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,
[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 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”.
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 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.
[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 Ta mwĩciirie ũrĩa aarĩ mũnene: Atĩ o na ithe witũ Iburahĩmu nĩamũgaĩire gĩcunjĩ gĩa ikũmi kĩa indo iria aatahĩte!
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 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.
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 No mũndũ ũcio ndaarĩ wa rũciaro rwa Lawi, no nĩamũkĩrire gĩcunjĩ gĩa ikũmi kuuma kũrĩ Iburahĩmu, na akĩrathima ũcio werĩirwo ciĩranĩro.
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 Na hatirĩ nganja atĩ mũndũ ũrĩa mũnini nĩwe ũrathimagwo nĩ ũrĩa mũnene.
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 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 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 O na mũndũ no oige atĩ Lawi, ũcio ũrutagĩrwo gĩcunjĩ kĩu gĩa ikũmi, we mwene nĩarutire gĩcunjĩ kĩu na njĩra ya Iburahĩmu,
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 tondũ hĩndĩ ĩrĩa Melikisedeki aacemanirie na Iburahĩmu, Lawi aarĩ mũthiimo-inĩ wa ithe ũcio wa tene.
since [the sperm from which all those priests were eventually born] was still in Abraham’s body [EUP] 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?
[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 Nĩgũkorwo ũhoro wa ũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũngĩgarũrĩrwo-rĩ, o naguo watho no nginya ũgarũrĩrwo.
[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 Nake mũndũ ũrĩa maũndũ maya maarĩtio nĩ ũndũ wake oimĩte mũhĩrĩga-inĩ ũngĩ, ũrĩa gũtarĩ mũndũ waguo ũrĩ watungatĩra Ngai kĩgongona-inĩ.
[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 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.
[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 Na rĩrĩ, ũhoro ũrĩa twarĩtie no ũmenyeke wega makĩria angĩkorwo mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũngĩ ũtariĩ ta Melikisedeki nĩonekanĩte,
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 ũrĩa ũtuĩkĩte mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai, na ti kũringana na mũtugo wa rũciaro rwake, no nĩ tondũ wa ũhoti wa muoyo ũrĩa ũtathiraga.
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).
17 Nĩgũkorwo nĩkuumbũrĩtwo atĩrĩ: “Wee ũrĩ mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai nginya tene, o ta ũrĩa Melikisedeki aatariĩ.” (aiōn g165)
[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 Watho wa mbere nĩũtiganĩtwo naguo tondũ ndwarĩ na hinya na ũkaaga bata
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 (nĩgũkorwo watho ndũrĩ ũndũ watũmire wagĩrĩre kũna), no nĩtũheetwo kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro kĩega makĩria kĩrĩa gĩtũhotithagia gũkuhĩrĩria Ngai.
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 Na ũndũ ũyũ ndwekirwo hatarĩ mwĩhĩtwa! Andũ acio angĩ nĩmatuĩkaga athĩnjĩri-Ngai hatarĩ mwĩhĩtwa,
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 nowe aatuĩkire mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai na mwĩhĩtwa, rĩrĩa Ngai aamwĩrire atĩrĩ: “Jehova nĩehĩtĩte, na ndangĩĩricũkwo, akoiga atĩrĩ: ‘Wee ũrĩ mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai nginya tene.’” (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 Nĩ ũndũ wa mwĩhĩtwa ũyũ, Jesũ nĩatuĩkĩte mũrũgamĩrĩri wa kĩrĩkanĩro kĩrĩa kĩega makĩria.
Because of that, Jesus guarantees that [the new] covenant will be better [than the old one].
23 Ningĩ-rĩ, nĩgũkoretwo na athĩnjĩri-Ngai aingĩ ta acio hau mbere, nĩgũkorwo nĩmakuaga magakĩgirio gũthiĩ na mbere na ũtungata ũcio.
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].
24 No tondũ Jesũ atũũraga muoyo nginya tene-rĩ, ũthĩnjĩri-Ngai wake nĩ wa gũtũũra nginya tene. (aiōn g165)
But because [Jesus] lives eternally, he will continue to be a Supreme Priest forever. (aiōn g165)
25 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio nĩahotaga kũhonokia kũna arĩa othe mokaga kũrĩ Ngai magereire harĩ we, nĩgũkorwo egũtũũra amathaithanagĩrĩra.
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 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.
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 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.
[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 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)
[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)
