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.
Kohani Melekizedeka
1 Melekizedeka ono orivoya 'bädri'ba Salema ro ago orivoya kohani Lu Fopara Ndra ro. Ondro Abarayama ka ezi ego ni kyila se nda kope 'bädri'bai su be ṛe ana ro yasi oko, Melekizedeka 'bedrite nda be ago äṛu nda te, 2 ago Abarayama ozo telesi alo 'bute ŋgase cini nda kurube rote ndäri (takaci käti ävuru Melekizedeka ro ro ni “'Bädri'ba Taŋgye ro;” tana nda orivoya 'bädri'ba Salema ro, ävuru ndaro takacina kpa, “'Bädri'ba Taliatokpe ro.”) 3 Tazevoedre i'do uti ndaro kode odra ndaro tana ro. Nda laba orivoya oso Ŋgwa Lu ro ronye, nda ka ori kohani ro äduako.
4 Ka'do inye, mindre, nda orivoya para. Abarayama zutu likuekye amaro, ozo telesi alo 'bute ŋgase cini nda kurube ni kyila yasi rote ndäri. 5 Ago zelevoi Lewe ro se orivoya kohanii ro kai atate Ota si telesi alo 'bute ŋga ro kotone ni lidri Yisaraele ro rigyesi, lidri 'bädri ànyaro ro gica orivoya kpa zelevoi Abarayama ro owo. 6 Melekizedeka efo kote ni Lewe yasi, oko nda koto telesi alo 'bute ŋga ro teni Abarayama rigyesi ago äṛu nda te, mano se usu tao'ba Lu rote ono. 7 Ta a'do wiriwiri ro ro i'do nda se kabe 'di äṛu orivoya ndrani nda se äṛube ri. 8 Ta kohanii rota okotokala telesi alo 'bute ŋga rote lidri se kabe odra si, oko, ta Melekizedeka rota taegyi atate ekye: Nda se kabe ori lidriidriro ru telesi alo 'bute ŋga rote. 9 Ago atana ndi nonye, tuse Abarayama ozo telesi alo 'bute ŋga robe si, Lewe ozo anya kpa. 10 Tana tuse Abarayama ko'bedribe Melekizedeka be si, äti Lewe drigba ko, oko nda ṛo orivoya lomvo zutu ndaro Abarayama roya.
11 Ozo Ota te lidri Yisaraele ro ri, tazevona njurute a'do Lewe'ba ro kohani ro dri. Yauono, ondro losi kohani ro lewe ro ayete ŋgye, alena kohani aza tona kote a'done, nda se kesobe Melekizedeka vo, ko Arona. 12 Tana ondro ka'do a'do kohani ro otozate, kpate ota tozane. 13 Ago Opi amaro se ata ta kwoi be tana ro, a'dote ni 'bakala to yasi, ago ko ni gboko se kindurube kohani ro ro yasi. 14 Äni ṛote kado anjioko äti nda te gboko 'bakala Yuda ro rosi, ago Musa ata ta 'bakala ono ro kote tuse nda kata ta kohanii rote ana si.
Kohani aza, Oso Melekizedeka ronye
15 Tana a'dote ŋbelero kohani to aza efote, se orivoya oso Melekizedeka ronye. 16 A'ba nda te kohani ro, ko ota lidri ro ndi tavoorai be si, oko mbara ori se äduako rosi. 17 Tana taegyi ka ata ekye: “Nya'dona 'da kohani ro äduako, oso Melekizedeka ronye.” 18 Tana ota se uku ana anate tana orivoya mbaraako ago takaciako. 19 Tana Ota Musa ro ni ko ŋga aza o'bane ŋgye. Ago yauono mio'ba kadopara ozote se sina mà ikyi loto Lu re.
20 Ago kinjona ro ruäṛu Lu ro kpa orivoya. Ruäṛu aza i'do oso nonye tuse a'ba azaka be kohani ro si owo. 21 Oko Yesu a'dote kohani ro takacina ta ruäṛu ro se tuse Lu katabe ndäri rosi rota ekye:
“Opi 'ba tao'baro lämu'duro te
ago nda unina kote drî ndaro läpine tona.
‘Nya'dona 'da kohani ro äduako.’ ”
22 Ago, a'do to ono, 'ba Yesu te a'done tao'baro kadopara ro.
23 A'do toto aza orivoya; kohanii kai orivoya amba, oko ànya niyi kote orine 'duro losi ànyaro ya, tana ànya todrayite. 24 Oko Yesu ka ori äduako, ago losi ndaro kohani ro coperu kote 'diaza ri. 25 Ago ta'doro nda orivoya mbara be, yauono ago ondoalo ànya se kabe ikyi Lu re nda si opane, tana nda ka ori äduako Lu ejine ta ànyaro ta. 26 Ka'do inye, Yesu, orivoya kohani fopara yi, nda orivoya alokado; teinye taenjiako ago takozi i'do nda ya, elewe nda teni takozi'bai resi ago eŋgate vo'buyakuru ya. 27 Nda ko oso kohani fopara azaka ronye, nda leko torii olone ondoalo käti takozi modo ndaro rota ago 'dooko ta takozii lidri rota. Nda lo tori alodi te, perena ṛo alodi, tuse nda kozo andivo ndaro be si. 28 Ota Musa ro ka lidri se orivoya ko kadoro ka'dana kohanii fopara ro, oko tao'ba Lu ro a'bate ruäṛu be, se ikyite kovolesi Ota vosi, ka'da Ŋgwa te, se a'bate ŋgye äduako.