Book of Common Prayer

¹⁷ So God, wanting very much to show to the heirs of promise the certainty of his counsel, added an oath, ¹⁸ so that by two immutable things (in which it was impossible that God should lie) we may have perfect consolation – we who have fled to hold fast the hope that is set before us, ¹⁹ which hope we have as an anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast. Which hope also enters in, into those things that are within the veil, ²⁰ to where the forerunner has entered in for us – I mean Jesus, who is made a high priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.

He compares the priesthood of Christ to Melchizedek, but declares it to be far more excellent.

7 This Melchizedek, king of Salem (who, being priest of the most high God, met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, ² to whom also Abraham gave tithes of all the spoils) is by translation of his name, king of righteousness. After that, he is king of Salem; that is to say, king of peace. ³ Without father, without mother, without kin, and having neither a beginning of his days nor yet end of his life, he is likened to the Son of God and continues a priest forever.

⁴ Consider what a man this was, to whom the patriarch Abraham gave tithes of the spoils. ⁵ And now, those children of Levi that received the office of the priests have a commandment to take tithes from the people according to the law; that is to say from their brethren, yea though they came out of the loins of Abraham. ⁶ But he whose kindred is not counted among them received tithes from Abraham, and blessed him who had the promises. ⁷ And without argument, he who is less receives blessing from him who is greater. ⁸ And here, men who die receive tithes. But there, he receives tithes of whom it is witnessed that he lives. ⁹ And to say the truth, Levi himself also, who receives tithes, paid tithes in Abraham. ¹⁰ For he was yet in the loins of his father Abraham when Melchizedek met him.

²⁷ And at that point his disciples came, and were surprised that he talked with the woman. Yet no one said to him, What are you asking? or, Why are you talking with her? ²⁸ The woman then left her water-pot, and went her way into the village and said to the people, ²⁹ Come see a man who told me all that I ever did. Is he not the Christ? ³⁰ Then they went out of the village and came to him.

³¹ And in the meanwhile his disciples urged him, saying, Rabbi, eat! ³² He said to them, I have food to eat that you know not of. ³³ Then the disciples said between themselves, Has anyone brought him food?

³⁴ Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to finish his work. ³⁵ Do you not say, There are yet four months and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you: lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are already white for harvest. ³⁶ And he who reaps receives reward, and gathers fruit unto life eternal, so that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. ³⁷ And this saying is true, that one sows and another reaps. ³⁸ I sent you to reap that whereon you bestowed no labour. Other men laboured, and you have entered into their labours.

³⁹ Many of the Samaritans of that village believed on him because of the word of the woman who testified, He told me all that I ever did. ⁴⁰ Then when the Samaritans had come to him, they besought him to stay with them. And he stayed there two days. ⁴¹ And many more believed because of his own words, ⁴² and said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of what you said, but because we have heard him ourselves and know that this is even indeed Christ, the Saviour of the world.