< Hebrews 7 >
1 Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of the Most High God. He met Abraham who was returning from defeating the kings and blessed him.
Οὗτος γὰρ ὁ Μελχισέδεκ, βασιλεὺς Σαλήμ, ἱερεὺς τοῦ ˚Θεοῦ τοῦ Ὑψίστου, ὁ συναντήσας Ἀβραὰμ ὑποστρέφοντι ἀπὸ τῆς κοπῆς τῶν βασιλέων, καὶ εὐλογήσας αὐτόν,
2 Abraham gave him a tithe of all that he had won. Melchizedek's name means “king of right” while king of Salem means “king of peace.”
ᾧ καὶ δεκάτην ἀπὸ πάντων ἐμέρισεν Ἀβραάμ, πρῶτον μὲν ἑρμηνευόμενος “Βασιλεὺς δικαιοσύνης”, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ “Βασιλεὺς Σαλήμ”, ὅ ἐστιν, “Βασιλεὺς εἰρήνης”,
3 We don't have any information about his father or his mother or his family tree. We don't know when he was born or when he died. Like the Son of God he continues as a priest forever.
ἀπάτωρ, ἀμήτωρ, ἀγενεαλόγητος, μήτε ἀρχὴν ἡμερῶν, μήτε ζωῆς τέλος ἔχων, ἀφωμοιωμένος δὲ τῷ Υἱῷ τοῦ ˚Θεοῦ, μένει ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸ διηνεκές.
4 Think how great this man was for Abraham the patriarch to give him a tithe of what was won in battle.
Θεωρεῖτε δὲ πηλίκος οὗτος, ᾧ δεκάτην Ἀβραὰμ, ἔδωκεν ἐκ τῶν ἀκροθινίων, ὁ πατριάρχης.
5 Yes, the sons of Levi who are priests were commanded by the law to receive a tithe from the people, their brothers and sisters, who are descended from Abraham.
Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν Λευὶ τὴν ἱερατείαν λαμβάνοντες, ἐντολὴν ἔχουσιν ἀποδεκατοῖν τὸν λαὸν κατὰ τὸν νόμον, τοῦτʼ ἔστιν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτῶν, καίπερ ἐξεληλυθότας ἐκ τῆς ὀσφύος Ἀβραάμ·
6 But Melchizedek who doesn't share their ancestry received tithes from Abraham, and blessed the one who had God's promises.
ὁ δὲ μὴ γενεαλογούμενος ἐξ αὐτῶν, δεδεκάτωκεν Ἀβραάμ, καὶ τὸν ἔχοντα τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, εὐλόγηκεν.
7 There's no argument that the lesser person is blessed by the one who is greater.
Χωρὶς δὲ πάσης ἀντιλογίας, τὸ ἔλαττον ὑπὸ τοῦ κρείττονος εὐλογεῖται.
8 In the one case tithes are received by men who die, but in the other by one who is said to be living.
Καὶ ὧδε μὲν δεκάτας ἀποθνῄσκοντες ἄνθρωποι λαμβάνουσιν, ἐκεῖ δὲ μαρτυρούμενος ὅτι ζῇ.
9 So you could say that Levi, the one who receives tithes, has paid tithes through being a descendant of Abraham,
Καὶ ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, διʼ Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ Λευεὶς, ὁ δεκάτας λαμβάνων, δεδεκάτωται.
10 for he was yet to be born from his father when Melchizedek met Abraham.
Ἔτι γὰρ ἐν τῇ ὀσφύϊ τοῦ πατρὸς ἦν, ὅτε συνήντησεν αὐτῷ Μελχισέδεκ.
11 Now if perfection could have been achieved through the priesthood of Levi (for that's how the law was received), what was the need for another priest to come following the order of Melchizedek, and not following the order of Aaron?
Εἰ μὲν οὖν τελείωσις διὰ τῆς Λευιτικῆς ἱερωσύνης ἦν, ὁ λαὸς γὰρ ἐπʼ αὐτῆς νενομοθέτηται, τίς ἔτι χρεία κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισέδεκ, ἕτερον ἀνίστασθαι ἱερέα, καὶ οὐ κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Ἀαρὼν λέγεσθαι;
12 If the priesthood is changed, then the law needs to be changed too.
Μετατιθεμένης γὰρ τῆς ἱερωσύνης, ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ νόμου μετάθεσις γίνεται.
13 The one we're talking about comes from a different tribe, a tribe that has never provided priests to serve at the altar.
Ἐφʼ ὃν γὰρ λέγεται ταῦτα, φυλῆς ἑτέρας μετέσχηκεν, ἀφʼ ἧς οὐδεὶς προσέσχηκεν τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ.
14 It's clear that our Lord is a descendant of Judah, and Moses said nothing about priests coming from this tribe.
Πρόδηλον γὰρ, ὅτι ἐξ Ἰούδα ἀνατέταλκεν ὁ ˚Κύριος ἡμῶν, εἰς ἣν φυλὴν περὶ ἱερέων οὐδὲν Μωϋσῆς ἐλάλησεν.
15 What makes it even clearer is when another priest appears who is similar to Melchizedek,
Καὶ περισσότερον ἔτι κατάδηλόν ἐστιν, εἰ κατὰ τὴν ὁμοιότητα Μελχισέδεκ, ἀνίσταται ἱερεὺς ἕτερος,
16 and who didn't become a priest by virtue of his human ancestry but by the power of a life that cannot be ended.
ὃς οὐ κατὰ νόμον ἐντολῆς σαρκίνης γέγονεν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ δύναμιν ζωῆς ἀκαταλύτου.
17 That's why it says, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” (aiōn )
Μαρτυρεῖται γὰρ, ὅτι “Σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισέδεκ.” (aiōn )
18 So the previous rule has been set aside because it was powerless and didn't work,
Ἀθέτησις μὲν γὰρ γίνεται προαγούσης ἐντολῆς, διὰ τὸ αὐτῆς ἀσθενὲς καὶ ἀνωφελές,
19 (for the law didn't make anything perfect). But now it's been replaced by a better hope by which we can come close to God.
(οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐτελείωσεν ὁ νόμος), ἐπεισαγωγὴ δὲ κρείττονος ἐλπίδος, διʼ ἧς ἐγγίζομεν τῷ ˚Θεῷ.
20 This was not without an oath, even though those who become priests do so without an oath.
Καὶ καθʼ ὅσον οὐ χωρὶς ὁρκωμοσίας, οἱ μὲν γὰρ χωρὶς ὁρκωμοσίας εἰσὶν ἱερεῖς γεγονότες,
21 But he became a priest with an oath because God told him, “The Lord has taken a solemn vow and will not change his mind: You are a priest forever.” (aiōn )
ὁ δὲ μετὰ ὁρκωμοσίας διὰ τοῦ λέγοντος πρὸς αὐτόν, “Ὤμοσεν ˚Κύριος, καὶ οὐ μεταμεληθήσεται, ‘Σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα’”, (aiōn )
22 This is how Jesus became the guarantee of an agreed relationship with God that is so much better.
κατὰ τοσοῦτο καὶ κρείττονος διαθήκης, γέγονεν ἔγγυος, ˚Ἰησοῦς.
23 There have been many priests because death prevented them from being able to continue;
Καὶ οἱ μὲν πλείονές εἰσιν γεγονότες ἱερεῖς, διὰ τὸ θανάτῳ κωλύεσθαι παραμένειν·
24 but since Jesus lives forever, his priesthood is permanent. (aiōn )
ὁ δὲ διὰ τὸ μένειν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ἀπαράβατον ἔχει τὴν ἱερωσύνην. (aiōn )
25 As a result he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, living always to plead their case on their behalf.
Ὅθεν καὶ σῴζειν εἰς τὸ παντελὲς δύναται, τοὺς προσερχομένους διʼ αὐτοῦ τῷ ˚Θεῷ, πάντοτε ζῶν εἰς τὸ ἐντυγχάνειν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν.
26 He is exactly the high priest we need: holy and without fault, pure and separate from sinners, and given a place in the highest heavens.
Τοιοῦτος γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ ἔπρεπεν ἀρχιερεύς, ὅσιος, ἄκακος, ἀμίαντος, κεχωρισμένος ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, καὶ ὑψηλότερος τῶν οὐρανῶν γενόμενος·
27 Unlike those human high priests, he doesn't need to offer a daily sacrifice for his sins and then the sins of the people. He did this once, and for everyone, when he offered himself.
ὃς οὐκ ἔχει καθʼ ἡμέραν ἀνάγκην, ὥσπερ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς, πρότερον ὑπὲρ τῶν ἰδίων ἁμαρτιῶν θυσίας ἀναφέρειν, ἔπειτα τῶν τοῦ λαοῦ· τοῦτο γὰρ ἐποίησεν ἐφάπαξ, ἑαυτὸν ἀνενέγκας.
28 The law appoints imperfect men as high priests, but God gave his solemn vow after the law, and appointed his Son, perfect forever. (aiōn )
Ὁ νόμος γὰρ ἀνθρώπους καθίστησιν ἀρχιερεῖς ἔχοντας ἀσθένειαν, ὁ λόγος δὲ τῆς ὁρκωμοσίας, τῆς μετὰ τὸν νόμον, Υἱόν, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τετελειωμένον. (aiōn )