Melchizedek and Abraham
(Genesis 14:17–24)

1 Οὗτος (This) γὰρ (for) ὁ (-) Μελχισέδεκ (Melchizedek), βασιλεὺς (king) Σαλήμ (of Salem), ἱερεὺς (priest) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (of God) τοῦ (-) Ὑψίστου (Most High), ὁ (the one) συναντήσας (having met) Ἀβραὰμ (Abraham) ὑποστρέφοντι (returning) ἀπὸ (from) τῆς (the) κοπῆς (slaughter) τῶν (of the) βασιλέων (kings) καὶ (and) εὐλογήσας (having blessed) αὐτόν (him), 2 ᾧ (to whom) καὶ (also) δεκάτην (a tenth) ἀπὸ (of) πάντων (all) ἐμέρισεν (apportioned) Ἀβραάμ (Abraham), πρῶτον (first) μὲν (indeed) ἑρμηνευόμενος (being translated)· Βασιλεὺς (king) δικαιοσύνης (of righteousness), ἔπειτα (then) δὲ (and) καὶ (also)· Βασιλεὺς (king) Σαλήμ (of Salem), ὅ (which) ἐστιν (is)· Βασιλεὺς (king) εἰρήνης (of peace), 3 ἀπάτωρ (without father), ἀμήτωρ (without mother), ἀγενεαλόγητος (without genealogy), μήτε (neither) ἀρχὴν (beginning) ἡμερῶν (of days) μήτε (nor) ζωῆς (of life) τέλος (end) ἔχων (having), ἀφωμοιωμένος (having been made like) δὲ (however) τῷ (the) Υἱῷ (Son) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (of God), μένει (remains) ἱερεὺς (a priest) εἰς (in) τὸ (-) διηνεκές (perpetuity).

4 Θεωρεῖτε (Behold) δὲ (now) πηλίκος (how great) οὗτος (this one was) ᾧ (to whom) καὶ (even) δεκάτην (a tenth) Ἀβραὰμ (Abraham) ἔδωκεν (gave) ἐκ (out of) τῶν (the) ἀκροθινίων (best spoils) ὁ (the) πατριάρχης (patriarch). 5 καὶ (And) οἱ (those) μὲν (indeed) ἐκ (out from) τῶν (the) υἱῶν (sons) Λευὶ (of Levi) τὴν (the) ἱερατείαν (priestly office) λαμβάνοντες (receiving) ἐντολὴν (a commandment) ἔχουσιν (have) ἀποδεκατοῦν (to take a tenth) τὸν (from the) λαὸν (people) κατὰ (according to) τὸν (the) νόμον (law), τοῦτ’ (that) ἔστιν (is) τοὺς (from the) ἀδελφοὺς (brothers) αὐτῶν (of them), καίπερ (though) ἐξεληλυθότας (having come forth) ἐκ (out of) τῆς (the) ὀσφύος (loin) Ἀβραάμ (of Abraham)· 6 ὁ (The one) δὲ (however) μὴ (not) γενεαλογούμενος (tracing his descent) ἐξ (out from) αὐτῶν (them) δεδεκάτωκεν (has collected a tenth) Ἀβραάμ (from Abraham), καὶ (and) τὸν (the one) ἔχοντα (having) τὰς (the) ἐπαγγελίας (promises) εὐλόγηκεν (has blessed). 7 χωρὶς (Apart from) δὲ (now) πάσης (all) ἀντιλογίας (dispute) τὸ (the) ἔλαττον (lesser) ὑπὸ (by) τοῦ (the) κρείττονος (greater) εὐλογεῖται (is blessed).

8 Καὶ (And) ὧδε (here) μὲν (indeed) δεκάτας (the tenths) ἀποθνῄσκοντες (dying) ἄνθρωποι (men) λαμβάνουσιν (receive), ἐκεῖ (in that place) δὲ (however) μαρτυρούμενος (it is being testified) ὅτι (that) ζῇ (he lives). 9 καὶ (And) ὡς (so) ἔπος (a word) εἰπεῖν (to say), δι’ (through) Ἀβραὰμ (Abraham) καὶ (even) Λευὶ (Levi) ὁ (the one) δεκάτας (the tenths) λαμβάνων (receiving) δεδεκάτωται (has paid the tenth)· 10 ἔτι (Still) γὰρ (for) ἐν (in) τῇ (the) ὀσφύϊ (loin) τοῦ (of his) πατρὸς (father) ἦν (he was) ὅτε (when) συνήντησεν (met) αὐτῷ (him) Μελχισέδεκ (Melchizedek).

A Superior Priesthood

11 Εἰ (If) μὲν (indeed) οὖν (then) τελείωσις (perfection) διὰ (by) τῆς (the) Λευιτικῆς (Levitical) ἱερωσύνης (priesthood) ἦν (were), ὁ (the) λαὸς (people) γὰρ (for) ἐπ’ (upon) αὐτῆς (it) νενομοθέτηται (had received the law), τίς (what) ἔτι (still) χρεία (need was) κατὰ (according to) τὴν (the) τάξιν (order) Μελχισέδεκ (of Melchizedek) ἕτερον (for another) ἀνίστασθαι (to arise) ἱερέα (priest) καὶ (and) οὐ (not) κατὰ (according to) τὴν (the) τάξιν (order) Ἀαρὼν (of Aaron) λέγεσθαι (to be called)? 12 μετατιθεμένης (Being changed) γὰρ (for) τῆς (the) ἱερωσύνης (priesthood) ἐξ (out of) ἀνάγκης (necessity) καὶ (also) νόμου (of law) μετάθεσις (a change) γίνεται (takes place).

13 Ἐφ’ (He of) ὃν (whom) γὰρ (for) λέγεται (are said) ταῦτα (these things), φυλῆς (a tribe) ἑτέρας (another) μετέσχηκεν (belonged to), ἀφ’ (from) ἧς (which) οὐδεὶς (no one) προσέσχηκεν (has attended) τῷ (at the) θυσιαστηρίῳ (altar)· 14 πρόδηλον (It is evident) γὰρ (for) ὅτι (that) ἐξ (out of) Ἰούδα (Judah) ἀνατέταλκεν (has sprung) ὁ (the) Κύριος (Lord) ἡμῶν (of us), εἰς (in regard to) ἣν (which) φυλὴν (a tribe) περὶ (about) ἱερέων (priests) οὐδὲν (nothing) Μωϋσῆς (Moses) ἐλάλησεν (spoke).

15 Καὶ (And) περισσότερον (more abundantly) ἔτι (yet) κατάδηλόν (evident) ἐστιν (it is), εἰ (if) κατὰ (according to) τὴν (the) ὁμοιότητα (likeness) Μελχισέδεκ (of Melchizedek) ἀνίσταται (arises) ἱερεὺς (a priest) ἕτερος (another), 16 ὃς (who) οὐ (not) κατὰ (according to) νόμον (a law) ἐντολῆς (of a commandment) σαρκίνης (fleshly) γέγονεν (has become such) ἀλλὰ (but) κατὰ (according to) δύναμιν (the power) ζωῆς (of a life) ἀκαταλύτου (indestructible). 17 μαρτυρεῖται (It is testified) γὰρ (for) ὅτι (-)

Σὺ (You are) ἱερεὺς (a priest) εἰς (to) τὸν (the) αἰῶνα (age)

κατὰ (according to) τὴν (the) τάξιν (order) Μελχισέδεκ (of Melchizedek).

18 Ἀθέτησις (A putting away) μὲν (indeed) γὰρ (for) γίνεται (there is) προαγούσης (of the preceding) ἐντολῆς (commandment) διὰ (because of) τὸ (-) αὐτῆς (its) ἀσθενὲς (weakness) καὶ (and) ἀνωφελές (uselessness), 19 οὐδὲν (nothing) γὰρ (for) ἐτελείωσεν (perfected) ὁ (the) νόμος (law), ἐπεισαγωγὴ (the introduction) δὲ (then) κρείττονος (of a better) ἐλπίδος (hope), δι’ (by) ἧς (which) ἐγγίζομεν (we draw near) τῷ (-) Θεῷ (to God).

20 Καὶ (And) καθ’ (in) ὅσον (as much as) οὐ (it was not) χωρὶς (without) ὁρκωμοσίας (an oath),—οἱ (those) μὲν (indeed) γὰρ (for) χωρὶς (without) ὁρκωμοσίας (an oath) εἰσὶν (are) ἱερεῖς (priests) γεγονότες (become), 21 ὁ (the One) δὲ (however) μετὰ (was with) ὁρκωμοσίας (an oath) διὰ (through) τοῦ (the One) λέγοντος (saying) πρὸς (to) αὐτόν (Him)·

Ὤμοσεν (Has sworn) Κύριος (the Lord), καὶ (and) οὐ (not) μεταμεληθήσεται (will change His mind)·

Σὺ (You are) ἱερεὺς (a priest) εἰς (to) τὸν (the) αἰῶνα (age)·—

22 Κατὰ (By) τοσοῦτο (so much) καὶ (also) κρείττονος (of a better) διαθήκης (covenant) γέγονεν (has become) ἔγγυος (the guarantee) Ἰησοῦς (Jesus).

23 Καὶ (And) οἱ (those) μὲν (indeed) πλείονές (many) εἰσιν (are) γεγονότες (having become) ἱερεῖς (priests) διὰ (because of) τὸ (-) θανάτῳ (by death) κωλύεσθαι (being prevented from) παραμένειν (continuing)· 24 ὁ (-) δὲ (But) διὰ (because of) τὸ (the) μένειν (remaining) αὐτὸν (of Him) εἰς (to) τὸν (the) αἰῶνα (age) ἀπαράβατον (permanent) ἔχει (He has) τὴν (-) ἱερωσύνην (the priesthood)· 25 ὅθεν (wherefore) καὶ (also) σῴζειν (to save) εἰς (to) τὸ (the) παντελὲς (uttermost) δύναται (He is able) τοὺς (those) προσερχομένους (drawing near) δι’ (through) αὐτοῦ (Him) τῷ (-) Θεῷ (to God), πάντοτε (always) ζῶν (living) εἰς (-) τὸ (-) ἐντυγχάνειν (to intercede) ὑπὲρ (for) αὐτῶν (them).

26 Τοιοῦτος (Such) γὰρ (for) ἡμῖν (for us) καὶ (indeed) ἔπρεπεν (was fitting) ἀρχιερεύς (a high priest), ὅσιος (holy), ἄκακος (innocent), ἀμίαντος (undefiled), κεχωρισμένος (having been separated) ἀπὸ (from) τῶν (-) ἁμαρτωλῶν (sinners), καὶ (and) ὑψηλότερος (higher) τῶν (than the) οὐρανῶν (heavens) γενόμενος (having become)· 27 ὃς (who) οὐκ (not) ἔχει (has) καθ’ (every) ἡμέραν (day) ἀνάγκην (need), ὥσπερ (as) οἱ (the) ἀρχιερεῖς (high priests), πρότερον (first) ὑπὲρ (for) τῶν (his) ἰδίων (own) ἁμαρτιῶν (sins) θυσίας (sacrifices) ἀναφέρειν (to offer up), ἔπειτα (then) τῶν (for those) τοῦ (of the) λαοῦ (people)· τοῦτο (this) γὰρ (for) ἐποίησεν (He did) ἐφάπαξ (once for all) ἑαυτὸν (Himself) ἀνενέγκας (having offered up). 28 ὁ (The) νόμος (law) γὰρ (for) ἀνθρώπους (men) καθίστησιν (appoints) ἀρχιερεῖς (as high priests) ἔχοντας (having) ἀσθένειαν (weakness), ὁ (the) λόγος (word) δὲ (however) τῆς (of the) ὁρκωμοσίας (oath) τῆς (which is) μετὰ (after) τὸν (the) νόμον (law) Υἱόν (a Son) εἰς (to) τὸν (the) αἰῶνα (age) τετελειωμένον (having been perfected).