New Living Translation

Greek Study Bible

1This Melchizedek was king of the city of Salem and also a priest of God Most High. When Abraham was returning home after winning a great battle against the kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him.

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

2Then Abraham took a tenth of all he had captured in battle and gave it to Melchizedek. The name Melchizedek means “king of justice,” and king of Salem means “king of peace.”

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

3There is no record of his father or mother or any of his ancestors—no beginning or end to his life. He remains a priest forever, resembling the Son of God.

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

4Consider then how great this Melchizedek was. Even Abraham, the great patriarch of Israel, recognized this by giving him a tenth of what he had taken in battle.

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

5Now the law of Moses required that the priests, who are descendants of Levi, must collect a tithe from the rest of the people of Israel, who are also descendants of Abraham.

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

6But Melchizedek, who was not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God.

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

7And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed.

7χωρὶς δὲ πάσης ἀντιλογίας τὸ ἔλαττον ὑπὸ τοῦ κρείττονος εὐλογεῖται

8The priests who collect tithes are men who die, so Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on.

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

9In addition, we might even say that these Levites—the ones who collect the tithe—paid a tithe to Melchizedek when their ancestor Abraham paid a tithe to him.

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

10For although Levi wasn’t born yet, the seed from which he came was in Abraham’s body when Melchizedek collected the tithe from him.

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

11So if the priesthood of Levi, on which the law was based, could have achieved the perfection God intended, why did God need to establish a different priesthood, with a priest in the order of Melchizedek instead of the order of Levi and Aaron?

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

12And if the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed to permit it.

12μετατιθεμένης γὰρ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ νόμου μετάθεσις γίνεται

13For the priest we are talking about belongs to a different tribe, whose members have never served at the altar as priests.

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

14What I mean is, our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never mentioned priests coming from that tribe. Jesus Is like Melchizedek

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

15This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared.

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

16Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.

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

17And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

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

18Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless.

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

19For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

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

20This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron’s descendants became priests without such an oath,

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

21but there was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to him, “The LORD has taken an oath and will not break his vow: ‘You are a priest forever.’”

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

22Because of this oath, Jesus is the one who guarantees this better covenant with God.

22Κατὰ τοσοῦτο καὶ κρείττονος διαθήκης γέγονεν ἔγγυος Ἰησοῦς

23There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office.

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

24But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever.

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

25Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.

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

26He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.

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

27Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins.

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

28The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.

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

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Greek and Hebrew Study Bible courtesy Bible Hub and the Discovery Bible team.