Hebrews 7

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Melchizedek and Abraham

¹Οὗτος γὰρ ὁ Μελχισέδεκ βασιλεὺς Σαλήμ ἱερεὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ Ὑψίστου ὁ συναντήσας Ἀβραὰμ ὑποστρέφοντι ἀπὸ τῆς κοπῆς τῶν βασιλέων καὶ εὐλογήσας αὐτόν

¹This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High.^a He met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

²ᾧ καὶ δεκάτην ἀπὸ πάντων ἐμέρισεν Ἀβραάμ πρῶτον μὲν ἑρμηνευόμενος Βασιλεὺς δικαιοσύνης ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ Βασιλεὺς Σαλήμ ὅ ἐστιν Βασιλεὺς εἰρήνης

²and Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness.” Then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”

³ἀπάτωρ ἀμήτωρ ἀγενεαλόγητος μήτε ἀρχὴν ἡμερῶν μήτε ζωῆς τέλος ἔχων ἀφωμοιωμένος δὲ τῷ Υἱῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ μένει ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸ διηνεκές

³Without father or mother or genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God, he remains a priest for all time.

⁴Θεωρεῖτε δὲ πηλίκος οὗτος ᾧ καὶ δεκάτην Ἀβραὰμ ἔδωκεν ἐκ τῶν ἀκροθινίων ὁ πατριάρχης

⁴Consider how great Melchizedek was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder.

⁵καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν Λευὶ τὴν ἱερατείαν λαμβάνοντες ἐντολὴν ἔχουσιν ἀποδεκατοῦν τὸν λαὸν κατὰ τὸν νόμον τοῦτ’ ἔστιν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτῶν καίπερ ἐξεληλυθότας ἐκ τῆς ὀσφύος Ἀβραάμ

⁵Now the law commands the sons of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their brothers—though they too are descended from Abraham.

⁶ὁ δὲ μὴ γενεαλογούμενος ἐξ αὐτῶν δεδεκάτωκεν Ἀβραάμ καὶ τὸν ἔχοντα τὰς ἐπαγγελίας εὐλόγηκεν

⁶But Melchizedek, who did not trace his descent from Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.

⁷χωρὶς δὲ πάσης ἀντιλογίας τὸ ἔλαττον ὑπὸ τοῦ κρείττονος εὐλογεῖται

⁷And indisputably, the lesser is blessed by the greater.

⁸Καὶ ὧδε μὲν δεκάτας ἀποθνῄσκοντες ἄνθρωποι λαμβάνουσιν ἐκεῖ δὲ μαρτυρούμενος ὅτι ζῇ

⁸In the case of the Levites, mortal men collect the tenth; but in the case of Melchizedek, it is affirmed that he lives on.

⁹καὶ ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν δι’ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Λευὶ ὁ δεκάτας λαμβάνων δεδεκάτωται

⁹And so to speak, Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham.

¹⁰ἔτι γὰρ ἐν τῇ ὀσφύϊ τοῦ πατρὸς ἦν ὅτε συνήντησεν αὐτῷ Μελχισέδεκ

¹⁰For when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the loin of his ancestor.

A Superior Priesthood

¹¹Εἰ μὲν οὖν τελείωσις διὰ τῆς Λευιτικῆς ἱερωσύνης ἦν ὁ λαὸς γὰρ ἐπ’ αὐτῆς νενομοθέτηται τίς ἔτι χρεία κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισέδεκ ἕτερον ἀνίστασθαι ἱερέα καὶ οὐ κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Ἀαρὼν λέγεσθαι

¹¹Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood ( for on this basis the people received the law), why was there still need for another priest to appear—one in the order of Melchizedek and not in the order of Aaron?

¹²μετατιθεμένης γὰρ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ νόμου μετάθεσις γίνεται

¹²For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed as well.

¹³Ἐφ’ ὃν γὰρ λέγεται ταῦτα φυλῆς ἑτέρας μετέσχηκεν ἀφ’ ἧς οὐδεὶς προσέσχηκεν τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ

¹³He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar.

¹⁴πρόδηλον γὰρ ὅτι ἐξ Ἰούδα ἀνατέταλκεν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν εἰς ἣν φυλὴν περὶ ἱερέων οὐδὲν Μωϋσῆς ἐλάλησεν

¹⁴For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, a tribe as to which Moses said nothing about priests.

¹⁵Καὶ περισσότερον ἔτι κατάδηλόν ἐστιν εἰ κατὰ τὴν ὁμοιότητα Μελχισέδεκ ἀνίσταται ἱερεὺς ἕτερος

¹⁵And this point is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears,

¹⁶ὃς οὐ κατὰ νόμον ἐντολῆς σαρκίνης γέγονεν ἀλλὰ κατὰ δύναμιν ζωῆς ἀκαταλύτου

¹⁶one who has become a priest not by a law of succession, but by the power of an indestructible life.

¹⁷μαρτυρεῖται γὰρ ὅτι Σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισέδεκ

¹⁷For it is testified:

“You are a priest forever

in the order of Melchizedek.”^a

¹⁸Ἀθέτησις μὲν γὰρ γίνεται προαγούσης ἐντολῆς διὰ τὸ αὐτῆς ἀσθενὲς καὶ ἀνωφελές

¹⁸So the former commandment is set aside because it was weak and useless

¹⁹οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐτελείωσεν ὁ νόμος ἐπεισαγωγὴ δὲ κρείττονος ἐλπίδος δι’ ἧς ἐγγίζομεν τῷ Θεῷ

¹⁹( for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

²⁰Καὶ καθ’ ὅσον οὐ χωρὶς ὁρκωμοσίας οἱ μὲν γὰρ χωρὶς ὁρκωμοσίας εἰσὶν ἱερεῖς γεγονότες

²⁰And none of this happened without an oath. For others became priests without an oath,

²¹ὁ δὲ μετὰ ὁρκωμοσίας διὰ τοῦ λέγοντος πρὸς αὐτόν Ὤμοσεν Κύριος καὶ οὐ μεταμεληθήσεται Σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα

²¹but Jesus became a priest with an oath by the One who said to Him:

“The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind:

‘You are a priest forever.’”^a

²²Κατὰ τοσοῦτο καὶ κρείττονος διαθήκης γέγονεν ἔγγυος Ἰησοῦς

²²Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

²³Καὶ οἱ μὲν πλείονές εἰσιν γεγονότες ἱερεῖς διὰ τὸ θανάτῳ κωλύεσθαι παραμένειν

²³Now there have been many other priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office.

²⁴ὁ δὲ διὰ τὸ μένειν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἀπαράβατον ἔχει τὴν ἱερωσύνην

²⁴But because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood.

²⁵ὅθεν καὶ σῴζειν εἰς τὸ παντελὲς δύναται τοὺς προσερχομένους δι’ αὐτοῦ τῷ Θεῷ πάντοτε ζῶν εἰς τὸ ἐντυγχάνειν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν

²⁵Therefore He is able to save completely^a those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.

²⁶Τοιοῦτος γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ ἔπρεπεν ἀρχιερεύς ὅσιος ἄκακος ἀμίαντος κεχωρισμένος ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ ὑψηλότερος τῶν οὐρανῶν γενόμενος

²⁶Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.

²⁷ὃς οὐκ ἔχει καθ’ ἡμέραν ἀνάγκην ὥσπερ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς πρότερον ὑπὲρ τῶν ἰδίων ἁμαρτιῶν θυσίας ἀναφέρειν ἔπειτα τῶν τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦτο γὰρ ἐποίησεν ἐφάπαξ ἑαυτὸν ἀνενέγκας

²⁷Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for sin once for all when He offered up Himself.

²⁸ὁ νόμος γὰρ ἀνθρώπους καθίστησιν ἀρχιερεῖς ἔχοντας ἀσθένειαν ὁ λόγος δὲ τῆς ὁρκωμοσίας τῆς μετὰ τὸν νόμον Υἱόν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τετελειωμένον

²⁸For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.