Hebrews 6:9-7:10

English Standard Version

⁹ Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. ¹⁰ For ^(A)God is not unjust so as to overlook ^(B)your work and the love that you have shown for his name in ^(C)serving the saints, as you still do. ¹¹ And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance ^(D)of hope until the end, ¹² so that you may not be sluggish, but ^(E)imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

The Certainty of God's Promise

¹³ For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, ^(F)he swore by himself, ¹⁴ saying, ^(G)“Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” ¹⁵ And thus Abraham,^{[a] (H)}having patiently waited, obtained the promise. ¹⁶ For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes ^(I)an oath is final for confirmation. ¹⁷ So when God desired to show more convincingly to ^(J)the heirs of the promise ^(K)the unchangeable character of his purpose, ^(L)he guaranteed it with an oath, ¹⁸ so that by two unchangeable things, in which ^(M)it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope ^(N)set before us. ¹⁹ We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into ^(O)the inner place behind the curtain, ²⁰ where Jesus has gone ^(P)as a forerunner on our behalf, ^(Q)having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

The Priestly Order of Melchizedek

7 For this ^(R)Melchizedek, king of ^(S)Salem, priest of ^(T)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 or mother ^(U)or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.

⁴ See how great this man was to whom Abraham ^(V)the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! ⁵ And ^(W)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 brothers,^[b] though these also are descended from Abraham. ⁶ But this man ^(X)who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed ^(Y)him who had the promises. ⁷ It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. ⁸ In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one ^(Z)of whom it is testified that ^(AA)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 Melchizedek met him.