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For this Malki-Tzedek, king of Shalem, kohen of El Elyon, who met Avraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
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to whom Avraham also apportioned a tenth of everything— first, by interpretation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Shalem, which is king of shalom—
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without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life in the recorded account, but made like the Son of Elohim, he remains a kohen continually.
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Now consider how great this one was, to whom even Avraham the patriarch gave a tenth from the spoils.
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And indeed those from the sons of Levi who receive the kehunah have a commandment according to Torah to take tithes from the people— that is, from their brothers— though they also came out from the loins of Avraham.
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But the one whose genealogy is not counted from them received a tenth from Avraham and blessed the one having the promises.
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And without any dispute, the lesser is blessed by the greater.
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And here mortal men receive tithes, but there one receives them of whom it is testified that he lives.
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And, so to speak, through Avraham even Levi, the one receiving tithes, gave a tenth,
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for he was still in the loins of his father when Malki-Tzedek met him.
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Therefore, if completion were through the Levitical kehunah— for upon it the people received Torah— what further need would there have been for another kohen to arise according to the order of Malki-Tzedek, and not be spoken of according to the order of Aharon?
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For when the kehunah is changed, of necessity there occurs also a change in the legal administration concerning it.
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For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has attended at the altar.
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For it is evident that our Master arose from Yehudah, concerning which tribe Mosheh spoke nothing about kohenim.
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And this is still more evident if another kohen arises according to the likeness of Malki-Tzedek,
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who became such not according to a commandment of fleshly descent, but according to the power of an indestructible life.
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For it is testified: “You are a kohen to the age according to the order of Malki-Tzedek.”
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For on one hand there is a setting aside of the former commandment because of its weakness and inability to bring completion in this matter,
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for Torah brought nothing to completion, and on the other hand there is the introduction of a better hope, through which we draw near to Elohim.
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And inasmuch as this was not without an oath—
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for the others indeed became kohenim without an oath, but this one with an oath through the One saying to him: “Yahuah swore and shall not change His mind: ‘You are a kohen to the age’”—
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by so much Yahushua has become the guarantor of a better covenant.
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And those kohenim indeed became many, because death prevented them from remaining.
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But because this one remains to the age, he possesses an unchangeable kehunah.
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Therefore he is able to deliver completely those drawing near to Elohim through him, since he always lives to intercede on their behalf.
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For such a great kohen was fitting for us: set apart, without evil, undefiled, separated from sinners, and having become higher than the heavens,
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who does not have daily necessity, like the great kohenim, first to offer sacrifices concerning his own sins and afterward those of the people, for this he did once for all when he offered himself.
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For Torah appoints as great kohenim men having weakness, but the word of the Oath which came after Torah appoints a Son made complete to the age.