Lot’s Captivity and Rescue

14 And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king ^(A)of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of ^(B)Elam, and Tidal king of ^[a]nations, ² that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of ^(C)Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, ^(D)Zoar). ³ All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim ^(E)(that is, the Salt Sea). ⁴ Twelve years ^(F)they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

⁵ In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him came and attacked ^(G)the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, ^(H)the Zuzim in Ham, ^(I)the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, ^6 (J)and the Horites in their mountain of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is by the wilderness. ⁷ Then they turned back and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and attacked all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt ^(K)in Hazezon Tamar.

⁸ And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim ⁹ against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of ^[b]nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. ¹⁰ Now the Valley of Siddim was full of ^(L)asphalt pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled; some fell there, and the remainder fled ^(M)to the mountains. ¹¹ Then they took ^(N)all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. ¹² They also took Lot, Abram’s ^(O)brother’s son ^(P)who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

¹³ Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the ^(Q)Hebrew, for ^(R)he dwelt by ^[c]the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; ^(S)and they were allies with Abram. ¹⁴ Now ^(T)when Abram heard that ^(U)his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were ^(V)born in his own house, and went in pursuit ^(W)as far as Dan. ¹⁵ He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants ^(X)attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is ^[d]north of Damascus. ¹⁶ So he ^(Y)brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.

¹⁷ And the king of Sodom ^(Z)went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the ^(AA)King’s Valley), ^(AB)after his return from the ^[e]defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him.

Abram and Melchizedek^(AC)

¹⁸ Then ^(AD)Melchizedek king of Salem brought out ^(AE)bread and wine; he was ^(AF)the priest of ^(AG)God Most High. ¹⁹ And he blessed him and said:

And he ^(AK)gave him ^[f]a tithe of all.

²¹ Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the ^[g]persons, and take the goods for yourself.”

²² But Abram ^(AL)said to the king of Sodom, “I ^(AM)have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, ^(AN)the Possessor of heaven and earth, ²³ that ^(AO)I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’— ²⁴ except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.”

Announcement of the Messiah’s Reign^(A)

A Psalm of David.

Jesus: How Can David Call His Descendant Lord?^(A)

^41 (B)While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ⁴² saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”

They said to Him, “The ^(C)Son of David.”

⁴³ He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:

⁴⁵ If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” ^46 (E)And no one was able to answer Him a word, ^(F)nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.

Our Compassionate High Priest

¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great ^(A)High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, ^(B)let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For ^(C)we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but ^(D)was in all points tempted as we are, ^(E)yet without sin. ^16 (F)Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Qualifications for High Priesthood

5 For every high priest taken from among men ^(G)is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. ² He can ^[a]have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to ^(H)weakness. ³ Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for ^(I)himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. ⁴ And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as ^(J)Aaron was.

A Priest Forever

^5 (K)So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:

⁶ As He also says in another place:

⁹ And ^(A)having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, ¹⁰ called by God as High Priest ^(B)“according to the order of Melchizedek,” ¹¹ of whom ^(C)we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become ^(D)dull of hearing.

¹⁹ This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, ^(A)and which enters the Presence behind the veil, ^20 (B)where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, ^(C)having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

The King of Righteousness^(D)

7 For this ^(E)Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, ² to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,” ³ without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.

⁴ Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the ^[a]spoils. ⁵ And indeed ^(F)those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; ⁶ but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham ^(G)and blessed ^(H)him who had the promises. ⁷ Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. ⁸ Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, ^(I)of whom it is witnessed that he lives. ⁹ Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, ¹⁰ for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

Need for a New Priesthood^(J)

^11 (K)Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? ¹² For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. ¹³ For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has ^[b]officiated at the altar.

¹⁴ For it is evident that ^(L)our Lord arose from ^(M)Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning ^[c]priesthood. ¹⁵ And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest ¹⁶ who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. ¹⁷ For ^[d]He testifies:

¹⁸ For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of ^(O)its weakness and unprofitableness, ¹⁹ for ^(P)the law made nothing ^[e]perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of ^(Q)a better hope, through which ^(R)we draw near to God.

Greatness of the New Priest

²⁰ And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath ²¹ (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him:

²² by so much more Jesus has become a ^[g]surety of a ^(T)better covenant.

²³ Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. ²⁴ But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. ²⁵ Therefore He is also ^(U)able to save ^[h]to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives ^(V)to make intercession for them.

²⁶ For such a High Priest was fitting for us, ^(W)who is holy, ^[i]harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, ^(X)and has become higher than the heavens; ²⁷ who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His ^(Y)own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.

The New Priestly Service

8 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, ^(Z)who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, ² a Minister of ^(AA)the ^[j]sanctuary and of ^(AB)the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.