Hebrews 7

¹This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

²and Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness.” Then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”

³Without father or mother or genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God, he remains a priest for all time.

⁴Consider how great Melchizedek was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder.

⁵Now the law commands the sons of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people — that is, from their brothers— though they too are descended from Abraham.

⁶But Melchizedek, who did not trace his descent from Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.

⁷And indisputably, the lesser is blessed by the greater.

⁸In the case of the Levites, mortal men collect the tenth; but in the case of Melchizedek, it is affirmed that he lives on.

⁹And so to speak, Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham.

¹⁰For when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the loin of his ancestor.

¹¹Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on this basis the people received the law), why was there still need for another priest to appear — one in the order of Melchizedek and not in the order of Aaron?

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

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

¹⁴For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, a tribe as to which Moses said nothing about priests.

¹⁵And this point is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears,

¹⁶one who has become a priest not by a law of succession, but by the power of an indestructible life.

¹⁷For it is testified:

“You are a priest forever

in the order of Melchizedek.”

¹⁸So the former commandment is set aside because it was weak and useless

¹⁹(for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

²⁰And none of this happened without an oath. For others became priests without an oath,

²¹but Jesus became a priest with an oath by the One who said to Him:

“The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind:

‘You are a priest forever.’”

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

²³Now there have been many other priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office.

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

²⁵Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.

²⁶Such a high priest truly befits us — One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.

²⁷Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for sin once for all when He offered up Himself.

²⁸For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

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Cross References for Hebrews 7

The Berean Standard Bible