Hebrews 5-7

English Standard Version

5 For every high priest chosen from among men ^(A)is appointed to act on behalf of men ^(B)in relation to God, ^(C)to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. ^2 (D)He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself ^(E)is beset with weakness. ³ Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins ^(F)just as he does for those of the people. ⁴ And ^(G)no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, ^(H)just as Aaron was.

⁵ So also Christ ^(I)did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,

⁶ as he says also in another place,

⁷ In the days of his flesh, ^(L)Jesus^[a] offered up prayers and supplications, ^(M)with loud cries and tears, to him ^(N)who was able to save him from death, and ^(O)he was heard because of his reverence. ⁸ Although ^(P)he was a son, ^(Q)he learned obedience through what he suffered. ⁹ And ^(R)being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, ¹⁰ being designated by God a high priest ^(S)after the order of Melchizedek.

Warning Against Apostasy

¹¹ About this we have much to say, and it is ^(T)hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. ¹² For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again ^(U)the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need ^(V)milk, not solid food, ¹³ for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is ^(W)a child. ¹⁴ But solid food is for ^(X)the mature, for those who have their powers ^(Y)of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

6 Therefore ^(Z)let us leave ^(AA)the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance ^(AB)from dead works and of faith toward God, ² and of ^(AC)instruction about washings,^{[b] (AD)}the laying on of hands, ^(AE)the resurrection of the dead, and ^(AF)eternal judgment. ³ And this we will do ^(AG)if God permits. ⁴ For it is impossible, in the case of those ^(AH)who have once been enlightened, who have tasted ^(AI)the heavenly gift, and ^(AJ)have shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and ^(AK)have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶ and ^(AL)then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since ^(AM)they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. ⁷ For ^(AN)land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. ⁸ But ^(AO)if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, ^(AP)and its end is to be burned.

⁹ Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. ¹⁰ For ^(AQ)God is not unjust so as to overlook ^(AR)your work and the love that you have shown for his name in ^(AS)serving the saints, as you still do. ¹¹ And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance ^(AT)of hope until the end, ¹² so that you may not be sluggish, but ^(AU)imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

The Certainty of God's Promise

¹³ For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, ^(AV)he swore by himself, ¹⁴ saying, ^(AW)“Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” ¹⁵ And thus Abraham,^{[c] (AX)}having patiently waited, obtained the promise. ¹⁶ For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes ^(AY)an oath is final for confirmation. ¹⁷ So when God desired to show more convincingly to ^(AZ)the heirs of the promise ^(BA)the unchangeable character of his purpose, ^(BB)he guaranteed it with an oath, ¹⁸ so that by two unchangeable things, in which ^(BC)it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope ^(BD)set before us. ¹⁹ We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into ^(BE)the inner place behind the curtain, ²⁰ where Jesus has gone ^(BF)as a forerunner on our behalf, ^(BG)having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

The Priestly Order of Melchizedek

7 For this ^(BH)Melchizedek, king of ^(BI)Salem, priest of ^(BJ)the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, ² and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. ³ He is without father or mother ^(BK)or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.

⁴ See how great this man was to whom Abraham ^(BL)the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! ⁵ And ^(BM)those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers,^[d] though these also are descended from Abraham. ⁶ But this man ^(BN)who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed ^(BO)him who had the promises. ⁷ It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. ⁸ In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one ^(BP)of whom it is testified that ^(BQ)he lives. ⁹ One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, ¹⁰ for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

Jesus Compared to Melchizedek

^11 (BR)Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? ¹² For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. ¹³ For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. ¹⁴ For it is evident that our Lord was descended ^(BS)from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

¹⁵ This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, ¹⁶ who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷ For it is witnessed of him,

¹⁸ For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside ^(BU)because of its weakness and uselessness ¹⁹ (for ^(BV)the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, ^(BW)a better hope is introduced, through which ^(BX)we draw near to God.

²⁰ And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, ²¹ but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:

²² This makes Jesus the guarantor of ^(BZ)a better covenant.

²³ The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, ²⁴ but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues ^(CA)forever. ²⁵ Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost^{[e] (CB)}those who draw near to God ^(CC)through him, since he always lives ^(CD)to make intercession for them.

²⁶ For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, ^(CE)holy, innocent, unstained, ^(CF)separated from sinners, and ^(CG)exalted above the heavens. ²⁷ He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, ^(CH)first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this ^(CI)once for all when he offered up himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints men ^(CJ)in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made ^(CK)perfect forever.