The Perfect High Priest

5 For every high priest ^(A)taken from among men is appointed on behalf of people in ^(B)things pertaining to God, in order to ^(C)offer both gifts and sacrifices ^(D)for sins; ^2 [a](E)he can deal gently with the ^(F)ignorant and ^(G)misguided, since he himself also is ^[b](H)clothed in weakness; ³ and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices ^(I)for sins for himself, ^(J)as well as for the people. ⁴ And ^(K)no one takes the honor for himself, but receives it when he is called by God, just ^(L)as Aaron also was.

⁵ So too Christ ^(M)did not glorify Himself in becoming a ^(N)high priest, but it was He who ^(O)said to Him,

⁶ just as He also says in another passage,

⁷ In the days of ^[c]His humanity, ^[d](S)He offered up both prayers and pleas with ^(T)loud crying and tears to the One ^(U)able to save Him ^[e]from death, and He ^[f]was heard because of His ^(V)devout behavior. ⁸ Although He was ^(W)a Son, He learned ^(X)obedience from the things which He suffered. ⁹ And having been ^(Y)perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him, ¹⁰ being designated by God as ^(Z)High Priest according to ^(AA)the order of Melchizedek.

¹³ For ^(A)when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear an oath by no one greater, He ^(B)swore by Himself, ¹⁴ saying, “^(C)indeed I will greatly bless you and I will greatly multiply you.” ¹⁵ And so, ^(D)having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. ^16 (E)For people swear an oath by ^[a]one greater than themselves, and with them ^(F)an oath serving as confirmation is an end of every dispute. ^17 [b]In the same way God, desiring even more to demonstrate to ^(G)the heirs of the promise ^[c](H)the fact that His purpose is unchangeable, ^[d]confirmed it with an oath, ¹⁸ so that by two unchangeable things in which ^(I)it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to hold firmly to ^(J)the hope set before us. ^19 [e]This ^(K)hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which ^(L)enters ^[f]within the veil, ^20 (M)where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a ^(N)high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

¹⁷ For it is attested of Him,

¹⁸ For, on the one hand, there is the nullification of a former commandment ^(B)because of its weakness and uselessness ¹⁹ (for ^(C)the Law made nothing perfect); on the other hand, there is the introduction of a better ^(D)hope, through which we ^(E)come near to God. ²⁰ And to the extent that it was not without an oath ²¹ (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him,

²² by the same extent Jesus also has become the ^[a](I)guarantee of ^(J)a better covenant.