Book of Common Prayer

Now Observe How Great This Melchizedek Is

7 For this Melchizedek^[a], king of Salem, priest of the Most-High God, remains^[b] a priest perpetually^[c]— the one having met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and having blessed him; ² to whom also Abraham divided a tenth from everything; who is first ([his name] being translated), king of righteousness; and then also king of Salem, which is^[d] king of peace; ³ fatherless, motherless, genealogy-less, having^[e] neither a beginning of days nor an end of life, but having been made-like^[f] the Son of God. ⁴ Now observe how great this one is to whom indeed Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth from the choicest-spoils:

He Is Greater Than Abraham

⁵ Indeed, the ones from the sons of Levi receiving the priestly-office have a commandment to be collecting-a-tenth-from the people according to the Law (that is, from their brothers, even though their brothers have come-out of the loins of Abraham)— ⁶ yet the one not tracing-his-genealogy from them has collected-a-tenth from Abraham, and has blessed the one having the promises! ⁷ And apart from all dispute, the lesser one is blessed by the better one.

He Is Living As a Priest Perpetually

⁸ And here, dying men^[g] receive the tenths— yet there, it is being attested^[h] that he is living!

He Is Greater Than Levi And His Priesthood

⁹ And so to speak, through Abraham even Levi^[i], the one receiving the tenths, has paid-a-tenth. ¹⁰ For he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him!

Now Why Did Another Priesthood Need To Arise After Aaron?

¹¹ Now indeed, if perfection had been through the Levitical priesthood (for the [Jewish] people have received-the-Law on the basis of it) what further need would there have been that another priest should arise according to the order^[j] of Melchizedek, and not be named according to the order of Aaron?

For This New Priesthood Also Brings a Change of Law

¹² For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is^[k] also a change of law.

For Its High Priest Is From The Tribe of Judah

¹³ For the One about Whom these^[l] things are spoken has partaken of another tribe from which no one has attended-to the altar. ¹⁴ For it is clear that our Lord has risen from Judah— for which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priests.

And He Became High Priest Based On His Indestructible Life

¹⁵ And it is still even-more very-clear^[m] if Another Priest arises in accordance with the likeness of Melchizedek, ¹⁶ Who has become such not based-on the law of a fleshy^[n] commandment, but based on the power of an indestructible life! ¹⁷ For it is attested that “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” [Ps 110:4].

¹⁶ He says to her, “Go, call your husband and come here”. ¹⁷ The woman responded and said to Him, “I do not have a husband”. Jesus says to her, “You said rightly that ‘I do not have a husband’. ¹⁸ For you had five husbands. And now he whom you have is not your husband. You have spoken this as a true thing”. ¹⁹ The woman says to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. ²⁰ Our fathers worshiped on this^[a] mountain, and you^[b] Jews say that the place where one must worship is in Jerusalem”. ²¹ Jesus says to her, “Believe Me, woman, that an hour is coming when you^[c] Samaritans will give-worship to the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We Jews worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews. ²³ But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will give-worship to the Father in spirit and truth. For indeed the Father is seeking such ones to be the ones worshiping Him. ²⁴ God is spirit, and the ones worshiping Him must worship in spirit and truth”. ²⁵ The woman says to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming— the One being called Christ. When that One comes, He will declare all things to us”. ²⁶ Jesus says to her, “I, the One speaking to you, am He”.