Hebrews 5

For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:

1Every high priest is chosen from among people. A high priest is a leader who speaks to God for others. He brings God gifts and offerings for the wrong things people do.

2Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

2He can be gentle with people who do not know better. He is gentle with people who have wandered off the right path. He is weak himself, so he understands them.

3And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.

3Because he is weak, he must bring offerings for his own sins too. He does this for himself and also for the people.

4And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.

4No one can give himself this honor. God must call him, just as God called Aaron.

5So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.

5Christ did not make himself a high priest. God gave him that honor. God said to him, "You are my Son. Today I have become your Father."

6As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

6In another place God says, "You are a priest forever, in the same way as Melchisedec."

NoteMelchisedec is also spelled Melchizedek. He was a priest and king who lived long before, in the book of Genesis.

7Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

7When Jesus lived here on earth, he prayed and begged God. He cried out loud, with tears. He prayed to God, who was able to save him from death. God listened to him, because Jesus honored God so deeply.

NoteThe KJV says God heard him "in that he feared." Here "feared" does not mean he was scared. It means he treated God with deep respect.

8Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

8He was God's Son. Even so, he learned to obey through the pain he went through.

9And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

9He was made complete. Now he saves forever everyone who obeys him.

10Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

10God named him a high priest, in the same way as Melchisedec.

11Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

11We have much more to say about this. It is hard to explain, because you have grown slow to listen.

12For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

12By now you should be teachers yourselves. Instead you need someone to teach you the first, simple things about God's word again. You need milk, not solid food.

NoteThe KJV says "strong meat." In 1611, "meat" meant food of any kind. "Strong meat" means solid food, the kind babies cannot eat yet.

13For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

13Anyone who still lives on milk is like a baby. He has not learned much about what is right.

14But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

14Solid food is for people who have grown up. They have practiced, so they can tell good from bad.