The Priest Melchizedek
1 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and a priest of the Most High God. As Abraham was coming back from the battle in which he defeated the four kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him one tenth of all he had taken. (The first meaning of Melchizedek's name is “King of Righteousness”; and because he was king of Salem, his name also means “King of Peace.”) 3 There is no record of Melchizedek's father or mother or of any of his ancestors; no record of his birth or of his death. He is like the Son of God; he remains a priest forever.
4 You see, then, how great he was. Abraham, our famous ancestor, gave him one tenth of all he got in the battle. 5 And those descendants of Levi who are priests are commanded by the Law to collect one tenth from the people of Israel, that is, from their own people, even though they are also descendants of Abraham. 6 Melchizedek was not descended from Levi, but he collected one tenth from Abraham and blessed him, the man who received God's promises. 7 There is no doubt that the one who blesses is greater than the one who is blessed. 8 In the case of the priests the tenth is collected by men who die; but as for Melchizedek the tenth was collected by one who lives, as the scripture says. 9 And, so to speak, when Abraham paid the tenth, Levi (whose descendants collect the tenth) also paid it. 10 For Levi had not yet been born, but was, so to speak, in the body of his ancestor Abraham when Melchizedek met him.
11 It was on the basis of the levitical priesthood that the Law was given to the people of Israel. Now, if the work of the levitical priests had been perfect, there would have been no need for a different kind of priest to appear, one who is in the priestly order of Melchizedek, not of Aaron. 12 For when the priesthood is changed, there also has to be a change in the law. 13 And our Lord, of whom these things are said, belonged to a different tribe, and no member of his tribe ever served as a priest. 14 It is well known that he was born a member of the tribe of Judah; and Moses did not mention this tribe when he spoke of priests.
Another Priest, like Melchizedek
15 The matter becomes even plainer; a different priest has appeared, who is like Melchizedek. 16 He was made a priest, not by human rules and regulations, but through the power of a life which has no end. 17 For the scripture says, “You will be a priest forever, in the priestly order of Melchizedek.” 18 The old rule, then, is set aside, because it was weak and useless. 19 For the Law of Moses could not make anything perfect. And now a better hope has been provided through which we come near to God.
20 In addition, there is also God's vow. There was no such vow when the others were made priests. 21 But Jesus became a priest by means of a vow when God said to him,
“The Lord has made a solemn promise
and will not take it back:
‘You will be a priest forever.’”
22 This difference, then, also makes Jesus the guarantee of a better covenant.
23 There is another difference: there were many of those other priests, because they died and could not continue their work. 24 But Jesus lives on forever, and his work as priest does not pass on to someone else. 25 And so he is able, now and always, to save those who come to God through him, because he lives forever to plead with God for them.
26 Jesus, then, is the High Priest that meets our needs. He is holy; he has no fault or sin in him; he has been set apart from sinners and raised above the heavens. 27 He is not like other high priests; he does not need to offer sacrifices every day for his own sins first and then for the sins of the people. He offered one sacrifice, once and for all, when he offered himself. 28 The Law of Moses appoints men who are imperfect to be high priests; but God's promise made with the vow, which came later than the Law, appoints the Son, who has been made perfect 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.