Ahibirania 7
1 Atĩrĩrĩ, Melikisedeki ũcio aarĩ mũthamaki wa Salemu na mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai, o Ngai-Ũrĩa-ũrĩ-Igũrũ-Mũno. Nĩwe watũngire Iburahĩmu akĩinũka aarĩkia kũhoota athamaki, na akĩmũrathima,
It was this Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and gave him his blessing;
2 nake Iburahĩmu akĩmũhe gĩcunjĩ gĩa ikũmi kĩa indo ciothe. Rĩĩtwa rĩake rĩgĩtaũrwo mbere nĩ kuuga “mũthamaki wa ũthingu”; ningĩ “mũthamaki wa Salemu” nĩ kuuga “mũthamaki wa thayũ”.
and it was to him that Abraham allotted a tithe of all the spoil. The meaning of his name is ‘king of righteousness,’ and besides that, he was also king of Salem, which means ‘king of peace.’
3 Ndaarĩ na ithe kana nyina, kana kĩruka gĩake, na ndaarĩ na kĩambĩrĩria kĩa matukũ kana mũthia wa muoyo wake, nĩ ũndũ ũcio, we ahaana ta Mũrũ wa Ngai, egũtũũra arĩ mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai nginya tene.
There is no record of his father, or mother, or lineage, nor again of any beginning of his days, or end of his life. In this he resembles the Son of God, and stands before us as a priest whose priesthood is continuous.
4 Ta mwĩciirie ũrĩa aarĩ mũnene: Atĩ o na ithe witũ Iburahĩmu nĩamũgaĩire gĩcunjĩ gĩa ikũmi kĩa indo iria aatahĩte!
Consider, then the importance of this Melchizedek, to whom even the patriarch Abraham himself gave a tithe of the choicest spoils.
5 Na rĩrĩ, watho uugĩte atĩ andũ a rũciaro rwa Lawi arĩa matuĩkaga athĩnjĩri-Ngai metagie gĩcunjĩ gĩa ikũmi kuuma kũrĩ andũ, ũguo nĩ kuuga ariũ a ithe wao, o na gwatuĩka ariũ a ithe wao nĩ a rũciaro rwa Iburahĩmu.
Those descendants of Levi, who are from time to time appointed to the priesthood, are directed to collect tithes from the people in accordance with the Law – that is from their own kindred, although they also are descended from Abraham.
6 No mũndũ ũcio ndaarĩ wa rũciaro rwa Lawi, no nĩamũkĩrire gĩcunjĩ gĩa ikũmi kuuma kũrĩ Iburahĩmu, na akĩrathima ũcio werĩirwo ciĩranĩro.
But Melchizedek, although not of this lineage, received tithes from Abraham, and gave his blessing to the man who had God’s promises.
7 Na hatirĩ nganja atĩ mũndũ ũrĩa mũnini nĩwe ũrathimagwo nĩ ũrĩa mũnene.
Now no one can dispute that it is the superior who blesses the inferior.
8 Tũgakĩona atĩ, mwena ũmwe gĩcunjĩ kĩu gĩa ikũmi kĩũnganagio nĩ andũ arĩa macookaga gũkua, na nĩo Alawii; naguo mwena ũcio ũngĩ, kĩrutagĩrwo mũndũ ũrĩa uumbũrĩtwo ũhoro wake atĩ atũũraga o muoyo.
In the one case the tithes are received by people who are mortal; in the other case by one about whom there is the statement that his life still continues.
9 O na mũndũ no oige atĩ Lawi, ũcio ũrutagĩrwo gĩcunjĩ kĩu gĩa ikũmi, we mwene nĩarutire gĩcunjĩ kĩu na njĩra ya Iburahĩmu,
Moreover, in a sense, even Levi, who is the receiver of the tithes, has, through Abraham, paid tithes;
10 tondũ hĩndĩ ĩrĩa Melikisedeki aacemanirie na Iburahĩmu, Lawi aarĩ mũthiimo-inĩ wa ithe ũcio wa tene.
for Levi was still in the body of his ancestor when Melchizedek met Abraham.
11 Korwo ũkinyanĩru kũna nĩũngĩonekanire na njĩra ya ũthĩnjĩri Ngai wa Alawii-rĩ, (nĩ ũndũ kĩrĩndĩ kĩaheirwo watho na njĩra ĩyo), gwakĩrĩ bata ũngĩ ũrĩkũ gũũke mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũngĩ, ũtariĩ ta Melikisedeki, na ndatuĩke ta wa nyũmba ya Harũni?
If, then, perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood – and it was under this priesthood that the people received the Law – why was it still necessary that a priest of a different order should appear, a priest of the order of Melchizedek and not of the order of Aaron?
12 Nĩgũkorwo ũhoro wa ũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũngĩgarũrĩrwo-rĩ, o naguo watho no nginya ũgarũrĩrwo.
With the change of the priesthood a change of the Law became a necessity.
13 Nake mũndũ ũrĩa maũndũ maya maarĩtio nĩ ũndũ wake oimĩte mũhĩrĩga-inĩ ũngĩ, ũrĩa gũtarĩ mũndũ waguo ũrĩ watungatĩra Ngai kĩgongona-inĩ.
And he of whom all this is said belonged to quite a different tribe, no member of which has ever served at the altar.
14 Nĩgũkorwo nĩkũĩkaine wega atĩ Mwathani witũ oimire mũhĩrĩga-inĩ wa Juda, na ha ũhoro wa mũhĩrĩga ũcio-rĩ, Musa ndaigana kuuga ũndũ o na ũrĩkũ ũkoniĩ athĩnjĩri-Ngai.
For it is plain that our Lord had sprung from the tribe of Judah, though of that tribe Moses said nothing about their being priests.
15 Na rĩrĩ, ũhoro ũrĩa twarĩtie no ũmenyeke wega makĩria angĩkorwo mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũngĩ ũtariĩ ta Melikisedeki nĩonekanĩte,
All this becomes even yet plainer when we remember that a new priest has appeared, resembling Melchizedek,
16 ũrĩa ũtuĩkĩte mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai, na ti kũringana na mũtugo wa rũciaro rwake, no nĩ tondũ wa ũhoti wa muoyo ũrĩa ũtathiraga.
and that he was appointed, not under a Law regulating only earthly matters, but by virtue of a life beyond the reach of death;
17 Nĩgũkorwo nĩkuumbũrĩtwo atĩrĩ: “Wee ũrĩ mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai nginya tene, o ta ũrĩa Melikisedeki aatariĩ.” (aiōn g165)
for that is the meaning of the declaration – ‘You are for all time a priest of the order of Melchizedek.’ (aiōn g165)
18 Watho wa mbere nĩũtiganĩtwo naguo tondũ ndwarĩ na hinya na ũkaaga bata
On the one hand, we have the abolition of a previous regulation as being both inefficient and useless
19 (nĩgũkorwo watho ndũrĩ ũndũ watũmire wagĩrĩre kũna), no nĩtũheetwo kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro kĩega makĩria kĩrĩa gĩtũhotithagia gũkuhĩrĩria Ngai.
(for the Law never brought anything to perfection); and, on the other hand, we have the introduction of a better hope, which enables us to draw near to God.
20 Na ũndũ ũyũ ndwekirwo hatarĩ mwĩhĩtwa! Andũ acio angĩ nĩmatuĩkaga athĩnjĩri-Ngai hatarĩ mwĩhĩtwa,
Then again, the appointment of this new priest was ratified by an oath, which is not so with the Levitical priests,
21 nowe aatuĩkire mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai na mwĩhĩtwa, rĩrĩa Ngai aamwĩrire atĩrĩ: “Jehova nĩehĩtĩte, na ndangĩĩricũkwo, akoiga atĩrĩ: ‘Wee ũrĩ mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai nginya tene.’” (aiōn g165)
but his appointment was ratified by an oath, when God said to him – ‘The Lord has sworn, and will not change, “You are a priest for all time.”’ (aiōn g165)
22 Nĩ ũndũ wa mwĩhĩtwa ũyũ, Jesũ nĩatuĩkĩte mũrũgamĩrĩri wa kĩrĩkanĩro kĩrĩa kĩega makĩria.
And the oath shows the corresponding superiority of the covenant of which Jesus is appointed the surety.
23 Ningĩ-rĩ, nĩgũkoretwo na athĩnjĩri-Ngai aingĩ ta acio hau mbere, nĩgũkorwo nĩmakuaga magakĩgirio gũthiĩ na mbere na ũtungata ũcio.
Again, new Levitical priests are continually being appointed, because death prevents their remaining in office;
24 No tondũ Jesũ atũũraga muoyo nginya tene-rĩ, ũthĩnjĩri-Ngai wake nĩ wa gũtũũra nginya tene. (aiōn g165)
but Jesus remains for all time, and therefore the priesthood that he holds will never pass to another. (aiōn g165)
25 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio nĩahotaga kũhonokia kũna arĩa othe mokaga kũrĩ Ngai magereire harĩ we, nĩgũkorwo egũtũũra amathaithanagĩrĩra.
And that is why he is able to save perfectly those who come to God through him, living for ever, as he does, to intercede of their behalf.
26 Tondũ nĩ kwagĩrĩire tũgĩe na mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai mũnene ta ũcio, atũhingagĩrie bata witũ, na akorwo arĩ mũtheru, na atarĩ ũcuuke, kana rĩhia, na aamũranĩtio na ehia, o na agatũũgĩrio igũrũ rĩa igũrũ.
This was the high priest that we needed – holy, innocent, spotless, withdrawn from sinners, exalted above the highest heaven,
27 We ndekũbatara kũruta magongona mũthenya o mũthenya ta ũrĩa athĩnjĩri-Ngai anene acio angĩ meekaga, mbere nĩ ũndũ wa mehia make mwene, na thuutha ũcio nĩ ũndũ wa mehia ma kĩrĩndĩ. We nĩarutire igongona nĩ ũndũ wa mehia mao ihinda o rĩmwe rĩa kũigana hĩndĩ ĩrĩa eerutire we mwene.
one who has no need to offer sacrifices daily as those high priests have, first for their own sins, and then for those of the people. For this he did once and for all, when he offered himself as the sacrifice.
28 Nĩgũkorwo watho ũtuaga andũ matarĩ hinya athĩnjĩri Ngai anene; no mwĩhĩtwa, ũrĩa wokire thuutha wa watho, nĩwaamũrire Mũriũ, ũrĩa ũtuĩkĩte mwagĩrĩru kũna nginya tene. (aiōn g165)
The Law appoints as high priests men who are weak, but the words of God’s oath, which was later than the Law, name the Son as, for all time, the perfect priest. (aiōn g165)
