< Abaebbulaniya 7 >
1 Merukizeddeeki yali kabaka w’e Ssaalemi, era yali kabona wa Katonda Ali Waggulu Ennyo. Ibulayimu bwe yali ng’ava mu lutalo mwe yattira bakabaka, Merukizeddeeki n’amusisinkana, n’amusabira omukisa.
[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 Ne Ibulayimu n’awa Merukizeddeeki ekitundu eky’ekkumi ekya byonna bye yanyaga. Okusooka erinnya Merukizeddeeki litegeeza nti Kabaka ow’Obutuukirivu. Ate era litegeeza kabaka w’e Ssaalemi ekitegeeza nti ye kabaka ow’emirembe.
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 Merukizeddeeki taliiko kitaawe oba nnyina. Ennaku ze teziriiko ntandikwa wadde enkomerero, era n’obulamu bwe tebukoma. Asigala kabona emirembe gyonna, ng’Omwana wa Katonda.
[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 Kale mulabe Merukizeddeeki oyo nga bwe yali omukulu! Ibulayimu jjajjaffe yamuwa ekimu eky’ekkumi ekya byonna bye yanyaga.
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 N’abo abazzukulu ba Leevi abaaweebwa obwakabona, balagirwa okusoloozanga ekimu eky’ekkumi ng’etteeka bwe ligamba, newaakubadde nga baava mu ntumbwe za Ibulayimu, kwe kugamba nti nabo baganda baabwe.
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 Naye oyo ataabalibwa mu kika kyabwe, yafuna ekimu eky’ekkumi okuva eri Ibulayimu, Merukizeddeeki n’asabira omukisa oyo eyalina ebyasuubizibwa.
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 Tewali kubuusabuusa omukulu y’asabira omuto omukisa.
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 Mu ngeri emu, ekimu eky’ekkumi kiweebwa eri abantu abafa, naye mu ngeri endala, kiweebwa eri oyo akakasibwa nga mulamu.
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 Noolwekyo ka tugambe nti okuyita mu Ibulayimu, ne Leevi aweebwa ekimu eky’ekkumi, naye yawaayo ekimu eky’ekkumi.
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 Yali akyali mu ntumbwe za jjajjaawe, Merukizeddeeki bwe yamusisinkana.
since [the sperm from which all those priests were eventually born] was still in Abraham’s body [EUP] when Melchizedek met Abraham.
11 Kale singa okutuukirira kwaliwo lwa bwakabona obw’Ekileevi, kubanga abantu baaweebwa amateeka nga gasinzira ku bwo, kiki ekyetaaza kabona omulala okuva mu lubu lwa Merukizeddeeki, mu kifo ky’okuva mu lubu lwa Alooni?
[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 Kubanga bwe wabaawo okukyusibwa mu bwakababona, era kiba kyetaagisa n’okukyusa mu mateeka.
[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 Oyo ayogerwako ebigambo ebyo wa kika kirala omutaavanga muntu eyali aweerezaako ku Kyoto.
[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 Kubanga kimanyiddwa nga Mukama waffe yava mu Yuda ekika Musa ky’ataayogerako bigambo bya bwakabona.
[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 Era kitegeerekeka nga wazeewo Kabona omulala mu kifaananyi kya Merukizeddeeki,
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 atassibwawo ng’amateeka ag’ebiragiro eby’omubiri bwe gali, wabula ng’amaanyi bwe gali ag’obulamu obutaggwaawo.
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 Kubanga Kristo ayogerwako nti, “Oli kabona okutuusa emirembe gyonna ng’olubu lwa Merukizeddeeki bwe luli.” (aiōn )
[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 )
18 Ekiragiro ekyasooka kijjululwa olw’obunafu n’olw’obutagasa bwakyo,
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 kubanga amateeka tegaliiko kye gatuukiriza, wabula essubi erisinga obulungi, mwe tuyita okusemberera Katonda.
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 Era kino tekyakolebwa watali kirayiro. Waliwo abaafuulibwa bakabona awatali kirayiro,
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 naye ye yafuulibwa kabona mu kirayiro, ng’ayita mu oyo amwogerako nti, “Mukama yalayira era tagenda kwejjusa: ‘Oli kabona emirembe gyonna.’” (aiōn )
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 )
22 Yesu kyeyava afuuka omuyima w’endagaano esinga obulungi.
Because of that, Jesus guarantees that [the new] covenant will be better [than the old one].
23 Bangi abaafuulibwa bakabona kubanga baafanga ne basikirwa.
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 Naye olwokubanga Yesu abeerera emirembe gyonna, alina obwakabona obutakyukakyuka. (aiōn )
But because [Jesus] lives eternally, he will continue to be a Supreme Priest forever. (aiōn )
25 Era kyava ayinza okulokolera ddala abajja eri Katonda ku bubwe, kubanga abeera mulamu ennaku zonna okubawolereza.
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 Noolwekyo Kabona Asinga Obukulu afaanana bw’atyo ye yatusaanira, omutukuvu, ataliiko musango, wadde ebbala, eyayawulibwa okuva ku abo abalina ebibi, era eyagulumizibwa okusinga eggulu,
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 ataliiko kye yeetaaga ekya buli lunaku, nga bakabona abakulu abalala, okusooka okuwangayo ssaddaaka olw’ebibi bye ye, n’oluvannyuma olw’ebyo eby’abantu abalala. Ekyo yakikola omulundi gumu, bwe yeewaayo yennyini.
[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 Amateeka gaalondanga abantu okuba Bakabona Abasinga Obukulu n’obunafu bwabwe, naye ekigambo eky’ekirayiro, ekyaddirira amateeka, kironda Omwana eyatuukirira okutuusa emirembe gyonna. (aiōn )
[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 )