'For2this1Melchizedek,4king5[of] Salem,6priest7of the10Most High11God,9met13Abraham14returning15from16the17slaughter18of the19kings20and21blessed22him,23 and2to him1Abraham7apportioned6a tenth part3of4everything.5He isfirst,8by translation10of his name,king11of righteousness,12and14then13he isalso15king16[of] Salem,17that18is,19king20of peace.21 He iswithout father1ormother2orgenealogy,3having10neither4beginning5of days6nor7end9of life,8but12resembling11the13Son14of God16he continues17a priest18forever.192021 See1how great3this man4wasto whom5Abraham8the13patriarch14gave9a tenth7of10the11spoils!12 And1those2descendants6of4Levi7who receive10the8priestly office9have12a commandment11in16the17law18to take tithes13from the14people,15that19is,20fromtheir23brothers,22though24these [also] are descended25from26Abraham.29 But2this man1who does4not3have his descent4from5them6received tithes from7Abraham8and9blessed14him10who had11the12promises.13 It isbeyond1dispute4thatthe5inferior6is blessed10by7the8superior.9 In the one case2tithes4are received by7mortal5men,6but9in the other case,8by one ofwhom it is testified10that11he lives.12 One might4even1say4thatLevi8[himself],9who receives11tithes,10paid tithes12through5Abraham,6 for2he was8still1in3the4loins5of hisancestor7when9Melchizedek12met10him.11 Now3if1perfection4had been [attainable]9through5the6Levitical7priesthood8( for12under13it14the10people11received the law ),15what16further17need18would there have been foranother23priest25to arise24after19the20order21of Melchizedek,22[rather than]27one named32after28the29order30of Aaron?31 For2when there is a change1in the priesthood,4there isnecessarily56a change9in the law8as well.7 For3the oneof1whom2these things5are spoken4belonged to8another7tribe,6from9which10no one11has ever served12at the13altar.14 For2it isevident1that3our9Lord8was descended6from4Judah,5andin connection with10that11tribe12Moses16said17nothing15about13priests.14 This becomes5even3more2evident4when6another13priest12arises11in7the8likeness9of Melchizedek,10 who1has become7a priest,not2on the basis of3a legal4requirement5concerning bodily descent,6but8by9the power10of an indestructible12life.11 For2it is witnessed of him,1You4area priest5forever,68after9the10order11of Melchizedek.12 For3on the one hand,a former5commandment6is4set aside1because of7its9weakness10and11uselessness12 ( for2the4law5made3nothing1perfect );3but7on the other hand,a better8hope9isintroduced,6through10which11we draw near12to God.14 And1it wasnot4without5an oath.6For9those7who12formerlybecame12priests13were made14suchwithout10an oath,11 but2this one1was made a priestwith3an oath4by5the one6who said7to8him:9The Lord11has sworn10and12will14not13change [his] mind,14You15area priest16forever.1719 This2makes6Jesus8the guarantor7of a better4covenant.5 The [former]2priests7were5many [in number],4becausethey were6prevented11by8death10from continuing12in office, but2he1holds11hispriesthood13permanently,10because3he6continues5forever.79 Consequently,1he is able7to save3to4the5uttermost6those8who draw near9to God13through10him,11sincehe15always14lives15to make intercession18for19them.20 For2it was5indeed4fitting5thatwe3should havesuch1a high priest,6holy,7innocent,8unstained,9separated10from11sinners,1213and14[exalted]18above15the16heavens.17 He1has3no2need,6like7those8high priests,9to offer16sacrifices15daily,45first10for11his own13sins14and then17for those18of the19people,20since22he did23this21once for all24when he offered up26himself.25 For3the1law2appoints5men4[in their]7weakness8as high priests,6but11the9word10of the12oath,13which14camelater than15the16law,17[appoints] a Son18who has been made perfect22forever.1921