1 ¶ For this Melchizedek, was king of Salem, and a priest of the most high God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;

2 And Abraham gave a tenth of everything to him; whose name first means King of righteousness, but then he is also King of Salem, which means, King of peace;

3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like the Son of God; he remains a priest forever.

4 Now think about how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils.

5 And indeed the law orders those descendants of Levi, who become priests, to take tithes from the people, that is, from the other Israelites, even though they are also descendants of Abraham:

6 However this man who did not trace his descent from Levi received tithes from Abraham, and blessed him who had the promises.

7 Now without dispute the less is blessed by the greater.

8 In one case the tithe is collected by men who die; in the other case by him who is declared to be living.

9 And it might even be said that, Levi, who receives tithes, also paid tithes in Abraham.

10 For he was yet in the body of his father, when Melchizedek met him.

11 ¶ Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need would there have been for another priest to arise who was after the order of Melchizedek, and not after the order of Aaron?

12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed.

13 For he of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar.

14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang from Judah; and about that tribe Moses said nothing concerning priests.

15 And it is even more evident: if another priest arises similar to Melchizedek,

16 Who was not made a priest by a law requiring physical descent, but by the power of an indestructible life.

17 For he has this testimony, You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

18 On one hand the previous requirement is set aside because it was weak and useless.

19 For the law made nothing perfect. On the other hand a better hope is introduced; by which we draw near to God.

20 And none of this happened without an oath:

21 (Others became priests without any oath; but he became a priest with an oath made by the one who said to him, The Lord swore and will not change his mind, You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek:)

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

23 Now there were many of those priests, because death prevented them from continuing in office:

24 But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.

25 Therefore he is able to completely save those who come to God through him, because he always lives to make intercession for them.

26 For it was fitting that we should have such an high priest, who is holy, blameless, pure, separated from sinners, and risen higher than the heavens;

27 Who does not need to daily offer up sacrifice, as do other high priests, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for he did this once, when he offered up himself.

28 For the law appoints high priests who are subject to weakness; but the word of the oath, that came after the law, appoints the Son, who is consecrated forever.