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.
Kaahin kǝni Mǝlikii-saaḏig.
1 Mǝlikii-saaḏiŋ ŋgwɔ kwir mǝlik kwǝthi Saaliim-ŋwɔ, nǝ nɔŋworo kaahin tok kǝthi Allah Wuthǝmthi-lǝ pur-pur. Nǝ kinaŋw mǝ Ibraahiim aaɽa ŋǝryǝnǝ ŋa ŋimǝŋw-ŋi ṯiinyǝ limǝlik-gǝ lir kwaɽiŋan, nǝ Mǝlikii-saaḏig kadrithi ŋundu-gi kithaay, mindaŋ nɔŋwɔccǝ baarika. 2 E-ta nǝ Ibraahiim inḏǝthǝ @ɔshɔra weere-weere wǝthi kwomne tatap ŋgwa kwɔmǝŋw ǝɽǝ ŋǝryǝnǝ. Nǝ ma@na kwiŋna kwǝthi yiriny yuuŋwun yǝni Mǝlikii-saaḏig, kwǝniŋw, “Mǝlik kwǝthi Ŋirllalɔ”. Nǝ kaka nɔrɔ-ŋgwɔ mǝlik kwǝthi Saaliim-ŋwɔ, nǝ ma@na kwǝthi yiriny yuuŋwun ǝniŋw kwokwony, “Mǝlik kwǝthi Ŋiiɽǝnnǝ”. 3 Nǝ ŋiɽaŋal ere naani ŋeere mac ŋandinna ŋǝthi ṯǝrnyin ṯǝthi Mǝlikii-saaḏig-ŋa, wala lǝnyin, wala ŋeere ŋǝthi lugwurnǝyin; wala ethi lothone ŋeere ŋǝthi ŋelŋe ŋuuŋun, wala ŋǝthi ŋiɽany ŋuuŋun. Laakin nɔŋwaaɽanni Tɔɔrɔ ṯǝthi Allah; ŋwɔṯaŋw, ŋwɔ nannitha lur kaka kaahin.
4 Nǝ iisar-mba, kwǝni-mi kwɔppa ŋɔɔrɔ yǝnǝ beṯṯen. Nǝ Ibraahiim kwir kwugwurnǝ kwǝri kwilŋithina por-por, nɔŋw inḏǝthǝ ŋunduŋw @ɔshɔra weere-weere wǝthi kwomne tatap ŋgwa kwumǝŋw ǝɽǝ ki-ŋǝryǝ-nǝ. 5 Nǝ ŋwɔɔla ŋwɔ ŋwɔthi Laawi ŋwir Kahana, nǝrsi ǝllici waamira wǝthi Sherii@a, ethaavi @ɔshɔra naanɔ-gwɔ lizi lǝthi Israa-iil, ŋǝniŋw naanɔ-gwɔ liyeŋgen, nɔrɔr-va kinnǝni tok ŋwɔɔla ŋwɔthi Ibraahiim. 6 Laakin Mǝlikii-saaḏig tǝ, nɔŋweere ǝthi ṯɔvɔɔ-na mac ṯuruuthu naanɔ-gwɔ Laawi, laakin nɔŋw-tǝ aavi @ɔshɔra naanɔ-gwɔ Ibraahiim, mindaŋ nɔŋwɔccǝ baarika ŋgwa kwaava wa@ḏa naanɔ-gwɔ Allah. 7 Ŋilŋithina-lɔ rac por-por ethaarɔŋw ŋgwa kwǝṯi kette barka, nɔŋwɔni kwɔppa ŋɔɔrɔ yǝnǝ ethi ŋgwala kwǝṯaavi barka. 8 Nǝ ki-ŋiɽaŋal-na ŋǝthi kahana, ǝṯi @ɔshɔr ǝvini lizigwunǝŋ-li kila lǝṯi ai; laakin ŋǝthi Mǝlikii-saaḏig tǝ, nǝ @ɔshɔr ǝvini kwizi-gi kwette kwǝṯi miithi, kaka nandisa-gwɔ Kiṯaab Kirllinǝlɔ ter. 9 Ya ǝri aarɔŋw, Laawi ŋundu wɔɽe-wɔɽeny kwǝṯi-pǝ aavi @ɔshɔra, nǝ nɔŋwɔni kwɔmǝ kette @ɔshɔra tok ṯii-thi ṯǝthi Ibraahiim. 10 Nǝ ki-lɔɔmɔr-la kila nǝtǝ Laawi naani kinnǝni kiiriny-nǝ kǝthi Ibraahiim, kinaŋw mǝr kadrithi Mǝlikii-saaḏig-gi.
11 Ǝŋgi ŋothɽor ŋǝthi kahana kir Laawi oro min-min Sherii@a-gi ŋgwa kwɔmǝr inḏǝthǝ lizi lǝthi Israa-iil, e-ta ŋiɽaŋal ŋotho ŋǝŋgi naani kwokwony ŋǝthi kaahin kir ter ethiila, niizaam-gi kwǝthi Mǝlikii-saaḏig, kwiti kwɔrɔ niizaam kwǝthi Haaruun mac? 12 Kaka ǝŋgi ŋothɽor ŋǝthi kaahin ǝthi ŋɔma ethi uppuninǝ, ǝŋgir uppi Sherii@a-na tok. 13 Nǝ Kweeleny kwǝri kwǝthi ŋiɽaŋali ŋɔ ŋandinna, nɔŋworo kwǝthi gǝbiilǝ kir ter, nǝ nɔŋweere kweere kinnǝni kwǝthi gǝbiilǝ kuuŋun mac kwɔmǝ akkɔ ŋothɽor ŋeere ŋǝthi ŋwɔthgwun. 14 Kaka nilŋithinar-gwɔlɔ dedder ŋǝthi Kweeleny kwǝri ŋuruuthuŋw-ŋi gǝbiilǝ-nǝ kǝthi Yahuuthǝ, kiti kandisa-gi Muusǝ mac ŋiɽaŋali ŋeere ŋǝthi ŋothɽor ŋǝthi kahana.
Kaahin kir ter kir kaka Mǝlikii-saaḏig-ŋwɔ.
15 Ŋiɽaŋal ŋimǝ elŋethine-lɔ por-por; kaka mǝgwɔ Kaahin kette kiyaŋ ruwǝnnǝlɔ kaaɽinna Mǝlikii-saaḏig-ŋwɔ. 16 Nǝr ruusi Kaahin, laakin nǝreere ruusi gaanuun-gi ya ṯǝrṯiib-thi ṯǝthi lizigwunǝŋ mac, laakin ŋɔma-ŋi ŋǝthi ŋimiitha ŋiti ŋǝṯi ernene mac. 17 Kaka naarɔ-gwɔ Kiṯaab Kirllinǝlɔ ter ŋwɔ:
“Ŋa kwinḏi ethi rɔɔthatha kaahin lur,
niizaam-gi kwǝthi Mǝlikii-saaḏig.”
18 Ŋwɔṯaŋw, nǝr avrasi waamira wǝthi kerreny-ŋwɔ kǝni-gi, kaka najla-ŋgwɔ nǝ nɔŋweere ǝthi faayitha-na mac. 19 Kaka niti nǝṯi-gwɔ Sherii@a ruusi kwomne kweere min-min mac; laakin kirem tǝ, limǝ-nyji kettice ṯǝkkizǝ-lɔ kizǝn ṯithǝmthi-lǝ, ǝri-thi ǝthi ŋɔma ethi dɔŋgwatha Allah naana keṯṯok.
20 Naaɽi nǝ haliifa wǝthi Allah kiɽǝnni tok. Laakin kerreny tǝ, nǝ haliifa ere naani weere wir kaka-ṯǝŋw mac kinaŋw nuruusǝrsi kila lithaathɔ kahana. 21 Laakin Yǝcu tǝ, nɔŋworo Kaahin ŋiɽaŋal-ŋi ŋǝthi haliifa kinaŋw nǝccǝ Allah-ŋw:
“Kweeleny kɔmǝ uɽu wa@ḏa wɔraara ṯeṯṯec: nǝ kwiti
kwinḏi ethi urlǝ fikirǝ-lɔ mac.
‘Ŋa kwinḏi ethi rɔɔthatha Kaahin lur’.”
22 Nǝrṯoro ŋɔ ŋuruusǝ Yǝcu-ŋw ǝrbuun wǝthi wa@ḏ wǝthǝmthi-lǝ.
23 Kerreny ǝṯi kahana naani kittǝzir, kaka nǝṯir-gwɔ ai, mindaŋ ǝṯireere aari isṯimir ki-ŋothɽor-na ŋeeŋen mac. 24 Laakin Yǝcu tǝ, ǝṯɔŋw miithatha dooɽe, ŋwɔṯaŋw ǝṯi ŋothɽor ŋuuŋun ŋǝthi kaahin, ǝṯirseere inḏǝthǝ kweere mac kwir ter. 25 Ŋwɔṯaŋw nɔŋwɔthi ŋɔma kire-kirem-ŋgwɔ nǝ ŋwɔɔmɔri tatap tok, ethisi kilǝthi kila lǝṯiila naanɔ-gwɔ Allah ŋundu-ŋgi, kaka ǝṯɔŋgwɔ nannitha lur ethi tuurǝcci Allah-lɔ ŋiɽaŋal-ŋi ŋeeŋen.
26 Kaka nɔvthannar-gwɔ ethi Rǝ-iis Rɔppa rǝthi kahana, rillinǝlɔ ter, etheere lɔɔma-na, ethi sɔɔɽi cɔr-cɔɽic, ethisi ruccinǝ lǝni ligii tuk, rimǝ dimmǝnni ki-leere-na lac-lac kider. 27 Nɔŋweere oro kaka rɔ-asa rɔppa rǝthi kahana mac ethi undu kiraama kworo ŋwaamin tatap, ki-rogɽo rǝthi ŋikiya ŋuuŋun kerreny, nǝ kwaathan tǝ kǝthi lizi lithaathɔ. Ŋwɔṯaŋw mindaŋ nɔŋw kette kiraama kɔtɔpɔt kǝthi tatap kinaŋw mɔŋw ruusi rogɽo ruuŋwun kiraama. 28 Imba rerrem, Sherii@a kwǝthi Muusǝ kwǝṯi alla lizi-nǝ liti lir min-min mac ethoro rɔ-asa rɔppa rǝthi kahana; laakin wa@ḏ wǝthi Allah tǝ, nɔŋw uɽunni haliifa-yi wa wɔmǝ kwaathitha Sherii@a kwaathan-gi, nɔŋw alla Tɔɔrɔ-na nɔŋworo timǝr ruusi min-min ethi nannitha dok-dok.