希伯来书 7
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
至高 神的祭司麦基洗德
7 这麦基洗德就是撒冷王，又是至高 神的祭司。亚伯拉罕杀败众王回来的时候，麦基洗德迎接他，并且给他祝福。 2 亚伯拉罕也把自己得来的一切，拿出十分之一来给他。麦基洗德这名字翻译出来，头一个意思就是“公义的王”；其次是“撒冷王”，就是“平安的王”的意思。 3 他没有父亲，没有母亲，没有族谱，也没有生死的记录，而是与 神的儿子相似，永远作祭司。
麦基洗德的祭司职分
4 你们想一想这人是多么伟大啊！祖先亚伯拉罕也要从上等的掳物中，拿出十分之一来给了他。 5 那些领受祭司职分的利未子孙，奉命按照律法向人民，就是自己的弟兄，收取十分之一；虽然他们都是出于亚伯拉罕的。 6 可是那不与他们同谱系的麦基洗德，反而收纳了亚伯拉罕的十分之一，并且给这蒙受应许的人祝福。 7 向来都是位分大的给位分小的祝福，这是毫无疑问的。 8 在这里，收取十分之一的，都是必死的；但在那里，收纳十分之一的，却被证实是一位活着的。 9 并且可以这样说，连那收取十分之一的利未，也透过亚伯拉罕缴纳了十分之一。 10 因为麦基洗德迎接亚伯拉罕的时候，利未还在他祖先的身体里面。
耶稣按麦基洗德体系作祭司
11 这样看来，如果借着利未人的祭司制度能达到完全的地步（人民是在这制度下领受律法的），为甚么还需要照着麦基洗德的体系，另外兴起一位祭司，而不照着亚伦的体系呢？ 12 祭司的制度既然更改了，律法也必须更改。 13 因为这些话所指的那位，原是属于另外一个支派的，这支派向来没有人在祭坛前供职。 14 我们的主明明是从犹大支派出来的，关于这个支派，摩西并没有提及祭司的事。 15 如果有另一位像麦基洗德那样的祭司兴起来，那么，这里所说的就更明显了。 16 他成了祭司，不是按着律法上肉身的条例，却是按着不能毁坏的生命的大能。 17 因为有为他作证的说：
“你永远作祭司，
是照着麦基洗德的体系。”
18 一方面，从前的条例因为软弱，没有用处，就废弃了； 19 （因为律法从来没有使甚么得到完全，）另一方面，它却带来了更美的盼望，借着这盼望，我们就可以亲近 神。
20 此外，还有关于誓言的事。其他成为祭司的，并不是用誓言立的； 21 只有耶稣是用誓言立的，因为那立他的对他说：
“主已经起了誓，
决不改变，
你永远作祭司。”
22 耶稣既然是用誓言立的，就成了更美好的约的保证。 23 一方面，从前那些作祭司的，因为受死亡的限制，不能长久留任，所以人数众多。 24 另一方面，因为耶稣是永远长存的，就拥有他永不更改的祭司职位。 25 因此，那些靠着他进到 神面前的人，他都能拯救到底；因为他长远活着，为他们代求。
26 这样的一位大祭司，对我们本是合适的。他是圣洁、没有邪恶、没有玷污、从罪人中分别出来、高过众天的。 27 他不必像那些大祭司，天天先为自己的罪献祭，然后为人民的罪献祭；因为他献上了自己，就把这事一次而永远的成全了。 28 律法所立的大祭司，都是软弱的人；可是在律法以后，用誓言所立的儿子，却是成为完全直到永远的。
Hebrews 7
Expanded Bible
The Priest Melchizedek
7 Melchizedek [C a priest and king in the time of Abraham; Gen. 14:17–24; Heb. 5:6, 10; 6:20] was the king of Salem [C another name for Jerusalem, meaning “peace”; v. 2] and a priest for God Most High. He met Abraham when Abraham was coming back after ·defeating [L the slaughter of] the kings [Gen. 14:17–19]. When they met, Melchizedek blessed Abraham, 2 and Abraham ·gave [L apportioned/divided to] him a ·tenth [tithe] ·of everything he had brought back from the battle [L of everything]. First, Melchizedek’s name means “king of ·goodness [righteousness; justice],” and he is king of Salem [C another name for Jerusalem], which means “king of peace.” 3 ·No one knows who Melchizedek’s father or mother was [L …without father, without mother], ·where he came from [L without genealogy], ·when he was born, or when he died [L having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; C something unstated was assumed not to exist]. Melchizedek is like the Son of God; he continues being a priest forever [C Melchizedek’s unmentioned genealogy in Genesis is, by analogy, like Jesus’ eternal Sonship and priesthood].
4 You can see how great Melchizedek was. Abraham, the ·great father [patriarch], gave him a tenth of ·everything that he won in battle [the spoils/booty/plunder]. 5 Now the law ·says [authorizes; commands] that those ·in the tribe [L of the sons/descendants] of Levi who become priests must collect a ·tenth [tithe] from the people—their ·own people [L brothers (and sisters)]—even though ·the priests and the people [L they] ·are from the family [are also descendants; L have come from the loins/body] of Abraham. 6 [L But] Melchizedek was not ·from the tribe of Levi [L descended from them; v. 3; C he was not from the Levitical line of priests], but he collected a ·tenth [tithe] from Abraham. And he blessed Abraham, the man who had God’s promises [Gen. 12:1–3]. 7 Now ·everyone knows [it is indisputable] that the ·more important person blesses the less important person [L lesser/inferior is blessed by the greater/superior]. 8 ·Priests receive a tenth, even though they are only men who live and then die [L In the one case, mortal men receive a tithe,…]. ·But Melchizedek, who received a tenth from Abraham, continues living, as the Scripture says [L …but in the other case, the one (receives the tithe) who is declared (by Scripture) to be alive]. 9 We might even say that Levi, who receives a ·tenth [tithe], also paid it when Abraham paid Melchizedek a tenth. 10 Levi was not yet born, but he was in the ·body [loins] of his ancestor when Melchizedek met Abraham [C the Levitical priesthood is considered inferior to Melchizedek’s (and Christ’s) priesthood, since Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek through his ancestor Abraham].
11 ·The people were given the law concerning the system of priests from the tribe of Levi, but they could not be made perfect through that system [L If perfection could be attained through the Levitical priesthood, established for the people in the law…]. ·So there was [L …why was there…?] a need for another priest to come, a priest ·like [L in the priestly order/line of] Melchizedek, not [L in the priestly order/line of] Aaron [C Moses’ brother and Israel’s first high priest (5:4; Ex. 28:1); the existence of Melchizedek’s priestly line implies that the priesthood through Levi and Aaron was inadequate]. 12 And when a different ·kind of priest [priesthood; priestly line] comes, the law must be changed, too. 13 ·We are saying these things about Christ, who [L For the one about whom these things are said] belonged to a different tribe [C Jesus belonged to the tribe of Judah, not Levi]. No one from that tribe [C Judah] ever served as a priest at the altar. 14 It is clear that our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses said nothing about priests belonging to that tribe [C the kings from David’s line (including Jesus) came from the tribe of Judah, but the OT priesthood came through Levi and Aaron].
Jesus Is like Melchizedek
15 And this becomes even more clear ·when we see that [L if] another priest ·comes [arises; appears on the scene] who is like Melchizedek [vv. 1–14]. 16 He was not made a priest by ·human rules and laws [or regulations about physical descent/ancestry] but through the power of his life, which ·continues forever [or is indestructable]. 17 [L For] It is said about him,
“You are a priest forever,
·a priest like [L in the priestly order/line of] Melchizedek [Ps. 110:4; Heb. 5:6, 10].”
18 The ·old [former] ·rule [commandment; regulation] is now ·set aside [nullified; abolished], because it was weak and ·useless [ineffective]. 19 The law [C of Moses] could not make anything perfect. But now a better hope has been given to us, and ·with [by means of; through] this hope we can ·come near to [approach] God. 20 ·It is important that God did this with an oath [L And it was not without an oath]. Others became priests without an oath, 21 but ·Christ [L he] became a priest with an oath, ·when God said [L by the one who said] to him:
“The Lord has ·made a promise [L sworn; C an oath]
and will not change his mind.
‘You are a priest forever [v. 17; Ps. 110:4].’”
22 ·This means that [Because of this oath,] Jesus is the guarantee of a better ·agreement from God to his people [covenant; contract; 8:7–13; Jer. 31:31–34; C the new covenant is greater than the old (the law of Moses) because it provides true forgiveness of sins].
23 When one of the other priests died, he could not continue being a priest. So there were many priests. 24 But because Jesus ·lives [remains; abides] forever, he ·will never stop serving as priest [L has a permanent/eternal priesthood]. 25 So he is able ·always to save [or to save completely/forever] those who come to God through him because he always lives, ·asking God to help [interceding for] them.
26 ·Jesus is the kind of high priest we need [L For such a high priest is indeed suited/fitting for us]. He is holy, ·sinless [innocent; blameless], ·pure [undefiled], ·not influenced by [set apart from] sinners, and he is ·raised above the heavens [or having the highest place in heaven]. 27 He is not like the other priests who had to offer sacrifices every day, first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people. Christ offered his sacrifice only once and for all time [9:12; 10:10] when he offered himself. 28 The law ·chooses [designates; appoints] high priests who are people with weaknesses [5:2], but the word of God’s oath came later than the law. It made God’s Son to be the high priest, and that Son has been made perfect forever [2:10; 5:9].
Hebrews 7
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
The Priestly Order of Melchizedek
7 For this Melchiz′edek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him; 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 He is without father[a] or mother or genealogy, and has neither beginning of days nor end of life,[b] but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest for ever.
4 See how great he is! Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe of the spoils. 5 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brethren, though these also are descended from Abraham. 6 But this man who has not their genealogy received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 8 Here tithes are received by mortal men; there, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchiz′edek met him.
Another Priest, Like Melchizedek
11 Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levit′ical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchiz′edek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? 12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. 13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.
15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchiz′edek, 16 who has become a priest, not according to a legal requirement concerning bodily descent but by the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is witnessed of him,
“Thou art a priest for ever,
after the order of Melchiz′edek.”
18 On the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the law made nothing perfect); on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.
20 And it was not without an oath. 21 Those who formerly became priests took their office without an oath, but this one was addressed with an oath,
“The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
‘Thou art a priest for ever.’”
22 This makes Jesus the surety of a better covenant.
23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues for ever. 25 Consequently he is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 Indeed, the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect for ever.
Footnotes
- 7.3 without father: i.e., the father is not mentioned in scripture.
- 7.3 neither beginning of days nor end of life: So too here, they are not mentioned in scripture either. Thus his priesthood can be taken to foreshadow or symbolize the Christian priesthood. “You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek” (Ps 110.4; cf. Heb 7.17).
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.