Hepelū 7
1 He ko e Melikiseteke ni, ko e tuʻi ʻo Salema, ko e taulaʻeiki ʻae ʻOtua fungani māʻolunga, ʻaia naʻe fakafetaulaki kia ʻEpalahame ʻi heʻene liu mai mei he tāmateʻi ʻoe ngaahi tuʻi, pea ne tāpuaki ia;
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 ʻAia ne ʻatu ki ai foki ʻe ʻEpalahame hono hongofulu ʻoe vahe ʻoe meʻa kotoa pē; ko e ʻuluaki ʻuhinga [ʻo hono hingoa ]“ko e Tuʻi ʻoe māʻoniʻoni,” pea ko e Tuʻi ʻo Salema, ʻa ia, “ko e Tuʻi ʻoe fiemālie;”
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 Taʻehaʻanetamai, taʻehaʻanefaʻē, taʻehanohohoko, kuo ʻikai ha kamataʻanga ʻo hono ngaahi ʻaho, pe ha ngataʻanga ʻo ʻene moʻui; ka kuo tatau mo e ʻAlo ʻoe ʻOtua; pea nofo ko e taulaʻeiki ʻo lauikuonga.
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 Ko eni, ke tokanga ki hono lahi ʻoe tangata ni, ʻaia naʻe ʻatu ki ai ʻe he muʻaki tamai ko ʻEpalahame hono hongofulu ʻoe vahe ʻoe koloa ʻi he vete.
Consider, then the importance of this Melchizedek, to whom even the patriarch Abraham himself gave a tithe of the choicest spoils.
5 Pea ko e moʻoni ko kinautolu ʻi he ngaahi foha ʻo Livai, ʻoku maʻu ʻae ngaue fakataulaʻeiki, ʻoku ʻiate kinautolu ʻae fekau ʻo fakatatau ki he fono ke toʻo hono hongofulu ʻoe vahe ʻoe meʻa mei he kakai, ʻio, mei honau kāinga, neongo ko e tupu foki ʻakinautolu mei he sino ʻo ʻEpalahame:
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 Ka ko ia ʻoku ʻikai lau hono hohoko meiate kinautolu, ne maʻu ʻe ia hono hongofulu ʻoe vahe ʻoe meʻa mei ʻa ʻEpalahame, mo ne tāpuaki ia ʻaia naʻe ʻaʻana ʻae ngaahi talaʻofa.
But Melchizedek, although not of this lineage, received tithes from Abraham, and gave his blessing to the man who had God’s promises.
7 Pea ko e moʻoni taʻehakikihi ki ai, ʻoku tāpuakiʻi ʻe he lahi hake ʻae siʻi hifo.
Now no one can dispute that it is the superior who blesses the inferior.
8 Pea ʻoku maʻu ʻi heni ʻe he kau tangata ʻoku [hokohoko ]mate pe hono hongofulu ʻoe vahe ʻoe meʻa; kae ʻi hena ʻe ia ʻoku fakamoʻoni ki ai ʻoku moʻui ai pe.
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 Pea hangē ka pehē ʻeku lea, ko Livai foki, ʻaia ʻoku ne maʻu hono hongofulu ʻoe vahe ʻoe meʻa, naʻe ʻatu ʻe ia hono hongofulu ʻoe vahe ia ʻEpalahame:
Moreover, in a sense, even Levi, who is the receiver of the tithes, has, through Abraham, paid tithes;
10 He naʻe kei ʻi he sino ʻo ʻene tamai ia, ʻi he ʻena fetaulaki mo Melekiseteki.
for Levi was still in the body of his ancestor when Melchizedek met Abraham.
11 Ko ia ka ne ai ha haohaoa ʻi he kau taulaʻeiki ʻoe faʻahinga ʻo Livai, (he naʻe maʻu ai ʻe he kakai ʻae fono, ) ko e hā hono ʻaonga ʻoe fokotuʻu mo e taulaʻeiki ʻe taha ʻi he lakanga ʻo Melekiseteki, kae ʻikai ui ʻi he lakanga ʻo ʻElone?
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 He ko e meʻa ʻi he fetongi ʻae kau taulaʻeiki, ʻoku totonu ai foki ke fetongi mo e fono.
With the change of the priesthood a change of the Law became a necessity.
13 He ko ia ʻoku leaʻaki ki ai ʻae ngaahi meʻa ni, ʻoku ʻi he faʻahinga ʻe taha, pea naʻe ʻikai ha taha mei ai ʻe ngaue ʻi he ʻesifeilaulau.
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 He kuo ha moʻoni naʻe tupu ʻa hotau ʻEiki meia Siuta; ʻae faʻahinga ko ia naʻe ʻikai ʻaupito ke lea ki ai ʻa Mōsese ki he ngaue fakataulaʻeiki.
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 Kae muʻa hake eni foki: koeʻuhi kuo fokotuʻu ʻae taulaʻeiki ʻe taha ʻo fakatatau mo Melekiseteki,
All this becomes even yet plainer when we remember that a new priest has appeared, resembling Melchizedek,
16 ʻAia ʻoku fakanofo, kae ʻikai hangē ko e tuʻutuʻuni ʻoe fekau fakakakano, kae fakatatau ki he mālohi ʻoe moʻui taʻengata.
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 He ʻoku ne fakapatonu mai, “Ko e taulaʻeiki koe ʻo lauikuonga ʻi he lakanga ʻo Melekiseteki.” (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 He ʻoku ai moʻoni hono fakangata ʻoe fekau naʻe muʻomuʻa, koeʻuhi ko hono vaivai mo hono taʻeʻaonga.
On the one hand, we have the abolition of a previous regulation as being both inefficient and useless
19 He naʻe ʻikai fakahaohaoa ʻe he fono ha meʻa e taha, ka ko e fakahoko pe ʻoe ʻamanaki lelei; ʻaia ʻoku tau ʻunuʻunu atu ai ki he ʻOtua.
(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 Pea koeʻuhi naʻe ʻikai pehē ia ka ʻi he fuakava:
Then again, the appointment of this new priest was ratified by an oath, which is not so with the Levitical priests,
21 (He naʻe ngaohi ʻakinautolu koe kau taulaʻeiki taʻeha fuakava; ka ko ia ʻi he fuakava ʻiate ia naʻa ne pehē ki ai, “Kuo fuakava ʻe he ʻEiki, pea ʻe ʻikai te ne liliu, Ko e taulaʻeiki koe ʻo lauikuonga ʻi he lakanga ʻo Melekiseteki:”) (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 Kuo pehē hono lelei lahi hake ʻoe fakapapau ʻoe hoko ʻa Sisu ko e fakalaloa.
And the oath shows the corresponding superiority of the covenant of which Jesus is appointed the surety.
23 Pea ko e moʻoni, naʻa nau tokolahi ʻae kau taulaʻeiki, he naʻe ʻikai ke tuku fuoloa ʻakinautolu ko e meʻa ʻi he mate:
Again, new Levitical priests are continually being appointed, because death prevents their remaining in office;
24 Ka ko e tangata ni, ko e meʻa ʻi heʻene tolonga ʻo taʻengata, kuo maʻu ʻe ia ʻae ngaue fakataulaʻeiki ʻoku taʻeliliu. (aiōn g165)
but Jesus remains for all time, and therefore the priesthood that he holds will never pass to another. (aiōn g165)
25 Ko ia foki ʻoku ne faʻa fai ai ke fakamoʻui haohaoa ʻakinautolu ʻoku haʻu ki he ʻOtua ʻiate ia, ko e meʻa ʻi heʻene moʻui maʻuaipē ke hūfakiʻi ʻakinautolu.
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 He naʻe taau mo kitautolu ʻae fungani taulaʻeiki pehē, ʻoku māʻoniʻoni, taʻehaʻanekovi, pea taʻeʻuli, pea mavahe mei he kau angahala, pea fakamāʻolunga hake ʻi he ngaahi langi;
This was the high priest that we needed – holy, innocent, spotless, withdrawn from sinners, exalted above the highest heaven,
27 ʻAia naʻe ʻikai ke ne hangē ko e kau taulaʻeiki lahi ko ia, ke ne tomuʻa feilaulau ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē koeʻuhi ko ʻene angahala ʻaʻana, pea toki [fai ]koeʻuhi ko e kakai: he naʻe fai ia ʻe ia ʻo tuʻo taha pe, ʻi heʻene ʻohake ʻe ia ia.
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 He ʻoku ngaohi ʻe he fono ke taulaʻeiki lahi ʻae kau tangata ʻoku vaivai; ka ʻoku fakanofo ʻae ʻAlo, ʻaia kuo fakahaohaoa ʻo taʻengata ʻe he lea ʻoe fuakava naʻe ki mui ʻi he fono. (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)
