Lettera di Giuda - (מכתב יהודה) 7

STUTTGARTENSIA-DELITZSCH	NEW JERUSALEM
1 כִּי זֶה מַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם כֹּהֵן לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן אֲשֶׁר יָצָא לִקְרַאת אַבְרָהָם בְּשׁוּבוֹ מֵהַכּוֹת אֶת־הַמְּלָכִים וַיְבָרְכֵהוּ	1 Melchizedek, king of Salem, a priest of God Most High, came to meet Abraham when he returned fromdefeating the kings, and blessed him;
2 וַאֲשֶׁר חָלַק־לוֹ אַבְרָהָם מַעֲשֵׂר מִכֹּל שְׁמוֹ יְפֹרָשׁ מֶלֶךְ הַצֶּדֶק וְעוֹד מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם הוּא מֶלֶךְ הַשָּׁלוֹם	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';
3 בְּאֵין־אָב בְּאֵין־אֵם בְּאֵין יַחַשׂ וּלְיָמָיו אֵין תְּחִלָּה וּלְחַיָּיו אֵין סוֹף כִּי אִם־נִדְמֶה לְבֶן־הָאֱלֹהִים הוּא עוֹמֵד בִּכְהֻנָּתוֹ לָנֶצַח	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.
4 רְאוּ עַתָּה מַה־גָּדוֹל הוּא אֲשֶׁר גַּם־אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ נָתַן־לוֹ מַעֲשֵׂר מֵרֵאשִׁית הַשָּׁלָל	4 Now think how great this man must have been, if the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the finestplunder.
5 הֶן־אֵלֶּה מִבְּנֵי לֵוִי אֲשֶׁר נָחֲלוּ אֶת־הַכְּהֻנָּה יֵשׁ־לָהֶם חֹק עַל־פִּי הַתּוֹרָה לָקַחַת אֶת־הַמַּעַשְׂרוֹת מִן־הָעָם מִן־אֲחֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר אַף־הֵם יֹצְאֵי יֶרֶךְ אַבְרָהָם	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.
6 וַאֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ מִתְיַחֵשׂ לְמִשְׁפַּחְתָּם הוּא לָקַח אֶת־הַמַּעֲשֵׂר מִן־אַבְרָהָם וַיְבָרֶךְ אֶת־אֲשֶׁר הָיְתָה־לּוֹ הַהַבְטָחָה	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.
7 וְהִנֵּה נָכוֹן הַדָּבָר כִּי הַקָּטֹן יְבֹרַךְ עַל־יְדֵי הַגָּדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ	7 Now it is indisputable that a blessing is given by a superior to an inferior.
8 וּפֹה בְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁיָּמוּתוּ לֹקְחִים אֶת־הַמַּעֲשֵׂר אֲבָל שָׁם לֹקְחוֹ מִי שֶׁהוּעַד עָלָיו כִּי הוּא חָי	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.
9 וְיִתָּכֵן לוֹמַר כִּי גַם־לֵוִי הַלֹּקֵחַ אֶת־הַמַּעַשְׂרוֹת הָיָה מְעַשֵּׂר בַּעְשֵׂר אַבְרָהָם	9 It could be said that Levi himself, who receives tithes, actual y paid tithes, in the person of Abraham,
10 כִּי עוֹד בְּיֶרֶךְ הָאָב הָיָה בְּצֵאת מַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק לִקְרָאתוֹ	10 because he was stil in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek came to meet him.
11 עַל־כֵּן אִלּוּ הָיְתָה שְׁלֵמוּת עַל־יְדֵי כְהֻנַּת בְּנֵי לֵוִי אֲשֶׁר־בָּהּ נִתְּנָה הַתּוֹרָה לָעָם לָמָּה־זֶּה צָרִיךְ לָקוּם עוֹד כֹּהֵן אַחֵר עַל־דִּבְרָתִי מַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק וְלֹא יֹאמַר עַל־דִּבְרָתִי אַהֲרֹן	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?
12 כִּי בְּהִשְׁתַּנּוֹת הַכְּהֻנָּה מִן־הַצֹּרֶךְ שֶׁתִּשְׁתַּנֶּה גַּם־הַתּוֹרָה	12 Any change in the priesthood must mean a change in the Law as wel .
13 כִּי אֲשֶׁר־מְדֻבָּר בּוֹ כָּזֹאת הוּא מִשֵּׁבֶט אַחֵר אֲשֶׁר מֵעוֹלָם לֹא־שֵׁרֵת אִישׁ מִמֶּנּוּ אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ	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;
14 כִּי גָלוּי לַכֹּל אֲשֶׁר אֲדֹנֵינוּ זָרַח מִיהוּדָה מִן־הַשֵּׁבֶט אֲשֶׁר משֶׁה לֹא־דִבֶּר אֵלָיו דָּבָר עַל־הַכְּהֻנָּה	14 everyone knows he came from Judah, a tribe which Moses did not mention at al when dealing withpriests.
15 וְעוֹד יוֹתֵר בָּרוּר הוּא אִם־יוּקַם עַל־דִּמְיוֹן מַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק כֹּהֵן אַחֵר	15 This becomes even more clearly evident if another priest, of the type of Melchizedek, arises who is apriest
16 אֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ עַל־פִּי חֻקַּת בָּשָׂר וָדָם אֶלָּא עַל־פִּי כֹחַ חַיִּים בִּלְתִּי נִפְסָקִים	16 not in virtue of a law of physical descent, but in virtue of the power of an indestructible life.
17 כִּי־הֵעִיד עָלָיו אַתָּה כֹהֵן לְעוֹלָם עַל־דִּבְרָתִי מַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק	17 For he is attested by the prophecy: You are a priest for ever of the order of Melchizedek.
18 בַּעֲבוּר כִּי הַמִּצְוָה הַקֹּדֶמֶת הוּסָרָה בִּהְיוֹתָהּ חֲלוּשָׁה וְקִצְרַת־יָד מֵהוֹעִיל	18 The earlier commandment is thus abolished, because of its weakness and ineffectiveness
19 כִּי הַתּוֹרָה לֹא הִשְׁלִימָה דָּבָר וְהִנֵּה נִכְנְסָה בִמְקוֹמָהּ תִּקְוָה טוֹבָה מִמֶּנָּה אֲשֶׁר־נִקְרַב עַל־יָדָהּ לֵאלֹהִים	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.
20 וּכְפִי אֲשֶׁר לֹא הָיְתָה־זֹּאת בְּלִי שְׁבוּעָה	20 Now the former priests became priests without any oath being sworn,
21 כִּי הֵמָּה נִתְכַּהֲנוּ בְלִי־שְׁבוּעָה וְזֶה בִּשְׁבוּעָה עַל־יְדֵי הָאֹמֵר לוֹ נִשְׁבַּע יְהוָֹה וְלֹא יִנָּחֵם אַתָּה כֹהֵן לְעוֹלָם עַל־דִּבְרָתִי מַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק	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;
22 גַּם־הַבְּרִית טוֹבָה וִיתֵרָה הִיא אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁוּעַ עָרַב אוֹתָהּ	22 the very fact that it occurred with the swearing of an oath makes the covenant of which Jesus is theguarantee al the greater.
23 וְשָׁם נִתְכַּהֲנוּ רַבִּים מִפְּנֵי אֲשֶׁר הַמָּוֶת לֹא הִנִּיחָם לְהִוָּתֵר בָּאָרֶץ	23 Further, the former priests were many in number, because death put an end to each one of them;
24 אֲבָל זֶה בְּעָמְדוֹ לְעוֹלָם יֶשׁ־לוֹ כְהֻנָּה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תַעֲבֹר מִמֶּנּוּ	24 but this one, because he remains for ever, has a perpetual priesthood.
25 אֲשֶׁר עַל־כֵּן יוּכַל גַּם־לְהוֹשִׁיעַ בַּכֹּל וָכֹל אֶת־הַנִּגָּשִׁים עַל־יָדוֹ לֵאלֹהִים כִּי חַי־הוּא תָמִיד לְהַפְגִּיעַ בַּעֲדָם	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.
26 כִּי נָאֲוָה־לָּנוּ כֹּהֵן כָּזֶה שֶׁהוּא חָסִיד וְתָמִים וְטָהוֹר וְנִבְדָּל מִן־הַחַטָּאִים וְנִשָּׂא מֵהַשָּׁמָיִם	26 Such is the high priest that met our need, holy, innocent and uncontaminated, set apart from sinners, and raised up above the heavens;
27 אֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ צָרִיךְ יוֹם יוֹם כַּכֹּהֲנִים הַגְּדוֹלִים הָהֵם לְהַקְרִיב בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה עַל־חַטֹּאתָיו וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵן עַל־חַטֹּאת הָעָם כִּי־זֹאת עָשָׂה בְּפַעַם אַחַת בְּהַקְרִיבוֹ אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ	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.
28 כִּי הַתּוֹרָה הֶעֱמִידָה לְכֹהֲנִים גְּדוֹלִים בְּנֵי־אָדָם חַלָּשִׁים אֲבָל דְּבַר־הַשְּׁבוּעָה הַבָּאָה אַחֲרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הֶעֱמִיד אֶת־הַבֵּן הַמֻּשְׁלָם לְעוֹלָם	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.