1
Melchizedek the Priest
Οὗτος γὰρ ὁ Μελχισεδέκ, βασιλεὺς Σαλήμ, ἱερεὺς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου, ὁ συναντήσας Ἀβραὰμ ὑποστρέφοντι ἀπὸ τῆς κοπῆς τῶν βασιλέων καὶ εὐλογήσας αὐτόν,
For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
2 ᾧ καὶ δεκάτην ἀπὸ πάντων ἐμέρισεν Ἀβραάμ, πρῶτον μὲν ἑρμηνευόμενος Βασιλεὺς Δικαιοσύνης ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ Βασιλεὺς Σαλήμ, ὅ ἐστιν βασιλεὺς Εἰρήνης,
To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
3 ἀπάτωρ, ἀμήτωρ, ἀγενεαλόγητος, μήτε ἀρχὴν ἡμερῶν μήτε ζωῆς τέλος ἔχων, ἀφωμοιωμένος δὲ τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ θεοῦ, μένει ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸ διηνεκές.
Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abides a priest continually.
4 Θεωρεῖτε δὲ πηλίκος οὗτος ᾧ {καὶ} δεκάτην Ἀβραὰμ ἔδωκεν ἐκ τῶν ἀκροθινίων ὁ πατριάρχης.
Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
5 καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν Λευεὶ / Λευὶ τὴν ἱερατίαν / ἱερατείαν λαμβάνοντες ἐντολὴν ἔχουσιν ἀποδεκατοῖν / ἀποδεκατοῦν τὸν λαὸν κατὰ τὸν νόμον, τοῦτ´ ἔστιν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτῶν, καίπερ ἐξεληλυθότας ἐκ τῆς ὀσφύος Ἀβραάμ·
And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:
6 ὁ δὲ μὴ γενεαλογούμενος ἐξ αὐτῶν δεδεκάτωκεν Ἀβραάμ, καὶ τὸν ἔχοντα τὰς ἐπαγγελίας εὐλόγηκεν.
But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.
7 χωρὶς δὲ πάσης ἀντιλογίας τὸ ἔλαττον ὑπὸ τοῦ κρείττονος εὐλογεῖται.
And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.
8 καὶ ὧδε μὲν δεκάτας ἀποθνήσκοντες ἄνθρωποι λαμβάνουσιν, ἐκεῖ δὲ μαρτυρούμενος ὅτι ζῇ.
And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.
9 καὶ ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, δι´ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Λευεὶς / Λευὶ ὁ δεκάτας λαμβάνων δεδεκάτωται,
And as I may so say, Levi also, who receives tithes, paid tithes in Abraham.
10
Jesus Like Melchizedek
ἔτι γὰρ ἐν τῇ ὀσφύϊ τοῦ πατρὸς ἦν ὅτε συνήντησεν αὐτῷ Μελχισεδέκ.
For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.
11 Εἰ μὲν οὖν τελείωσις διὰ τῆς Λευειτικῆς / Λευιτικῆς ἱερωσύνης ἦν, ὁ λαὸς γὰρ ἐπ´ αὐτῆς νενομοθέτηται, τίς ἔτι χρεία κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδὲκ ἕτερον ἀνίστασθαι ἱερέα καὶ οὐ κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Ἀαρὼν λέγεσθαι;
If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
12 μετατιθεμένης γὰρ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ νόμου μετάθεσις γίνεται.
For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
13 ἐφ´ ὃν γὰρ λέγεται ταῦτα φυλῆς ἑτέρας μετέσχηκεν, ἀφ´ ἧς οὐδεὶς προσέσχηκεν τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ·
For he of whom these things are spoken pertains to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.
14 πρόδηλον γὰρ ὅτι ἐξ Ἰούδα ἀνατέταλκεν ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν, εἰς ἣν φυλὴν περὶ ἱερέων οὐδὲν Μωυσῆς ἐλάλησεν.
For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.
15 Καὶ περισσότερον ἔτι κατάδηλόν ἐστιν, εἰ κατὰ τὴν ὁμοιότητα Μελχισεδὲκ ἀνίσταται ἱερεὺς ἕτερος,
And it is yet far more evident: for that after the embodiment of Melchisedec there arises another priest,
16 ὃς οὐ κατὰ νόμον ἐντολῆς σαρκίνης γέγονεν ἀλλὰ κατὰ δύναμιν ζωῆς ἀκαταλύτου,
Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
17 μαρτυρεῖται γὰρ ὅτι Σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ.
For he testifies, You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
18 ἀθέτησις μὲν γὰρ γίνεται προαγούσης ἐντολῆς διὰ τὸ αὐτῆς ἀσθενὲς καὶ ἀνωφελές,
For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.
19 οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐτελείωσεν ὁ νόμος, ἐπεισαγωγὴ δὲ κρείττονος ἐλπίδος, δι´ ἧς ἐγγίζομεν τῷ θεῷ.
For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
20 Καὶ καθ´ ὅσον οὐ χωρὶς ὁρκωμοσίας, οἱ μὲν γὰρ χωρὶς ὁρκωμοσίας εἰσὶν ἱερεῖς γεγονότες,
And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:
21 ὁ δὲ μετὰ ὁρκωμοσίας διὰ τοῦ λέγοντος πρὸς αὐτόν Ὤμοσεν Κύριος, καὶ οὐ μεταμεληθήσεται, Σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα
(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord swore and will not repent, You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)
22 κατὰ τοσοῦτο καὶ κρείττονος διαθήκης γέγονεν ἔγγυος Ἰησοῦς.
By so much was Jesus made a guarantor of a better testament.
23 Καὶ οἱ μὲν πλείονές εἰσιν γεγονότες ἱερεῖς διὰ τὸ θανάτῳ κωλύεσθαι παραμένειν·
And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
24 ὁ δὲ διὰ τὸ μένειν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἀπαράβατον ἔχει τὴν ἱερωσύνην·
But this man, because he continues ever, has an unchangeable priesthood.
25 ὅθεν καὶ σώζειν εἰς τὸ παντελὲς δύναται τοὺς προσερχομένους δι´ αὐτοῦ τῷ θεῷ, πάντοτε ζῶν εἰς τὸ ἐντυγχάνειν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν.
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them.
26 Τοιοῦτος γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ ἔπρεπεν ἀρχιερεύς, ὅσιος, ἄκακος, ἀμίαντος, κεχωρισμένος ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, καὶ ὑψηλότερος τῶν οὐρανῶν γενόμενος·
For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
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
Who needs not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.
28 ὁ νόμος γὰρ ἀνθρώπους καθίστησιν ἀρχιερεῖς ἔχοντας ἀσθένειαν, ὁ λόγος δὲ τῆς ὁρκωμοσίας τῆς μετὰ τὸν νόμον υἱόν, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τετελειωμένον.
For the law makes men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, makes the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.