CHAPTER 7
1 And this Melchisedec, king of Salem, and [the] priest of the highest God, which met Abraham, as he turned again from the slaying of the kings, and blessed him; (And this Melchizedek, the king of Salem, and the priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham, as he returned from the killing of the kings, and blessed him;)
2 to whom also Abraham parted tithes of all things (or to whom Abraham gave tithes of all that he had taken); first he is said (the) king of rightwiseness, and afterward (the) king of Salem, that is to say, (the) king of peace,
3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, neither having beginning of days, neither end of life; and he is likened to the Son of God, and dwelleth (a) priest [into] without end (or and remaineth a priest forever).
4 But behold ye how great is this [man], to whom Abraham the patriarch gave tithes of the best things.
5 For men of the sons of Levi taking priesthood have commandment to take tithes of the people, by the law, that is to say, of their brethren, though also they went out of the loins of Abraham. (For the men of the descendants of Levi who become priests have a command to receive tithes from the people, according to the Law, that is to say, from their brothers, even though they also came from the loins of Abraham.)
6 But he whose generation is not numbered in them, took tithes of (or from) Abraham; and he blessed this Abraham, which had repromissions (or who received the promises).
7 Without any gainsaying, that that is less, is blessed of the better. (For without a doubt or without any contradiction, that that is less, is blessed by the better.)
8 And here deadly men take tithes; but there he beareth witnessing, that he liveth. (And here mortal men, or those who die, receive tithes; but there, as the Scripture testifieth, he who yet liveth.)
9 And that it be said so, by Abraham also Levi, that took tithes (or who received tithes), was tithed;
10 and yet he was in his father’s loins, when Melchisedec met him.
11 Therefore if perfection was by the priesthood of Levi, for under him the people took the law, what yet was it needful, (for) another priest to rise, by the order of Melchisedec, and not to be said by the order of Aaron? (And so if perfection had truly come by means of the priesthood of the sons of Levi, for under him the people received the Law, why then was it still necessary for another priest to arise, by the order of Melchizedek, and not to be called by, or to come from, the order of Aaron?)
12 For why when the priesthood is translated, it is need[ful] that also [the] translation of the law be made. (Because when there is a change in the priesthood, it is also necessary that there be a change in the Law.)
13 But he in whom these things be said, is of another lineage (or of another tribe), of which no man was priest to the altar.
14 For it is open [or it is openly known], that our Lord is born of Judah, in which lineage Moses spake nothing of priests. (For it is openly known, that our Lord was born from Judah, from which tribe Moses said nothing about priests.)
15 And more yet it is known, if by the order of Melchisedec another priest is risen up; (And more yet it is known, if by the order of Melchizedek another priest hath arisen;)
16 which is not made by the law(s) of fleshly commandment(s), but by [the] virtue of (a) life that may not be undone [or is indissoluble]. (who is made a priest not by a system of human laws, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed, or be dissolved.)
17 For he witnesseth, That thou art a priest [into] without end, by the order of Melchisedec; (For the Scripture testifieth, Thou art a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek;)
18 (so) that reproving of the commandment before-going is made, for the unfirmness and unprofit of it.
19 For why the law brought nothing to perfection, but there is a bringing in of a better hope, by which we nigh to God. (Because the Law brought nothing to perfection, but there is the bringing in of a better hope, by which we can come near to God, or by which we can approach God.)
20 And how great it is, not without swearing, [that Christ is made priest after the order of Melchisedec], (or that the Messiah is made a priest in the order of Melchizedek);
21 but the others be made priests without an oath; but this priest with an oath, by him that said to him, The Lord swore, and it shall not rue him, Thou art a priest [into] without end, by the order of Melchisedec; (but the others be made priests without an oath; but this priest with an oath, by him who said to him, or as the Scripture said about him, The Lord swore, and he shall not regret it, Thou art a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek;)
22 in so much Jesus is made (a)[better] promiser of the better testament (or of a better covenant).
23 And [soothly] the others were made many priests, therefore for they were forbidden by death to dwell still; (And truly there were many priests of those others, because they were forbidden by death to remain alive forever;)
24 but this man, for he dwelleth [into] without end, hath an everlasting priesthood. (but this man, because he liveth forever, hath an eternal priesthood.)
25 Wherefore also he may save [into] without end, coming nigh by himself to God, and (for)evermore liveth to pray for us. (And so he can also save forever, those who come near to God through him, and he always liveth to pray for us.)
26 For it beseemed that such a man were a bishop to us, holy, innocent, undefouled, clean, separated from sinful men, and made higher than (the) heavens; (For it is indeed appropriate that such a man became the High Priest for us, holy, innocent, undefiled, clean, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;)
27 which hath not need each day, as priests, first for his own guilts (or his own trespasses) to offer sacrifices, and afterward for the people; for he did this thing in offering himself once.
28 And the law ordained men priests having sickness, [or frailty]; but the word of swearing, which is after the law, ordained the Son perfect [into] without end. (And the Law ordained men to be high priests who were weak, (or frail); but the words of the oath, which came after the Law, (ordained) the Son to be perfect forever.)