Hebrews 7:13-28

Expanded Bible

¹³ ·We are saying these things about Christ, who [^LFor the one about whom these things are said] belonged to a different tribe [^CJesus belonged to the tribe of Judah, not Levi]. No one from that tribe [^CJudah] 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 [^Cthe 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 [^Lif] 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 [^LFor] It is said about him,

¹⁸ The ·old [former] ·rule [commandment; regulation] is now ·set aside [nullified; abolished], because it was weak and ·useless [ineffective]. ¹⁹ The law [^Cof 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 [^LAnd it was not without an oath]. Others became priests without an oath, ²¹ but ·Christ [^Lhe] became a priest with an oath, ·when God said [^Lby the one who said] to him:

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; ^Cthe 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 [^Lhas 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 [^LFor 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].