Hebrews 7

1For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

1This man Melchizedek was the king of Salem and a priest of the Most High God. He met Abraham as he was returning from defeating the kings and gave him a blessing.

2to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, King of righteousness, and then also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

2Abraham gave him a tenth of everything he had captured. First, the name Melchizedek means 'king of righteousness.' Then, 'king of Salem' means 'king of peace.'

3without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God), abideth a priest continually.

3There is no record of his father or mother or any of his ancestors. There is no record of his birth or his death. He is like the Son of God, remaining a priest forever.

4Now consider how great this man was, unto whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the chief spoils.

4Think about how great this man was! Even Abraham, the great father of our nation, gave him a tenth of the best things he took in battle.

5And they indeed of the sons of Levi that receive the priest’s office have commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though these have come out of the loins of Abraham:

5Now the law requires the priests, who are descendants of Levi, to collect a tenth from the people. They collect this from their own relatives, even though those relatives are also descendants of Abraham.

6but he whose genealogy is not counted from them hath taken tithes of Abraham, and hath blessed him that hath the promises.

6But Melchizedek, even though he was not related to the Levites, collected a tenth from Abraham. He also blessed Abraham, the very man who had received God's promises.

7But without any dispute the less is blessed of the better.

7There is no doubt that the person who gives the blessing is greater than the person who receives it.

8And here men that die receive tithes; but there one, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

8In the case of the Levites, the money is collected by men who will eventually die. But in the case of Melchizedek, it was collected by one who is declared to be alive.

9And, so to say, through Abraham even Levi, who receiveth tithes, hath paid tithes;

9You could even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, actually paid a tenth to Melchizedek through Abraham.

10for he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchizedek met him.

10This is because Levi was still inside his ancestor Abraham when Melchizedek met him.

11Now if there was perfection through the Levitical priesthood (for under it hath the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be reckoned after the order of Aaron?

11The law was given to the people based on the priesthood of the Levites. If that priesthood could have made people perfect, why was there a need for another priest to come—one who followed the pattern of Melchizedek instead of the pattern of Aaron?

12For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

12When the priesthood changes, the law must also be changed.

13For he of whom these things are said belongeth to another tribe, from which no man hath given attendance at the altar.

13The person we are talking about belongs to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar.打破

14For it is evident that our Lord hath sprung out of Judah; as to which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priests.

14It is well known that our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never said anything about priests coming from that tribe.

15And what we say is yet more abundantly evident, if after the likeness of Melchizedek there ariseth another priest,

15This becomes even clearer if another priest appears who is like Melchizedek.

16who hath been made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life:

16He did not become a priest because of a rule about his family line, but because of the power of a life that can never end.吹

17for it is witnessed of him, Thou art a priest for ever After the order of Melchizedek.

17For the scripture says about him, 'You are a priest forever, in the way Melchizedek was a priest.'

18For there is a disannulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness

18The old rule is set aside because it was weak and useless.

19(for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in thereupon of a better hope, through which we draw nigh unto God.

19The law of Moses could not make anything perfect. Instead, a better hope has been introduced, and through this hope, we can come close to God.

20And inasmuch as it is not without the taking of an oath

20Furthermore, God used an oath to appoint Jesus.

21(for they indeed have been made priests without an oath; but he with an oath by him that saith of him, The Lord sware and will not repent himself, Thou art a priest for ever);

21Others became priests without an oath. But Jesus became a priest because God said to him with an oath: 'The Lord has made a promise and will not change his mind: You are a priest forever.'

22by so much also hath Jesus become the surety of a better covenant.

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

23And they indeed have been made priests many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing:

23There were many of those other priests because they died and could not continue their work.

24but he, because he abideth for ever, hath his priesthood unchangeable.

24But because Jesus lives forever, his work as a priest never ends.

25Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

25Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to speak to God on their behalf.

26For such a high priest became us, holy, guileless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

26He is exactly the kind of high priest we need. He is holy, innocent, pure, set apart from sinners, and honored above the heavens.

27who needeth not daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people: for this he did once for all, when he offered up himself.

27He does not need to offer sacrifices every day like the other high priests. They had to offer sacrifices first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all time when he offered himself as a sacrifice.

28For the law appointeth men high priests, having infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was after the law, appointeth a Son, perfected for evermore.

28The law appoints men who are weak to be high priests. But the promise made with an oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son, who has been made perfect forever.