Melchisedec

¹⁸ Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine—since he was priest of God Most High —

¹⁹ and he blessed Abram and said: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,

And in another passage God says: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

⁹ And having been made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him

¹⁰ and was designated by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

¹⁹ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,

²⁰ where Jesus our forerunner has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

¹ This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

² and Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness.” Then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”

¹⁰ For when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the loin of his ancestor.

¹¹ Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on this basis the people received the law), why was there still need for another priest to appear—one in the order of Melchizedek and not in the order of Aaron?

¹⁵ And this point is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears,

¹⁶ one who has become a priest not by a law of succession, but by the power of an indestructible life.

¹⁷ For it is testified: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

²⁰ And none of this happened without an oath. For others became priests without an oath,

²¹ but Jesus became a priest with an oath by the One who said to Him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’”

The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”