The Priestly Family of Melchizedek
1 Melchizedek was both king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He was the one who went out and gave Abraham his blessing, when Abraham returned from killing the kings. 2 Then Abraham gave him a tenth of everything he had.
The meaning of the name Melchizedek is “King of Justice.” But since Salem means “peace,” he is also “King of Peace.” 3 We are not told he had a father or mother or ancestors or beginning or end. He is like the Son of God and will be a priest forever.
4 Notice how great Melchizedek was! Our famous ancestor Abraham gave him a tenth of what he had taken from his enemies. 5 The Law teaches that even Abraham's descendants must give a tenth of what they possess. And they are to give this to their own relatives, who are the descendants of Levi and are priests. 6 Although Melchizedek wasn't a descendant of Levi, Abraham gave him a tenth of what he had. Then Melchizedek blessed Abraham, who had been given God's promise. 7 Everyone agrees a person who gives a blessing is greater than the one who receives the blessing.
8 Priests are given a tenth of what people earn. But all priests die, except Melchizedek, and the Scriptures teach that he is alive. 9 Levi's descendants are now the ones who receive a tenth from people. We could even say that when Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth, Levi also gave him a tenth. 10 This is because Levi was born later into the family of Abraham, who gave a tenth to Melchizedek.
11 Even though the Law of Moses says the priests must be descendants of Levi, those priests cannot make anyone perfect. So there needs to be a priest like Melchizedek, rather than one from the priestly family of Aaron. 12 And when the rules for selecting a priest are changed, the Law must also be changed.
13 The person we are talking about is our Lord, who came from a tribe that had never had anyone to serve as a priest at the altar. 14 Everyone knows he came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never said priests would come from that tribe.
15 All of this becomes clearer, when someone who is like Melchizedek is appointed to be a priest. 16 That person wasn't appointed because of his ancestors, but because his life can never end. 17 The Scriptures say about him,
“You are a priest forever,
just like Melchizedek.”
18 In this way a weak and useless command was put aside, 19 because the Law cannot make anything perfect. At the same time, we are given a much better hope, and it can bring us close to God.
20-21 God himself made a promise when this priest was appointed. But he did not make a promise like this when the other priests were appointed. The promise he made is,
“I, the Lord, promise that you
will be a priest forever!
And I will never
change my mind!”
22 This means that Jesus guarantees us a better agreement with God. 23 There have been a lot of other priests, and all of them have died. 24 But Jesus will never die, and so he will be a priest forever! 25 He is forever able to save the people he leads to God, because he always lives to speak to God for them.
26 Jesus is the high priest we need. He is holy and innocent and faultless, and not at all like us sinners. Jesus is honored above all beings in heaven, 27 and he is better than any other high priest. Jesus doesn't need to offer sacrifices each day for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. He offered a sacrifice once for all, when he gave himself. 28 The Law appoints priests who have weaknesses. But God's promise, which came later than the Law, appoints his Son. And he is the perfect high priest forever.
Yasuuⓐ gwina gwiro kweleny gwa gusus gwin ŋinena Malkiis̱aadag
1 Malkiis̱aadag ibigwa gwiro malik gwa Saaliim, a gasiis ga Kalo gina ginunu peth, gwina gwibudhilo Ibraahiim gwai dina muŋw aura gi rinyiye gwa maluuk, ŋwubarikiye; 2 gwina gwima Ibraahiim dhedha ⓐushur gi ŋidi peth; gwina gwan kwerkwereny Malik gwa dhuŋun dhina dhiŋir, ŋwubaji ŋwan ko Malik gwa Saaliim, gwina gwuthi maⓐna gwan Malik gwa audhaijiye galo; 3 gwati gwuthi babuŋw, i nana, i liji luŋun lina lijo kwerkwereny no, athuŋw uthi ŋwamun ŋwina ŋwiro kwerkwereny, i ŋwamun ŋwina ŋwiro gidon ŋwa midhe gwuŋun no; ŋwubuthi dhuŋuna dhiro ŋinena dhina dhuthi Ŋari ŋa Kalo; a ŋeda gwaro gasiis gwortal. 4 A minoŋ ireyul je galo darnu kwiji ibigwa gwinaŋ akwai, gwina gwidhedhi Ibraahiim gwina gwiro kweleny gwa baboŋa ⓐushur ko gi ŋidi ŋina ŋapuŋwulo ŋina ŋiŋiranu. 5 Abi lina liro keleŋa ga Laawi, liro lina lapai ŋiro ŋa gusus, luthi amr dilapai ⓐashaar gi liji gi dhuŋun dha naamuus, a gi dhuŋun ibidha dhuthi maⓐna gwan nu, gi limegen, ŋinena tuilo gi kwiriny gwa Ibraahiim. 6 Abi gwina gwati gwuthi lijo lina lijo kwerkwereny lina lidhuredhinu darnu liro keleŋa ga Laawi no gwimapai ⓐashaar di Ibraahiim, a ŋwubarikiye ŋeduŋw gwina gwuthi dhuŋuna dhina dhardhai Kalo. 7 Abi dhuŋun dhati dhina dhuthi kadhuŋw gi dhuŋun ibidha darnu gwina gwitinyunu gwibarikinu di ŋeda gwina gwibuthanu no. 8 Liji lo mina lina laji lai lina lathapai ⓐashaar; abi mine gweta gwo gwina gwidhedhinu shahaada darnu gwimidho. 9 A nyi gwuthi ŋoma dabiŋi dhuŋuna darnu Laawi ko, gwina gwathapai ⓐashaar, gwimadhedha ⓐashaar ko Ibraahiim gwai. 10 Abi ŋeda gwijo nanaŋ kwiriny gwa kwurna gwuŋun, dina budho Ibraahiimŋa Malkiis̱aadag gwai.
11 Ŋinena ada dhuŋun dhina dhiro didima dhimupini ŋiro ŋai ŋa gusus ŋina ŋuthilo Laawi, (gi dhuŋun dha ŋiro ibiŋa liji lidhedhinu naamuus), aŋ gwiro dhuŋun dhina dhiro daruri dathi gasiis giter dire gi ruṯba gwa Malkiis̱aadag, athuŋwbi urninu gi ruṯba gwa H̱aruun na? 12 Ada gusus gima upeyani ganu, a daruri naamuus gwupeyani ganu ko. 13 A gwina gwabiŋudhina gi dhuŋun ibidha gwiro gweta gwa gabiila giter, a kwiji gwati gweda dugun gwina gwimapai ŋiro gi loboŋ no. 14 Ŋinena liŋinu dhuŋun ibidha momaŋ darnu Kweleny gwega gwitui gi gabiila ga Yahuudha; gina gati gabiŋugai Muusa dhuŋuna dheda dhan gusus no. 15 A minoŋ dhuŋun ibidha dhiliŋinu gwoinyadhanu ko ada gasiis giter gimadire giro ŋinena Malkiis̱aadag, 16 gina gimaro gasiis, abi gwati gi dhuŋun dha naamuus gwina gwati gwuthi dhuŋuna dhadhapai dhan aŋinu no, abi gi dhuŋun dha ŋoma ŋa midhe gwina gwati gwerna no. 17 Ŋinena jo shahaada gwan ŋeda darnu, Ŋa gwaro gasiis gwortal, gi ruṯba gwa Malkiis̱aadag. 18 Ŋinena ruiuŋw irniye gwa gaanuun gina gijo kwereny gi dhuŋun dha erna ŋoma ŋuŋun ŋinena athuŋw uthi je ganu no. 19 A minoŋ naamuus gwati gwimeajo ŋida ŋeda no, abi dhunijo gwina gwiŋiranu gwimupina; gwina gwalgwai doga di Kalo. 20 A akwai gwoinyadhanu darnu gwati gwigitinu gwati gwuthi ẖalaf no. 21 (Abi ŋediŋa lati ligitinu dilro gusus ẖalaf gwai no; abi ŋeda gwigitinu ẖalaf gwai di ŋeda gwina gwarnu dugun, Kweleny gwalifiyo a gwati gwuthi dhuŋuna dhiter dhan dhuŋun ibidha no, ŋwarnu, Ŋa gwaro gasiis gwortal gi ruṯba gwa Malkiis̱aadag.) 22 Gwoinyadhanu gi dhuŋun ibidha Yasuuⓐ gwimaro gweta gwina gwuthi dhuŋuna dhina dhiro titiganu gi dhuŋun dhina dhidiminu dhina dhiŋiranu. 23 A titiganu ŋediŋa liro gusus goinyadho, ŋinena uthilo dhuŋuna dha dhai athathil uthi ŋoma dije gi ŋiro gwortal no. 24 Abi ŋeda, ŋinena athuŋw je gwortal, gwuthi ŋiro ŋa gasiis ŋina ŋati ŋerna gatur no. 25 A gi dhuŋun ibidha ŋeda gwuthi ŋoma duŋwgilaŋiye ŋediŋaije lina lathidoga ŋeda gwai di Kalo momaŋ ko, ŋinena midhuŋw ŋwamun peth duŋw abiŋadhaijo Kaloŋa degen gwai.
26 Gwiŋir dega danuthi kwelenya gwa gusus gwina gwiro ŋinena ibigwa, gwina gwiŋir didirel, a gwina gwati gwuthi dhuŋuna dhina dhike, i dhuŋun dhina dhiro ŋirle no, ŋinena juŋw galo ter gi liji lina lathapai ŋida ŋina ŋike, a gwimagitini kalo gina golanalaŋ gi Samawaat; 27 gwina gwati gwuthi dhuŋuna dhina dhiro daruri dugun ŋwamun peth, gwiro ŋinena leleny la gusus, duŋwdhedha Kaloŋa ŋida ŋadhi dhuge ŋwamun peth, kwerkwereny gwan ŋidi ŋuŋun ŋina ŋike a gidon gwan ŋidi ŋina ŋike ŋa liji no; ŋinena apuŋw dhuŋuna ibidha lamun letipo, dina dhedhuŋw Kaloŋa gwidom gwuŋun. 28 Naamuus gwathiruje lijo leleny la gusus lina luthi muluŋw nono; abi dhuŋun dha ẖalaf, dhina dhijo gidon gi naamuus, dhimaruje ŋeduŋw Ŋari ŋina ŋiro didima gwortal.