Hebrews 7

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham, as he was 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 And Abraham divided to him a tenth part of everything. And in translation his name is first, indeed, king of justice, and next also king of Salem, that 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 genealogy, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life, he is thereby likened to the Son of God, who remains a priest continuously.
4 Now think how great this man must have been, if the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the finestplunder.	4 Next, consider how great this man is, since the Patriarch Abraham even gave tithes to him from the principal things.
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 indeed, those who are from the sons of Levi, having received the priesthood, hold a commandment to take tithes from the people in accord with the law, that is, from their brothers, even though they also went forth from 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 this man, whose lineage is not enumerated with them, received tithes from Abraham, and he blessed even the one who held the promises.
7 Now it is indisputable that a blessing is given by a superior to an inferior.	7 Yet this is without any contradiction, for what is less should be blessed by what is 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 certainly, here, men who receive tithes still die; but there, he bears witness that he lives.
9 It could be said that Levi himself, who receives tithes, actual y paid tithes, in the person of Abraham,	9 And so it may be said that even Levi, who received tithes, was himself a tithe through Abraham.
10 because he was stil in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek came to meet him.	10 For he was still in the loins of his father, when Melchizedek 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 Therefore, if consummation had occurred through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), then what further need would there be for another Priest to rise up according to the order of Melchizedek, one who was not called according to the order of Aaron?
12 Any change in the priesthood must mean a change in the Law as wel .	12 For since the priesthood has been transferred, it is necessary that the law also be transferred.
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 about whom these things have been spoken is from another tribe, in which no one attends before 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 arose out of Judah, a tribe about which Moses said nothing concerning priests.
15 This becomes even more clearly evident if another priest, of the type of Melchizedek, arises who is apriest	15 And yet it is far more evident that, according to the likeness of Melchizedek, there rises up another priest,
16 not in virtue of a law of physical descent, but in virtue of the power of an indestructible life.	16 who was made, not according to the law of a carnal commandment, but according to the virtue of an indissoluble life.
17 For he is attested by the prophecy: You are a priest for ever of the order of Melchizedek.	17 For he testifies: “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”
18 The earlier commandment is thus abolished, because of its weakness and ineffectiveness	18 Certainly, there is a setting aside of the former commandment, because of its weakness and lack of usefulness.
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 led no one to perfection, yet truly it introduced a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
20 Now the former priests became priests without any oath being sworn,	20 Moreover, it is not without an oath. For certainly, the others were made priests without an oath.
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 But this man was made a priest with an oath, by the One who said to him: “The Lord has sworn and he will not repent. You are a priest forever.”
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, Jesus has been made the sponsor 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 certainly, so many of the others became priests because, due to death, they were prohibited from continuing.
24 but this one, because he remains for ever, has a perpetual priesthood.	24 But this man, because he continues forever, has an everlasting 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 And for this reason, he is able, continuously, to save those who approach God through him, since he is ever alive to make intercession on our behalf.
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 it was fitting that we should have such a High Priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted 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 And he has no need, daily, in the manner of other priests, to offer sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people. For he has done this once, by offering 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 appoints men as priests, though they have infirmities. But, by the word of the oath that is after the law, the Son has been perfected for eternity.