Psalm 31^[a](A)

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Abram’s Family

²⁷ This is the account^(A) of Terah’s family line.

Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor^(B) and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot.^{(C) 28} While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans,^(D) in the land of his birth. ²⁹ Abram and Nahor^(E) both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai,^(F) and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milkah;^(G) she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milkah and Iskah. ³⁰ Now Sarai was childless because she was not able to conceive.^(H)

³¹ Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot^(I) son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law^(J) Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans^(K) to go to Canaan.^(L) But when they came to Harran,^(M) they settled there.

³² Terah^(N) lived 205 years, and he died in Harran.

The Call of Abram

12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household^(O) to the land^(P) I will show you.^(Q)

⁴ So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot^(W) went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old^(X) when he set out from Harran.^{(Y) 5} He took his wife Sarai,^(Z) his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated^(AA) and the people^(AB) they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan,^(AC) and they arrived there.

⁶ Abram traveled through the land^(AD) as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh^(AE) at Shechem.^(AF) At that time the Canaanites^(AG) were in the land. ⁷ The Lord appeared to Abram^(AH) and said, “To your offspring^[c] I will give this land.^(AI)”^(AJ) So he built an altar there to the Lord,^(AK) who had appeared to him.

⁸ From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel^(AL) and pitched his tent,^(AM) with Bethel on the west and Ai^(AN) on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.^(AO)

Melchizedek the Priest

7 This Melchizedek was king of Salem^(A) and priest of God Most High.^(B) He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,^{(C) 2} and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” ³ Without father or mother, without genealogy,^(D) without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God,^(E) he remains a priest forever.

⁴ Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch^(F) Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!^{(G) 5} Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people^(H)—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. ⁶ This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed^(I) him who had the promises.^{(J) 7} And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. ⁸ In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living.^{(K) 9} One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, ¹⁰ because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.

Jesus Like Melchizedek

¹¹ If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people^(L) established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come,^(M) one in the order of Melchizedek,^(N) not in the order of Aaron? ¹² For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. ¹³ He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe,^(O) and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar.^{(P) 14} For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah,^(Q) and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. ¹⁵ And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, ¹⁶ one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷ For it is declared:

¹⁶ He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

¹⁷ “I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. ¹⁸ The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

¹⁹ “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.^{(A) 20} Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain,^(B) but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”^(C)

²¹ “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming^(D) when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.^{(E) 22} You Samaritans worship what you do not know;^(F) we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.^{(G) 23} Yet a time is coming and has now come^(H) when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit^(I) and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit,^(J) and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

²⁵ The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ)^(K) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

²⁶ Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”^(L)