The Greatness of Melchizedek

7 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, met Abraham and blessed him as he returned from defeating the kings, ² and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means king of righteousness, then also, king of Salem, meaning king of peace. ³ Without father, mother, or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God,^(A) he remains a priest forever.

⁴ Now consider how great this man was: even Abraham the patriarch^(B) gave a tenth of the plunder to him. ⁵ The sons of Levi who receive the priestly office have a command according to the law to collect a tenth from the people^(C)—that is, from their brothers and sisters—though they have also descended from Abraham. ⁶ But one without this^[a] lineage collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises.^{(D) 7} Without a doubt, the inferior is blessed by the superior. ⁸ In the one case, men who will die receive a tenth, but in the other case, Scripture testifies that he lives.^{(E) 9} And in a sense Levi himself, who receives a tenth, has paid a tenth through Abraham, ¹⁰ for he was still within his ancestor^[b] when Melchizedek met him.

A Superior Priesthood

¹¹ Now if perfection came through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the law^(F)), what further need was there for another priest to appear, said to be according to the order of Melchizedek and not according to the order of Aaron?^{(G) 12} For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must be a change of law as well. ¹³ For the one these things are spoken about belonged to a different tribe. No one from it has served at the altar. ¹⁴ Now it is evident that our Lord came from Judah,^(H) and Moses said nothing about that tribe concerning priests.

¹⁵ And this becomes clearer if another priest like Melchizedek appears, ¹⁶ who did not become a priest based on a legal regulation about physical^[c] descent but based on the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷ For it has been testified:

¹⁸ So the previous command is annulled because it was weak and unprofitable^{(J) 19} (for the law perfected^(K) nothing), but a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.^(L)

²⁰ None of this happened without an oath. For others became priests without an oath, ²¹ but he became a priest with an oath made by the one who said to him:

²² Because of this oath, Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant.^(N)

²³ Now many have become Levitical priests, since they are prevented by death from remaining in office. ²⁴ But because he remains forever, he holds his priesthood permanently. ²⁵ Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede^(O) for them.

²⁶ For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.^{(P) 27} He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices every day, as high priests do—first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all time when he offered himself.^{(Q) 28} For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak, but the promise of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son,^(R) who has been perfected^(S) forever.

Abram Rescues Lot

14 In those days King Amraphel of Shinar,^(A) King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam,^(B) and King Tidal of Goiim^{[a] 2} waged war against King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, and King Shemeber of Zeboiim,^(C) as well as the king of Bela (that is, Zoar^(D)). ³ All of these came as allies to the Siddim Valley (that is, the Dead Sea^(E)). ⁴ They were subject to Chedorlaomer for twelve years, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. ⁵ In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim^(F) in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham,^(G) the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, ⁶ and the Horites^(H) in the mountains of Seir, as far as El-paran^(I) by the wilderness. ⁷ Then they came back to invade En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh^(J)), and they defeated the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.^(K)

⁸ Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and lined up for battle in the Siddim Valley ⁹ against King Chedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Shinar, and King Arioch of Ellasar—four kings against five. ¹⁰ Now the Siddim Valley contained many asphalt pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them,^[b] but the rest fled to the mountains.^{(L) 11} The four kings took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food and went on. ¹² They also took Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, for he was living in Sodom,^(M) and they went on.

¹³ One of the survivors came and told Abram the Hebrew,^(N) who lived near the oaks belonging to Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and the brother of Aner. They were bound by a treaty with Abram. ¹⁴ When Abram heard that his relative had been taken prisoner, he assembled^[c] his 318 trained men, born in his household,^(O) and they went in pursuit as far as Dan.^{(P) 15} And he and his servants deployed against them by night, defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah to the north of Damascus. ¹⁶ He brought back all the goods and also his relative Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the other people.

Melchizedek’s Blessing

¹⁷ After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Shaveh Valley (that is, the King’s Valley^(Q)). ¹⁸ Melchizedek, king of Salem,^[d](R) brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High.^{(S) 19} He blessed him and said:

And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.^(T)

²¹ Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, but take the possessions for yourself.”

²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand in an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, ²³ that I will not take a thread or sandal strap or anything that belongs to you, so you can never say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ ²⁴ I will take nothing except what the servants have eaten. But as for the share of the men who came with me—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre—they can take their share.”

Psalm 110

The Priestly King

A psalm of David.

The Greatness of Melchizedek

7 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, met Abraham and blessed him as he returned from defeating the kings, ² and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means king of righteousness, then also, king of Salem, meaning king of peace. ³ Without father, mother, or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God,^(A) he remains a priest forever.

⁴ Now consider how great this man was: even Abraham the patriarch^(B) gave a tenth of the plunder to him. ⁵ The sons of Levi who receive the priestly office have a command according to the law to collect a tenth from the people^(C)—that is, from their brothers and sisters—though they have also descended from Abraham. ⁶ But one without this^[a] lineage collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises.^{(D) 7} Without a doubt, the inferior is blessed by the superior. ⁸ In the one case, men who will die receive a tenth, but in the other case, Scripture testifies that he lives.^{(E) 9} And in a sense Levi himself, who receives a tenth, has paid a tenth through Abraham, ¹⁰ for he was still within his ancestor^[b] when Melchizedek met him.

A Superior Priesthood

¹¹ Now if perfection came through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the law^(F)), what further need was there for another priest to appear, said to be according to the order of Melchizedek and not according to the order of Aaron?^{(G) 12} For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must be a change of law as well. ¹³ For the one these things are spoken about belonged to a different tribe. No one from it has served at the altar. ¹⁴ Now it is evident that our Lord came from Judah,^(H) and Moses said nothing about that tribe concerning priests.

¹⁵ And this becomes clearer if another priest like Melchizedek appears, ¹⁶ who did not become a priest based on a legal regulation about physical^[c] descent but based on the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷ For it has been testified:

¹⁸ So the previous command is annulled because it was weak and unprofitable^{(J) 19} (for the law perfected^(K) nothing), but a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.^(L)

²⁰ None of this happened without an oath. For others became priests without an oath, ²¹ but he became a priest with an oath made by the one who said to him:

²² Because of this oath, Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant.^(N)

²³ Now many have become Levitical priests, since they are prevented by death from remaining in office. ²⁴ But because he remains forever, he holds his priesthood permanently. ²⁵ Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede^(O) for them.

²⁶ For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.^{(P) 27} He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices every day, as high priests do—first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all time when he offered himself.^{(Q) 28} For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak, but the promise of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son,^(R) who has been perfected^(S) forever.