Hebraeer 7
1 Denn dieser Melchisedek (König zu Salem, Priester Gottes, des Allerhöchsten, der Abraham entgegenkam, als er von der Niederwerfung der Könige zurückkehrte, und ihn segnete,
[Now I will say more about] this [man] Melchizedek. He was the king of Salem [city and was] a priest of God, the one who is greater [than anyone else]. He met Abraham who was returning [home] after [he and his men] had defeated the [armies of four] kings [SYN]. Melchizedek [asked God to] bless Abraham.
2 dem auch Abraham den Zehnten von allem gab, der zunächst, wenn man [seinen Namen] übersetzt, «König der Gerechtigkeit» heißt, dann aber auch «König von Salem», das heißt König des Friedens,
Then Abraham gave to him one tenth of all [the spoils he] took after winning [the battle. Melchizedek’s name] means firstly ‘king [who rules] righteously’, and since Salem means ‘peace’, he was the ‘king [who rules] peacefully’.
3 ohne Vater, ohne Mutter, ohne Geschlechtsregister, der weder Anfang der Tage noch Ende des Lebens hat), der ist mit dem Sohne Gottes verglichen und bleibt Priester für immerdar.
[In the Scriptures there is] no [record of who his] father [was], nor [is there any record of who his] mother [was], nor [is there any record of who his] ancestors [were]. There is no [record of when he was] born, nor [is there any record of when he] died. [For these reasons], [it is as though] he continues to be a priest forever, and for this reason he is like God’s Son.
4 Sehet aber, wie groß der ist, dem auch Abraham, der Patriarch, den Zehnten von der Beute gab!
You can realize how great this [man Melchizedek was] from the fact that Abraham, [our famous] ancestor, gave him (a tithe/one tenth) of the spoils [from the battle].
5 Zwar haben auch diejenigen von den Söhnen Levis, welche das Priesteramt empfangen, den Auftrag, vom Volke den Zehnten zu nehmen nach dem Gesetz, also von ihren Brüdern, obschon diese aus Abrahams Lenden hervorgegangen sind;
According to the laws [God gave Moses], the descendants of [Abraham’s great-grandson] Levi, who were priests, should take tithes from [God’s] people who were their relatives, even though those people also were Abraham’s descendants.
6 der aber, der sein Geschlecht nicht von ihnen herleitet, hat von Abraham den Zehnten genommen und den gesegnet, der die Verheißungen hatte!
But this man [Melchizedek], who was not among the descendants [of Levi], took tithes from Abraham. He also [asked God to] bless Abraham, the man to whom [God] promised [many descendants].
7 Nun ist es aber unwidersprechlich so, daß das Geringere von dem Höheren gesegnet wird;
We know for certain that it is the more [important people] who [ask God to] bless the less important people. [And Melchizedek blessed Abraham. So we conclude that Melchizedek was greater than Abraham].
8 und hier zwar nehmen sterbliche Menschen den Zehnten, dort aber einer, von welchem bezeugt wird, daß er lebt.
In the case of [the priests who are descendants of Levi], men who some day will die receive tithes. But in the case of [Melchizedek it is as if God] testifies that he was still living, [since there is no record in Scriptures about his death].
9 Und sozusagen ist durch Abraham auch für Levi, den Zehntenempfänger, der Zehnte entrichtet worden;
And it was as though Levi himself, and [all the priests descended from him]—who received tithes [from the people]—paid tithes [to Melchizedek]. And when Abraham paid tithes, it [was as though Levi and all the priests descended from him acknowledged that the work Melchizedek did as a priest was greater than the work Levi did],
10 denn er war noch in der Lende des Vaters, als dieser mit Melchisedek zusammentraf!
since [the sperm from which all those priests were eventually born] was still in Abraham’s body [EUP] when Melchizedek met Abraham.
11 Wenn nun das Vollkommenheit wäre, was durch das levitische Priestertum kam (denn unter diesem hat das Volk das Gesetz empfangen), wozu wäre es noch nötig, daß ein anderer Priester «nach der Ordnung Melchisedeks» auftrete und nicht einer «nach der Ordnung Aarons» bezeichnet werde?
[God] gave his laws to his people at the same time he gave regulations about the priests. So, if what the priests who were descended from Levi did could have provided a way for God to completely [forgive] people [for disobeying those laws], certainly no other priest like Melchizedek would have been necessary. [RHQ] Instead, priests who were descended from Aaron, [Levi’s descendant, would have been adequate].
12 Denn wenn das Priestertum verändert wird, so muß notwendigerweise auch eine Änderung des Gesetzes erfolgen.
[But we know they were not adequate, because a new type of priest like Melchizedek has come]. And since [God] has appointed a new type of priest, he also had to change the regulations [concerning how priests were appointed] {[he appointed priests]}.
13 Denn der, auf welchen sich jener Ausspruch bezieht, gehört einem andern Stamme an, von welchem keiner des Altars gepflegt hat;
[Jesus], the one about whom I am saying these things, is a descendant of someone else, [not a descendant of Levi]. None of the men from whom Jesus descended ever served as priests [MTY].
14 denn es ist ja bekannt, daß unser Herr aus Juda entsprossen ist, zu welchem Stamm Mose nichts auf Priester bezügliches geredet hat.
[We know that] since it is obvious that it is from [the tribe of] Judah that our Lord was descended. Moses never said that any of Judah’s descendants would [become] priests.
15 Und noch viel klarer liegt die Sache, wenn nach der Ähnlichkeit mit Melchisedek ein anderer Priester aufsteht,
Furthermore, [we know that the priests who were descended from Levi were inadequate, since] it is even more obvious that another priest has appeared who is like Melchizedek.
16 welcher es nicht nach dem Gesetz eines fleischlichen Gebotes geworden ist, sondern nach der Kraft unauflöslichen Lebens;
Jesus became a priest, but not because [he fulfilled] what [God’s] law required [about being a descendant of Levi]. Instead, he has the kind of power that [came from a] life that nothing can destroy (OR, [enabled him to] live [again after he was] killed).
[We know this] since [God] confirmed it in [the Scripture passage in which he said to his Son], You [(sg)] are a priest eternally just like Melchizedek was a priest. (aiōn g165)
18 Da erfolgt ja sogar eine Aufhebung des vorher gültigen Gebotes, seiner Schwachheit und Nutzlosigkeit wegen
On the one hand, God canceled what he commanded previously [concerning the priests] because it failed in every way to enable anyone [to become all that God intended].
19 (denn das Gesetz hat nichts zur Vollkommenheit gebracht), zugleich aber die Einführung einer besseren Hoffnung, durch welche wir Gott nahen können.
Remember that no one was able to become all that God intended [by obeying] the laws [that God gave Moses]. On the other hand, [God caused that we could] confidently expect better things [than we could expect by obeying God’s laws]. [He did that by his establishing Christ as priest]. Now by means of [Christ sacrificing himself for us] we can come near to God.
20 Und um so mehr, als dies nicht ohne Eidschwur geschah; denn jene sind ohne Eidschwur Priester geworden,
Furthermore, [when God appointed Christ, it was when God] solemnly declared [that Christ would be a priest] [LIT]. When [God appointed former] priests, it was not by his solemnly declaring [that they would be priests].
21 dieser aber mit einem Eid durch den, der zu ihm sprach: «Der Herr hat geschworen und es wird ihn nicht gereuen: Du bist Priester in Ewigkeit»; (aiōn g165)
However, when he [appointed Christ to be a priest], it was by these words that [the Psalmist wrote in Scripture]: The Lord has solemnly declared [to the Messiah], —and he will not change his mind— “You will be a priest forever!” (aiōn g165)
22 um so viel mehr ist Jesus auch eines bessern Bundes Bürge geworden.
Because of that, Jesus guarantees that [the new] covenant will be better [than the old one].
23 Und jene sind in großer Anzahl Priester geworden, weil der Tod sie am Bleiben verhinderte;
And formerly, the priests could not keep serving [as priests], because they all died [PRS]. So there were many priests [to take the place of the ones who died].
But because [Jesus] lives eternally, he will continue to be a Supreme Priest forever. (aiōn g165)
25 Daher kann er auch bis aufs äußerste die retten, welche durch ihn zu Gott kommen, da er immerdar lebt, um für sie einzutreten!
So, he can completely and eternally save those who come to God by [trusting in what Jesus has done for them], since he lives forever to plead [with God] to help them.
26 Denn ein solcher Hoherpriester geziemte uns, der heilig, unschuldig, unbefleckt, von den Sündern abgesondert und höher als der Himmel ist,
Jesus is the kind of Supreme Priest that we need. He was holy; he did no wrong; he was completely innocent. [God] has now taken him up to the highest heaven separated from [living among] sinners.
27 der nicht wie die Hohenpriester täglich nötig hat, zuerst für die eigenen Sünden Opfer darzubringen, darnach für die des Volkes; denn das hat er ein für allemal getan, indem er sich selbst zum Opfer brachte.
[The other] Supreme Priests need to sacrifice [animals] day by day [as well as year by year]. They do this, firstly, [to atone] for their own sins, and then [to atone for other] people [who have sinned]. [But because Jesus never sinned], he does not need to atone for his own sin. The only thing [he needed to do to save people] was to sacrifice himself once!
28 Denn das Gesetz macht Menschen zu Hohenpriestern, die mit Schwachheit behaftet sind, das Wort des Eidschwurs aber, der nach der Zeit des Gesetzes erfolgte, den Sohn, welcher für alle Ewigkeit vollendet ist. (aiōn g165)
[We need a Supreme Priest like] him, because in the laws [that God gave Moses] [PRS] the ones who would be appointed to be priests would be men who tended [to sin easily]. But [God] solemnly [declared] [PRS] after [he had given] his laws [to Moses] that [he would appoint] (his Son/the man who is also God) [to be a Supreme Priest. Now] ([his Son/the man who is also God]) has forever become all that God intends him to be. (aiōn g165)
