6:15.

And so he persevered and obtained the promise. For men always swear by some one greater than themselves. And in their every dispute the oath settles the matter. So, wishing to show much more plainly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of his purpose, God pledged himself with an oath. And he did this so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we, who have fled to take refuge in the hope set before us, may have strong encouragement. And this hope is ours, as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and it enters into the Holy of Holies, where, as one who has gone before where we are to follow, Jesus has entered for us by having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchisedek.

For this Melchisedek, King of Salem, Priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings, and blessed him, continues to be a priest for all time to come. To him even Abraham gave a tenth of everything. He is first explained to be King of goodness and then King of Salem, which is, King of peace. He is without father, without mother, without genealogy. He has neither beginning of days, nor end of life, but is made like the Son of God.

Now consider how great this man is, to whom

7:4.

Abraham gave a tenth of the chief spoils—I mean Abraham the patriarch. And, indeed, those of the sons of Levi who take the office of the priesthood are directed to take tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brothers, even though they are descendants of Abraham. But he whose genealogy is not counted from them has taken tithes from Abraham, and had blessed him who has the promises. Now, without any dispute, it is the less who is blessed by the greater. And here among us, men who die take tithes, but in the case of Melchisedek it is said that he is living. And, so to speak, through Abraham, even Levi who takes tithes has paid tithes. For he was still in the loins of his father when Melchisedek met him. Now if there was perfection under the Levitical priesthood, for under it has the people received the law, what need was there still for another kind of priest to arise after the order of Melchisedek, and not to be counted after the order of Aaron? Now, when the priesthood is changed, the law also of necessity becomes changed. For he, of whom these things are said, belongs to another kind of tribe, from which no one has given attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord has arisen out of Judah, of which as a tribe Moses said nothing about priests. And what we are speaking about is much more evident still, if, after the like

7:15.

ness of Melchisedek, there arises another kind of priest, who has been made, not in virtue of the law of an ordinance which is limited to the sphere of men's carnal nature, but in virtue of the power of an indestructible life. For it is said of him:

Thou art a priest forever,

After the order of Melchisedek.

For a previous commandment is annulled because it has become weak and useless. For the law made nothing perfect. And a better hope is brought in to take its place, and it is through this hope we keep drawing near to God. And since all this was done in connection with the taking of an oath, to that extent, also, has Jesus become the surety of a better agreement. For they have been made priests without the taking of an oath, but he with the taking of an oath by him who said to him :

The Lord sware and will not change his mind,

Thou art a priest forever.

And many is the number of them who have been made priests, because by death they were prevented from continuing. But he, because he continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. It is for this reason, also, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him. For he is always living to make intercession for them.

For such a one was becoming to us as our High

7:26.

Priest, pure, innocent, uncontaminated by evil, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. He has no daily need, like the other high priests referred to, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For this latter, he did once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men who are weak to be high priests. But the declaration of the oath, which was after the law, appoints a Son, who has been perfected forever.

Now the main point of what we are saying is this: It is a high priest of this kind whom we have, one who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, one who does the high priest's work in the Holy Place and the real tabernacle, which God pitched, and not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer both bloody and unbloody sacrifices. For this reason it is necessary for this high priest also to have something to offer. Now, if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all. For there are those who offer the gifts according to the law. These perform their priestly functions for the furtherance of a token and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses is warned by God when he is going to make the tabernacle. For he says to him:

See that thou make all things
According to the pattern

That was showed thee in the mount.

8:6.

But, as it now is, he has obtained a priest's work as much better, as he is the agent of a better agreement which has been made on better promises. For if that first agreement had been faultless, then would no place have been sought for a second. For he finds fault with those through whom the first agreement failed, and says:

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord,
That I will make a new agreement
With the house of Israel,

And with the house of Judah;
Not according to the agreement
That I made with their fathers
In the day that I took them by the hand
To lead them out of the land of Egypt.
For they continued not in my agreement,
And I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

For this is the agreement,

That I will make with the house of Israel,
After those days, saith the Lord.

I will put my laws into their mind,

And on my heart also will I write them.

And I will be to them a God,

And they shall be to me a people.

And they shall not teach every man his fellow-citizen,
And every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord.
For all shall know me,

From the least to the greatest of them.
For I will be merciful to their iniquities,

And their sins will I remember no more.