Beginning

A Priest Forever

7 This Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, is the one who met Abraham as he was returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,^{[a] 2} and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything.^[b] First, Melchizedek means “king of righteousness,” and then “king of Salem,” which is “king of peace.” ³ He is without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, and resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

⁴ Consider how great this man was. Even Abraham, the patriarch, gave him a tenth from the best of the spoils. ⁵ According to the law, those sons of Levi who received the priesthood have a command to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brother Israelites, even though they also came from Abraham’s body. ⁶ But here the one who was not descended from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. ⁷ And without any question, it is the lesser who is blessed by the greater.

⁸ In the one case, those who are mortal collect the tenth; in the other case, the one who collects has testimony in Scripture^[c] that he lives. ⁹ And, through Abraham, even Levi, who collects the tenth, has paid a tenth, so to speak, ¹⁰ because he was still in the body of his forefather when Melchizedek met Abraham.

¹¹ So if everything could have been brought to its goal through the Levitical priesthood (for the people received the law on the basis of that priesthood), what further need was there for another priest to arise who was like Melchizedek, yet not said to be like Aaron? ¹² For when the priesthood is changed, by necessity a change in the law also happens. ¹³ Yet these things are said about the one who belonged to another tribe, from which no one had served at the altar. ¹⁴ It is certainly clear that our Lord is descended from Judah. Moses said nothing about priests in connection with that tribe.

¹⁵ And this becomes even clearer if another priest arises like Melchizedek, ¹⁶ who became a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement about physical descent, but on the basis of the power of an endless^[d] life. ¹⁷ For it has been testified in Scripture about him:

¹⁸ To be sure, the former requirement is annulled, because it was weak and useless— ¹⁹ for the law did not bring anything to its goal—but now a better hope is introduced, by which we approach God.

²⁰ And something like this did not happen without an oath. Indeed, others who became priests did so without an oath, ²¹ but this one became a priest with an oath, through the one who said to him:

²² In this way, Jesus has become the guarantor^[g] of a better covenant.^[h]

²³ There were many who became priests because death prevented any of them from continuing to remain in office. ²⁴ But because this one endures forever, he has a permanent priesthood. ²⁵ So for this reason he is able to save forever those who come to God through him, because he always lives to plead on their behalf.

Jesus Is the High Priest We Need

²⁶ This is certainly the kind of high priest we needed: one who is holy, innocent, pure, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. ²⁷ Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices on a daily basis, first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. In fact, he sacrificed for sins once and for all when he offered himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints as high priests men who have weaknesses. But the word of the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been brought to his goal forever.

A Better Promise

8 The main point of what we are saying is this: We have the kind of high priest who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven. ² He is the minister in the Holy Place, which is the true sanctuary, which the Lord set up, not man. ³ For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices, and for that reason this priest also needed to have something that he offered.

⁴ If this priest were on earth, he would not even be a priest, because there are priests^[i] who are designated by the law to offer gifts. ⁵ They serve at a place that is a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary, a place exactly like that about which Moses was told when he was about to complete the tent.^[j] For God said, “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown to you on the mountain.”^[k]

⁶ But now, Jesus has obtained a ministry that is as much superior as the covenant that he mediates is better, because it has been established on the basis of better promises. ⁷ Indeed, if that first covenant were without fault, there would have been no reason to look for a second. ⁸ But because God found fault with the people, he said:^[l]

¹³ When God said “new,” he made the first covenant obsolete, and something that is obsolete and growing old is going to disappear.

The Earthly Tent

9 The first covenant had regulations for worship and for an earthly sanctuary. ² The first room of the tent was furnished with the lampstand, the table, and the Bread of the Presence.^[o] This room was called the Holy Place. ³ And behind the second curtain was the room of the tent called the Most Holy Place. ⁴ It had the golden censer for incense^[p] and the Ark of the Covenant, which was covered entirely with gold. Inside the Ark was the golden jar holding the manna, Aaron’s staff that had sprouted buds, and the stone tablets of the covenant. ⁵ Above the Ark, the glorious cherubim overshadowed the atonement seat. We are not going to talk about these things in detail now.

⁶ After these things had been furnished in this way, the priests would always enter the first room of the tent to perform their ministries. ⁷ But only the high priest would enter the second section of the tent, once each year, and not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people committed in ignorance. ⁸ By this the Holy Spirit indicates that, while the first room of the tent existed, a way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed.

⁹ This tent is a picture pointing to the present time. Since it is only a picture, the gifts and sacrifices that are brought there are not able to clear the conscience of the worshipper. ¹⁰ They are only bodily regulations about foods, drinks, and various washings, which were in force until the time of the new order.

Jesus’ Blood

¹¹ But when Christ appeared as the high priest of the good things that were coming,^[q] he went through the greater and more complete tent, which was not made by human hands (that is, it is not part of this creation). ¹² He entered once into the Most Holy Place and obtained eternal redemption, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood. ¹³ Now if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkled on those who were unclean, sanctifies them so that their flesh is clean, ¹⁴ how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our^[r] consciences from dead works, so that we worship the living God?

¹⁵ For this reason, he is the mediator of a new covenant. A death took place as payment for the trespasses committed under the first covenant, so that those who are called would receive the promised eternal inheritance. ¹⁶ For where a will^[s] exists, it is necessary to establish the death of the one who made the will. ¹⁷ For a will takes effect at the time of death, since it is never in force when the one who made the will is still living.

¹⁸ For this reason, the first covenant was not ratified without blood. ¹⁹ Indeed, after every command was spoken by Moses to all the people, in accordance with the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats,^[t] with water and scarlet wool and a hyssop branch, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people. ²⁰ He said, “This is the blood of the covenant that God established for you.”^{[u] 21} In the same way he sprinkled blood on the tent and all the objects for worship. ²² And nearly everything is cleansed with blood according to the law. And, without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.

One Perfect Sacrifice

²³ Therefore, it was necessary that the copies of the things in heaven be cleansed by these sacrifices, but it was necessary that the heavenly things themselves be cleansed with sacrifices better than these. ²⁴ For Christ did not enter a handmade sanctuary, a representation of the true sanctuary. Instead, he entered into heaven itself, now to appear before God on our behalf. ²⁵ And he did not enter to offer himself many times, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own. ²⁶ Otherwise he would have needed to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once and for all, at the climax of the ages, in order to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself. ²⁷ And, just as it is appointed for people to die only once and after this comes the judgment, ²⁸ so also Christ was offered only once to take away the sins of many, and he will appear a second time—without sin—to bring salvation to those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Animal Sacrifices Are Not Sufficient

10 In fact, the law is only a shadow of the good things to come, not the actual realization of those things. It will never be able to make perfect those who continually offer the same sacrifices year after year. ² If it could do this, would they not have stopped bringing sacrifices, because the worshippers, once they were cleansed, would no longer have a bad conscience about sins? ³ Instead, these sacrifices reminded them of their sins year after year. ⁴ The fact is that the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins.

⁵ Therefore when he entered the world, Christ said:

⁸ First he said:

⁹ Then he said:

He does away with the first in order to establish the second. ¹⁰ By this will, we have been sanctified once and for all, through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ.

Christ’s Sacrifice Is Sufficient

¹¹ In the one case, every priest stood ministering day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which are never able to remove sin. ¹² In the other case, this priest, after he offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God. ¹³ Since then he has been waiting until his enemies are made a footstool under his feet. ¹⁴ By only one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being sanctified.

¹⁵ The Holy Spirit also testifies in Scripture^[y] to us, for first he said:

¹⁷ Then he adds:

¹⁸ Now where these sins are forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

Confidence Through Christ

¹⁹ Brothers,^[ab] we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place through the blood of Jesus. ²⁰ It is a new and living way he opened for us through the curtain, that is, his flesh. ²¹ We also have a great priest over the house of God. ²² So let us approach with a sincere heart, in the full confidence of faith, because our hearts have been sprinkled to take away a bad conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold on firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.

Do Not Keep On Sinning

²⁴ Let us also consider carefully how to spur each other on to love and good works. ²⁵ Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have the habit of doing. Rather, let us encourage each other, and all the more as you see the Day^[ac] approaching.

²⁶ For if we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the full knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains any sacrifice for sins. ²⁷ Instead, there is a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a raging fire that is going to consume the enemies of God. ²⁸ Anyone who rejected the law of Moses was put to death without pity, on the basis of the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much greater punishment do you think will be deserved by the person who trampled the Son of God underfoot, who considered insignificant the blood of the covenant, by which he was sanctified, and who insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know the one who said:

And again:

³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Endure Suffering Patiently

³² Remember the former days when, after you were enlightened, you patiently endured a great struggle of sufferings. ³³ Sometimes you were publicly shamed by insults and persecutions. At other times you became companions of those who were treated this way. ³⁴ Indeed, you also sympathized with those in prison,^[af] and when your possessions were seized, you accepted it with joy, because you knew that you yourselves had a better and lasting possession. ³⁵ So do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. ³⁶ Certainly you need patient endurance so that, after you do God’s will, you may receive what was promised. ³⁷ For in just a little while:

³⁹ Now we are not part of those who shrink back, resulting in destruction, but of those who have faith, resulting in the soul’s salvation.