Hebrews 7

For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;

1Melchizedek was the king of a city called Salem. He was also a priest of God Most High. A priest is someone who brings people's gifts and prayers to God. Abraham was coming home from beating some kings in battle. Melchizedek met him and asked God to bless him.

2To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

2Abraham gave him a tenth of everything he had taken. The name Melchizedek means "king who does what is right." And king of Salem means "king of peace."

3Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

3No one wrote down his father, his mother, or his family. No one wrote down when his life began or ended. In this way he is like the Son of God. He stays a priest for always.

Note"Without descent" in the old wording does not mean he had no parents. It means the Bible keeps no list of his family.

4Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

4Think how great this man was. Even Abraham gave him a tenth of what he won in battle. Abraham was the father of God's people long ago.

5And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

5God's law told the priests from Levi's family to collect a tenth. They collected it from their own people. Those people came from Abraham too, just like the priests did.

6But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.

6Melchizedek did not come from Levi's family at all. Still, he took a tenth from Abraham. And he blessed the man God had made his promises to.

7And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.

7No one can argue with this. The greater person is the one who gives the blessing.

8And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

8The priests from Levi are men who die. But the Bible speaks of Melchizedek as one who still lives.

9And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.

9You could even say that Levi paid a tenth as well. He paid it through Abraham. Levi's family is the family that collects a tenth.

10For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

10Levi had not been born yet. He would come later from Abraham's family. That is where he was when Melchizedek met Abraham.

11If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

11The priests from Levi's family were part of God's law. But they could not make anything perfect. If they could, why did God send a new kind of priest? This new priest is like Melchizedek, not like Aaron. Aaron was the first priest in Levi's family.

12For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

12When the priests change, the rules must change too.

13For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.

13The one we are talking about came from a different family group. No one from that group ever served at God's altar. The altar was the place where priests gave gifts to God.

14For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.

14It is plain that our Lord Jesus came from the family of Judah. Moses never said that priests would come from Judah.

15And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,

15This becomes even clearer. Another priest has come who is like Melchizedek.

16Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

16He did not become a priest because of a rule about family. He became a priest by the power of a life that never ends.

NoteThe old wording says "a carnal commandment." That means a rule about which family a person came from. Priests used to be picked that way.

17For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

17God says about him, "You are a priest forever, like Melchizedek."

18For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

18So the old rule is set aside. It was weak and it did not help.

19For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

19The law never made anything perfect. Now something better has come, a hope we can hold on to. Because of it we can come close to God.

20And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:

20None of this happened without a promise from God. Other men became priests with no such promise.

21(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)

21But God made a strong promise to Jesus. He said, "The Lord has promised and will not change his mind. You are a priest forever."

NoteIn the old wording, "will not repent" means "will not change his mind." It is not about doing wrong.

22By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

22Because of that promise, Jesus makes a better agreement sure. God's new agreement with people is better than the old one.

NoteIn the old wording, a "testament" is an agreement between God and people. A "surety" is someone who promises to make sure it happens.

23And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

23There were many priests before, one after another. They died, so they could not keep doing the work.

24But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

24But Jesus lives forever. So his work as priest will never pass to anyone else.

25Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

25He can save completely everyone who comes to God through him. He is always alive. He always speaks to God for them.

26For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

26This is just the kind of high priest we needed. A high priest is the leader of all the priests. He is holy. He never did anything wrong to anyone. There is no sin in him. He is not like sinful people. God lifted him higher than the heavens.

27Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

27Other high priests gave offerings to God every day. First they gave one for their own sins. Then they gave one for the people's sins. Jesus does not need to do that. He gave himself one time, and that was enough.

28For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

28The law chooses weak men to be high priests. But God's promise came later than the law. It chooses the Son, who is made perfect forever.