1 For this Melchizedek, the king of Salem, a priest of the Most High God, who gave Abraham his blessing, meeting him when he came back after putting the kings to death,

1 οὖτος γὰρ ὁ μελχισέδεκ, βασιλεὺς σαλήμ, ἱερεὺς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου, ὁ συναντήσας ἀβραὰμ ὑποστρέφοντι ἀπὸ τῆς κοπῆς τῶν βασιλέων καὶ εὐλογήσας αὐτόν,

2 And to whom Abraham gave a tenth part of everything which he had, being first named King of righteousness, and then in addition, King of Salem, that is to say, King of peace;

2 ᾧ καὶ δεκάτην ἀπὸ πάντων ἐμέρισεν ἀβραάμ, πρῶτον μὲν ἑρμηνευόμενος βασιλεὺς δικαιοσύνης ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ βασιλεὺς σαλήμ, ὅ ἐστιν βασιλεὺς εἰρήνης,

3 Being without father or mother, or family, having no birth or end to his life, being made like the Son of God, is a priest for ever.

3 ἀπάτωρ, ἀμήτωρ, ἀγενεαλόγητος, μήτε ἀρχὴν ἡμερῶν μήτε ζωῆς τέλος ἔχων, ἀφωμοιωμένος δὲ τῶ υἱῶ τοῦ θεοῦ, μένει ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸ διηνεκές.

4 Now see how great this man was, to whom our father Abraham gave a tenth part of what he had got in the fight.

4 θεωρεῖτε δὲ πηλίκος οὖτος ᾧ [καὶ] δεκάτην ἀβραὰμ ἔδωκεν ἐκ τῶν ἀκροθινίων ὁ πατριάρχης.

5 And it is true that by the law, those of the sons of Levi who have the position of priests may take a tenth part of the people's goods; that is to say, they take it from their brothers though these are the sons of Abraham.

5 καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν λευὶ τὴν ἱερατείαν λαμβάνοντες ἐντολὴν ἔχουσιν ἀποδεκατοῦν τὸν λαὸν κατὰ τὸν νόμον, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτῶν, καίπερ ἐξεληλυθότας ἐκ τῆς ὀσφύος ἀβραάμ·

6 But this man, who was not of their family, took the tenth from Abraham, and gave a blessing to him to whom God had given his undertaking.

6 ὁ δὲ μὴ γενεαλογούμενος ἐξ αὐτῶν δεδεκάτωκεν ἀβραάμ, καὶ τὸν ἔχοντα τὰς ἐπαγγελίας εὐλόγηκεν.

7 But there is no doubt that the less gets his blessing from the greater.

7 χωρὶς δὲ πάσης ἀντιλογίας τὸ ἔλαττον ὑπὸ τοῦ κρείττονος εὐλογεῖται.

8 Now at the present time, men over whom death has power take the tenth; but then it was taken by one of whom it is witnessed that he is living.

8 καὶ ὧδε μὲν δεκάτας ἀποθνῄσκοντες ἄνθρωποι λαμβάνουσιν, ἐκεῖ δὲ μαρτυρούμενος ὅτι ζῇ.

9 And we may say that in Abraham, even Levi, who has a right to take the tenth part, gave it;

9 καὶ ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, δι᾽ ἀβραὰμ καὶ λευὶ ὁ δεκάτας λαμβάνων δεδεκάτωται,

10 Because he was still in his father's body when Melchizedek came to him.

10 ἔτι γὰρ ἐν τῇ ὀσφύϊ τοῦ πατρὸς ἦν ὅτε συνήντησεν αὐτῶ μελχισέδεκ.

11 Now if it was possible for things to be made complete through the priests of the house of Levi (for the law was given to the people in connection with them), what need was there for another priest who was of the order of Melchizedek and not of the order of Aaron?

11 εἰ μὲν οὗν τελείωσις διὰ τῆς λευιτικῆς ἱερωσύνης ἦν, ὁ λαὸς γὰρ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς νενομοθέτηται, τίς ἔτι χρεία κατὰ τὴν τάξιν μελχισέδεκ ἕτερον ἀνίστασθαι ἱερέα καὶ οὐ κατὰ τὴν τάξιν ἀαρὼν λέγεσθαι;

12 Because if the priests are changed, it is necessary to make a change in the law.

12 μετατιθεμένης γὰρ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ νόμου μετάθεσις γίνεται.

13 For he of whom these things are said comes of another tribe, of which no man has ever made offerings at the altar.

13 ἐφ᾽ ὃν γὰρ λέγεται ταῦτα φυλῆς ἑτέρας μετέσχηκεν, ἀφ᾽ ἧς οὐδεὶς προσέσχηκεν τῶ θυσιαστηρίῳ·

14 Because it is clear that our Lord comes out of Judah, and Moses said nothing about priests from that tribe.

14 πρόδηλον γὰρ ὅτι ἐξ ἰούδα ἀνατέταλκεν ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν, εἰς ἣν φυλὴν περὶ ἱερέων οὐδὲν μωϊσῆς ἐλάλησεν.

15 And this is even more clear if a second priest has come up who is like Melchizedek,

15 καὶ περισσότερον ἔτι κατάδηλόν ἐστιν, εἰ κατὰ τὴν ὁμοιότητα μελχισέδεκ ἀνίσταται ἱερεὺς ἕτερος,

16 That is to say, not made by a law based on the flesh, but by the power of a life without end:

16 ὃς οὐ κατὰ νόμον ἐντολῆς σαρκίνης γέγονεν ἀλλὰ κατὰ δύναμιν ζωῆς ἀκαταλύτου,

17 For it has been witnessed of him, You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

17 μαρτυρεῖται γὰρ ὅτι σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα κατὰ τὴν τάξιν μελχισέδεκ.

18 So the law which went before is put on one side, because it was feeble and without profit.

18 ἀθέτησις μὲν γὰρ γίνεται προαγούσης ἐντολῆς διὰ τὸ αὐτῆς ἀσθενὲς καὶ ἀνωφελές,

19 (Because the law made nothing complete), and in its place there is a better hope, through which we come near to God.

19 οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐτελείωσεν ὁ νόμος, ἐπεισαγωγὴ δὲ κρείττονος ἐλπίδος, δι᾽ ἧς ἐγγίζομεν τῶ θεῶ.

20 And as this is not without the taking of an oath

20 καὶ καθ᾽ ὅσον οὐ χωρὶς ὁρκωμοσίας, οἱ μὲν γὰρ χωρὶς ὁρκωμοσίας εἰσὶν ἱερεῖς γεγονότες,

21 (For those were made priests without an oath, but this one was made a priest with an oath by him who says of him, The Lord gave his oath, which he will not take back, that you are a priest for ever);

21 ὁ δὲ μετὰ ὁρκωμοσίας διὰ τοῦ λέγοντος πρὸς αὐτόν, ὤμοσεν κύριος, καὶ οὐ μεταμεληθήσεται, σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα,

22 By so much is it a better agreement which we have through Jesus.

22 κατὰ τοσοῦτο [καὶ] κρείττονος διαθήκης γέγονεν ἔγγυος ἰησοῦς.

23 And it is true that there have been a great number of those priests, because death does not let them go on for ever;

23 καὶ οἱ μὲν πλείονές εἰσιν γεγονότες ἱερεῖς διὰ τὸ θανάτῳ κωλύεσθαι παραμένειν·

24 But this priest, because his life goes on for ever, is unchanging.

24 ὁ δὲ διὰ τὸ μένειν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἀπαράβατον ἔχει τὴν ἱερωσύνην·

25 So that he is fully able to be the saviour of all who come to God through him, because he is ever living to make prayer to God for them.

25 ὅθεν καὶ σῴζειν εἰς τὸ παντελὲς δύναται τοὺς προσερχομένους δι᾽ αὐτοῦ τῶ θεῶ, πάντοτε ζῶν εἰς τὸ ἐντυγχάνειν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν.

26 It was right for us to have such a high priest, one who is holy and without evil, doing no wrong, having no part with sinners, and made higher than the heavens:

26 τοιοῦτος γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ ἔπρεπεν ἀρχιερεύς, ὅσιος, ἄκακος, ἀμίαντος, κεχωρισμένος ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, καὶ ὑψηλότερος τῶν οὐρανῶν γενόμενος·

27 Who has no need to make offerings for sins every day, like those high priests, first for himself, and then for the people; because he did this once and for ever when he made an offering of himself.

27 ὃς οὐκ ἔχει καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ἀνάγκην, ὥσπερ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς, πρότερον ὑπὲρ τῶν ἰδίων ἁμαρτιῶν θυσίας ἀναφέρειν, ἔπειτα τῶν τοῦ λαοῦ· τοῦτο γὰρ ἐποίησεν ἐφάπαξ ἑαυτὸν ἀνενέγκας.

28 The law makes high priests of men who are feeble; but the word of the oath, which was made after the law, gives that position to a Son, in whom all good is for ever complete.

28 ὁ νόμος γὰρ ἀνθρώπους καθίστησιν ἀρχιερεῖς ἔχοντας ἀσθένειαν, ὁ λόγος δὲ τῆς ὁρκωμοσίας τῆς μετὰ τὸν νόμον υἱὸν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τετελειωμένον.