Ndị Hibru 7
1 Melkizedek a bụ eze Salem, bụrụkwa onye nchụaja Chineke Onye kachasị ihe niile elu. Ọ zutere Ebraham mgbe o si na mmeri o meriri ọtụtụ ndị eze ahụ na-alọghachi, gọziekwa ya.
[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 Ebraham nyekwara ya otu ụzọ nʼime ụzọ iri nke ihe niile. Ihe mbụ aha ya pụtara bụ, “eze ezi omume,” ọzọkwa bụ “eze nke Salem,” nke pụtara, “eze udo.”
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 O nweghị nna, o nwekwaghị nne, nke ọ na-enwe agbụrụ. O nweghị mmalite nke ụbọchị a mụrụ ya, maọbụ ọgwụgwụ ndụ, e mere ya dị ka Ọkpara Chineke. Ọ na-anọgide bụrụ onye nchụaja ruo mgbe ebighị ebi.
[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 Leenụ otu o siri bụrụ onye dị ukwuu, ọ bụladị Ebraham bụ nna nna anyị nyere ya otu ụzọ nʼime ụzọ iri site nʼihe ọ kwatara nʼagha!
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 Ma otu ọ dị, iwu kwadoro ka ụmụ Livayị bụ ndị ghọrọ ndị nchụaja na-anakọta otu ụzọ nʼime ụzọ iri site nʼaka ndị ọzọ, ya bụ, site nʼaka ndị ụmụnna ha ndị Izrel, nʼagbanyeghị na ụmụnna ha ndị ahụ bụkwa ụmụ ụmụ Ebraham.
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 Ma nwoke a bụ onye na-esiteghị nʼagbụrụ naara otu ụzọ nʼụzọ iri site nʼaka Ebraham ma gọziekwa ya bụ onye ahụ nke natara nkwa ahụ.
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 O nweghị ịrụrịta ụka ọbụla dị ya, na onye dị ukwuu na-agọzi onye dị nta.
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 Nʼotu aka ahụ, ndị na-anata otu ụzọ nʼụzọ iri bụ mmadụ na-anwụ anwụ, ma nʼaka nke ọzọ, onye na-anata ya bụ onye ahụ e kwupụtara na ọ na-adị ndụ.
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 Mmadụ pụrụ isi na Livayị onye natara otu ụzọ nʼụzọ iri kwụrụ otu ụzọ nʼụzọ iri nke ya site nʼaka Ebraham.
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 Nʼihi na mgbe Melkizedek zutere ya, ọ ka nọ nʼafọ nna nna ya.
since [the sperm from which all those priests were eventually born] was still in Abraham’s body [EUP] when Melchizedek met Abraham.
11 Ọ bụrụ na a pụrụ ime ka mmadụ zuo oke site nʼọnọdụ ndị nchụaja ndị Livayị, nʼihi na ọ bụ site nʼiwu e nyere ndị mmadụ ka e ji hiwee ọnọdụ ndị nchụaja. Olee uru ọ bara ka onye nchụaja ọzọ bịa, dị ka usoro Melkizedek si dị, na-abụghị dị ka usoro nke Erọn?
[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 Ebe a gbanwere ọnọdụ ndị nchụaja, nʼotu aka ahụ, a ghaghị ịgbanwekwa iwu.
[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 Nʼihi na onye ahụ e kwuru ihe ndị a banyere ya sitere nʼagbụrụ ọzọ, nke ọ dịbeghị onye ọbụla sitere na ya rụrụ ọrụ dị nʼebe ịchụ aja.
[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 Ọ bụ ihe a mara nke ọma na Onyenwe anyị si nʼagbụrụ Juda pụta, Mosis nʼonwe ya akpọtụghị agbụrụ ahụ aha mgbe ọ na-ekwu banyere ndị nchụaja.
[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 E meela ka a ghọta okwu anyị na-ekwu nke ọma, mgbe onye nchụaja ọzọ yiri Melkizedek pụtara.
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 Onye ghọrọ onye nchụaja ma ọ bụghị site nʼusoro iwu nke ọmụmụ ndị nchụaja, kama site nʼike dị na ndụ nke na-apụghị ịla nʼiyi.
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 Nʼihi na-agbara akaebe banyere ya, sị, “Gị onwe gị, bụ onye nchụaja ruo mgbe ebighị ebi, dị ka usoro Melkizedek si dị.” (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 Nʼotu aka ahụ, e wezugala usoro iwu ochie ahụ nʼihi adịghị ike ya na nʼihi abaghị uru ya
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 (nʼihi na iwu ahụ emeghị ka ihe ọbụla zuo oke), ma nʼaka nke ọzọ, e webatala olileanya ka mma, bụ nke anyị na-esite na ya bịaruo Chineke nso.
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 Ma e ji ịṅụ iyi mee ka ọnọdụ onyeisi nchụaja a guzosie ike. O nweghị iyi a ṅụrụ mgbe ndị ọzọ ghọrọ ndị nchụaja.
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 Ma onye nke a ghọrọ onye nchụaja site nʼịṅụ iyi mgbe onye ahụ gwara ya, “Onyenwe anyị aṅụọla iyi, ọ gaghị agbanwe obi ya, ‘Ị bụ onye nchụaja ruo mgbe ebighị ebi.’” (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 Nʼihi nke a, Jisọs aghọọla onye na-akwagide ọgbụgba ndụ ka mma.
Because of that, Jesus guarantees that [the new] covenant will be better [than the old one].
23 Ihe ọzọ, ndị nchụaja nke ochie ahụ dị ọtụtụ nʼọnụọgụgụ nʼihi na ọnwụ gbochiri ha ịga nʼihu nʼọrụ ha.
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 Ya mere, ebe ọ na-adị ndụ ruo mgbe ebighị ebi, ọ na-abụkwa onyeisi nchụaja mgbe niile. (aiōn g165)
But because [Jesus] lives eternally, he will continue to be a Supreme Priest forever. (aiōn g165)
25 Ya mere o nwere ike ịzọpụta ruo mgbe niile ndị ahụ na-abịakwute Chineke site na ya, nʼihi na ọ na-adị ndụ ruo mgbe niile ịrịọ arịrịọ nʼihi ha.
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 Ya mere, ọ dị mkpa na anyị ga-enwe onyeisi nchụaja dị otu a, bụ onye dị nsọ, na onye na-enweghị ntụpọ, na onye dị ọcha, na onye e kewapụrụ site nʼebe ndị mmehie nọ, ma buliekwa ya elu karịa nʼeluigwe.
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 Ọ dịghị ka ndịisi nchụaja ndị ọzọ, nʼihi na ọ dịghị mkpa na ọ ga-achụ aja kwa ụbọchị, nʼihi mmehie nke aka ya, na nʼihi mmehie nke ndị ọzọ. Naanị otu aja nke dịrị mgbe niile ka ọ chụrụ maka mmehie mgbe o weere onwe ya nye dị ka aja.
[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 Nʼihi na iwu na-ahọpụta dị ka ndịisi nchụaja ndị mmadụ na-adịghị ike. Ma okwu nke ịṅụ iyi ahụ, nke na-eso iwu nʼazụ, họpụtara Ọkpara, onye e mere ka o zuo oke ruo mgbe ebighị ebi. (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)
