Heb 7:0-10:18 | ESV | STEP | For this Melchizedek , king of Salem , priest of the Most High God , met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him ,

1 For this ^aMelchizedek, king of ^bSalem, priest of ^cthe Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 He is without father or mother ^dor genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.

4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham ^ethe patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 5 And ^fthose descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, ^{▼▼Or brothers and sisters} though these also are descended from Abraham. 6 But this man ^hwho does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed ⁱhim who had the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 8 In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one ^jof whom it is testified that ^khe lives. 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

Jesus Compared to Melchizedek

11 ^lNow if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? 12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. 13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended ^mfrom Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is witnessed of him,

ⁿ“You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek.”
18 For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside ^obecause of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for ^pthe law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, ^qa better hope is introduced, through which ^rwe draw near to God.

20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:

^s“The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
‘You are a priest forever.’”
22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of ^ta better covenant.

23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues ^uforever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost ^{▼▼That is, completely; or at all times} ^wthose who draw near to God ^xthrough him, since he always lives ^yto make intercession for them.

26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, ^zholy, innocent, unstained, ^aaseparated from sinners, and ^abexalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, ^acfirst for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this ^adonce for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men ^aein their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made ^afperfect forever.

Hebrews 8

Jesus, High Priest of a Better Covenant

1 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, ^agone who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy places, in ^ahthe true tent ^{▼▼Or tabernacle; also verse 5} that the Lord ^ajset up, not man. 3 For ^akevery high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus ^alit is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They serve ^ama copy and ^anshadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, ^ao“See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 6 But as it is, Christ ^{▼▼Greek he} has obtained a ministry that is ^aqas much more excellent than the old as ^arthe covenant ^ashe mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 ^atFor if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.

8 For he finds fault with them when he says: ^{▼▼Some manuscripts For finding fault with it he says to them}

^av“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah,
9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers
on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
For they did not continue in my covenant,
and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.
10 ^awFor this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws into their minds,
and ^axwrite them on their hearts,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor
and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
for they shall ^ayall know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,
^azand I will remember their sins no more.”
13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And ^bawhat is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Hebrews 9

The Earthly Holy Place

1 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and ^bban earthly place of holiness. 2 For ^bca tent ^{▼▼Or tabernacle; also verses 11, 21} was prepared, the first section, in which were ^bethe lampstand and ^bfthe table and ^bgthe bread of the Presence. ^{▼▼Greek the presentation of the loaves} It is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind ^bithe second curtain was a second section ^{▼▼Greek tent; also verses 6, 8} called the Most Holy Place, 4 having the golden ^bkaltar of incense and ^blthe ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was ^bma golden urn holding the manna, and ^bnAaron’s staff that budded, and ^bothe tablets of the covenant. 5 Above it were ^bpthe cherubim of glory overshadowing ^bqthe mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

6 These preparations having thus been made, ^brthe priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but into the second only ^bsthe high priest goes, and he but ^btonce a year, and not without taking blood, ^buwhich he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that ^bvthe way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age). ^{▼▼Or which is symbolic for the age then present} According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered ^bxthat cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with ^byfood and drink and ^bzvarious washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.

Redemption Through the Blood of Christ

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest ^caof the good things that have come, ^{▼▼Some manuscripts good things to come} then through ^ccthe greater and more perfect tent ( ^cdnot made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he ^ceentered ^cfonce for all into the holy places, not by means of ^cgthe blood of goats and calves but ^chby means of his own blood, ^cithus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if ^cjthe blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with ^ckthe ashes of a heifer, sanctify ^{▼▼Or For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies} for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will ^cmthe blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit ^cnoffered himself without blemish to God, ^copurify our ^{▼▼Some manuscripts your} conscience ^cqfrom dead works ^crto serve the living God.

15 Therefore he is ^csthe mediator of a new covenant, so that ^ctthose who are called may ^cureceive the promised eternal inheritance, ^cvsince a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. ^{▼▼The Greek word means both covenant and will; also verses 16, 17} 16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17 For ^cxa will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated ^cywithout blood. 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took ^czthe blood of calves and goats, ^dawith water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, ^db“This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both ^dcthe tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and ^ddwithout the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

23 Thus it was necessary for ^dethe copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places ^dfmade with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God ^dgon our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as ^dhthe high priest enters ^dithe holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, ^djhe has appeared ^dkonce for all ^dlat the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as ^dmit is appointed for man to die once, and ^dnafter that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once ^doto bear the sins of ^dpmany, will appear ^dqa second time, ^drnot to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly ^dswaiting for him.

Hebrews 10:1-18

Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All

1 For since the law has but ^dta shadow ^duof the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, ^dvit can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But ^dwin these sacrifices ^dxthere is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For ^dyit is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5 Consequently, ^dzwhen Christ ^{▼▼Greek he} came into the world, he said,

^eb“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me;
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”
8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in ^ecsacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, ^ed“Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will ^eewe have been sanctified through the offering of ^efthe body of Jesus Christ ^egonce for all.

11 And every priest stands ^ehdaily at his service, ^eioffering repeatedly the same sacrifices, ^ejwhich can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ ^{▼▼Greek this one} had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he ^elsat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time ^emuntil his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering ^enhe has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

16 ^eo“This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
and write them on their minds,”
17 then he adds,

^ep“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.