as being alive.	8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.
9 It could be said that Levi himself, who receives tithes, actual y paid tithes, in the person of Abraham,	9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.
10 because he was stil in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek came to meet him.	10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.
11 Now if perfection had been reached through the levitical priesthood -- and this was the basis of theLaw given to the people -- why was it necessary for a different kind of priest to arise, spoken of as being of theorder of Melchizedek rather than of the order of Aaron?	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 Any change in the priesthood must mean a change in the Law as wel .	12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
13 So our Lord, of whom these things were said, belonged to a different tribe, the members of whichhave never done service at the altar;	13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.
14 everyone knows he came from Judah, a tribe which Moses did not mention at al when dealing withpriests.	14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
15 This becomes even more clearly evident if another priest, of the type of Melchizedek, arises who is apriest	15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
16 not in virtue of a law of physical descent, but in virtue of the power of an indestructible life.	16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
17 For he is attested by the prophecy: You are a priest for ever of the order of Melchizedek.	17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
18 The earlier commandment is thus abolished, because of its weakness and ineffectiveness	18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.
19 since the Law could not make anything perfect; but now this commandment is replaced by somethingbetter-the hope that brings us close to God.	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 Now the former priests became priests without any oath being sworn,	20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:
21 but this one with the swearing of an oath by him who said to him, The Lord has sworn an oath he wilnever retract: you are a priest for ever;	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 the very fact that it occurred with the swearing of an oath makes the covenant of which Jesus is theguarantee al the greater.	22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
23 Further, the former priests were many in number, because death put an end to each one of them;	23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
24 but this one, because he remains for ever, has a perpetual priesthood.	24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
25 It fol ows, then, that his power to save those who come to God through him is absolute, since he livesfor ever to intercede for them.	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 Such is the high priest that met our need, holy, innocent and uncontaminated, set apart from sinners, and raised up above the heavens;	26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
27 he has no need to offer sacrifices every day, as the high priests do, first for their own sins and onlythen for those of the people; this he did once and for al by offering himself.	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 The Law appoints high priests who are men subject to weakness; but the promise on oath, whichcame after the Law, appointed the Son who is made perfect for ever.	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.