Qualifications for High Priesthood

5 For every high priest taken from among men ^(A)is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. ² He can ^[a]have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to ^(B)weakness. ³ Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for ^(C)himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. ⁴ And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as ^(D)Aaron was.

A Priest Forever

^5 (E)So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:

⁶ As He also says in another place:

⁷ who, in the days of His flesh, when He had ^(H)offered up prayers and supplications, ^(I)with vehement cries and tears to Him ^(J)who was able to save Him from death, and was heard ^(K)because of His godly fear, ⁸ though He was a Son, yet He learned ^(L)obedience by the things which He suffered. ⁹ And ^(M)having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, ¹⁰ called by God as High Priest ^(N)“according to the order of Melchizedek,” ¹¹ of whom ^(O)we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become ^(P)dull of hearing.

Spiritual Immaturity

¹² For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the ^[b]oracles of God; and you have come to need ^(Q)milk and not solid food. ¹³ For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is ^(R)a babe. ¹⁴ But solid food belongs to those who are ^[c]of full age, that is, those who by reason of ^[d]use have their senses exercised ^(S)to discern both good and evil.

The Peril of Not Progressing

6 Therefore, ^(T)leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to ^[e]perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from ^(U)dead works and of faith toward God, ^2 (V)of the doctrine of baptisms, ^(W)of laying on of hands, ^(X)of resurrection of the dead, ^(Y)and of eternal judgment. ³ And this ^[f]we will do if God permits.

⁴ For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted ^(Z)the heavenly gift, and ^(AA)have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ^6 [g]if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, ^(AB)since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

⁷ For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, ^(AC)receives blessing from God; ^8 (AD)but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

A Better Estimate

⁹ But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. ¹⁰ For ^(AE)God is not unjust to forget ^(AF)your work and ^[h]labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ^(AG)ministered to the saints, and do minister. ¹¹ And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence ^(AH)to the full assurance of hope until the end, ¹² that you do not become ^[i]sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience ^(AI)inherit the promises.

God’s Infallible Purpose in Christ

¹³ For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, ^(AJ)He swore by Himself, ¹⁴ saying, ^(AK)“Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” ¹⁵ And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the ^(AL)promise. ¹⁶ For men indeed swear by the greater, and ^(AM)an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. ¹⁷ Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to ^(AN)the heirs of promise ^(AO)the ^[j]immutability of His counsel, ^[k]confirmed it by an oath, ¹⁸ that by two ^[l]immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to ^(AP)lie, we ^[m]might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope ^(AQ)set before us.

¹⁹ This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, ^(AR)and which enters the Presence behind the veil, ^20 (AS)where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, ^(AT)having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

The King of Righteousness^(AU)

7 For this ^(AV)Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, ² to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,” ³ without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.

⁴ Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the ^[n]spoils. ⁵ And indeed ^(AW)those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; ⁶ but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham ^(AX)and blessed ^(AY)him who had the promises. ⁷ Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. ⁸ Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, ^(AZ)of whom it is witnessed that he lives. ⁹ Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, ¹⁰ for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

Need for a New Priesthood^(BA)

^11 (BB)Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? ¹² For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. ¹³ For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has ^[o]officiated at the altar.

¹⁴ For it is evident that ^(BC)our Lord arose from ^(BD)Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning ^[p]priesthood. ¹⁵ And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest ¹⁶ who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. ¹⁷ For ^[q]He testifies:

¹⁸ For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of ^(BF)its weakness and unprofitableness, ¹⁹ for ^(BG)the law made nothing ^[r]perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of ^(BH)a better hope, through which ^(BI)we draw near to God.

Greatness of the New Priest

²⁰ And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath ²¹ (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him:

²² by so much more Jesus has become a ^[t]surety of a ^(BK)better covenant.

²³ Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. ²⁴ But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. ²⁵ Therefore He is also ^(BL)able to save ^[u]to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives ^(BM)to make intercession for them.

²⁶ For such a High Priest was fitting for us, ^(BN)who is holy, ^[v]harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, ^(BO)and has become higher than the heavens; ²⁷ who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His ^(BP)own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.