The Priestly Family of Melchizedek
1 Melchizedek was both king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He was the one who went out and gave Abraham his blessing, when Abraham returned from killing the kings. 2 Then Abraham gave him a tenth of everything he had.
The meaning of the name Melchizedek is “King of Justice.” But since Salem means “peace,” he is also “King of Peace.” 3 We are not told he had a father or mother or ancestors or beginning or end. He is like the Son of God and will be a priest forever.
4 Notice how great Melchizedek was! Our famous ancestor Abraham gave him a tenth of what he had taken from his enemies. 5 The Law teaches that even Abraham's descendants must give a tenth of what they possess. And they are to give this to their own relatives, who are the descendants of Levi and are priests. 6 Although Melchizedek wasn't a descendant of Levi, Abraham gave him a tenth of what he had. Then Melchizedek blessed Abraham, who had been given God's promise. 7 Everyone agrees a person who gives a blessing is greater than the one who receives the blessing.
8 Priests are given a tenth of what people earn. But all priests die, except Melchizedek, and the Scriptures teach that he is alive. 9 Levi's descendants are now the ones who receive a tenth from people. We could even say that when Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth, Levi also gave him a tenth. 10 This is because Levi was born later into the family of Abraham, who gave a tenth to Melchizedek.
11 Even though the Law of Moses says the priests must be descendants of Levi, those priests cannot make anyone perfect. So there needs to be a priest like Melchizedek, rather than one from the priestly family of Aaron. 12 And when the rules for selecting a priest are changed, the Law must also be changed.
13 The person we are talking about is our Lord, who came from a tribe that had never had anyone to serve as a priest at the altar. 14 Everyone knows he came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never said priests would come from that tribe.
15 All of this becomes clearer, when someone who is like Melchizedek is appointed to be a priest. 16 That person wasn't appointed because of his ancestors, but because his life can never end. 17 The Scriptures say about him,
“You are a priest forever,
just like Melchizedek.”
18 In this way a weak and useless command was put aside, 19 because the Law cannot make anything perfect. At the same time, we are given a much better hope, and it can bring us close to God.
20-21 God himself made a promise when this priest was appointed. But he did not make a promise like this when the other priests were appointed. The promise he made is,
“I, the Lord, promise that you
will be a priest forever!
And I will never
change my mind!”
22 This means that Jesus guarantees us a better agreement with God. 23 There have been a lot of other priests, and all of them have died. 24 But Jesus will never die, and so he will be a priest forever! 25 He is forever able to save the people he leads to God, because he always lives to speak to God for them.
26 Jesus is the high priest we need. He is holy and innocent and faultless, and not at all like us sinners. Jesus is honored above all beings in heaven, 27 and he is better than any other high priest. Jesus doesn't need to offer sacrifices each day for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. He offered a sacrifice once for all, when he gave himself. 28 The Law appoints priests who have weaknesses. But God's promise, which came later than the Law, appoints his Son. And he is the perfect high priest forever.
Omupristeri Melkisedek
1 Nu ingwi melkisedek wa ri ombara ya Salem nomupristeri wa Ndjambi wOkombandambanda. Abraham tja kotokere okuza kovita ma katoṋene ozombara ine, Melkisedek we mu tjakanena ne mu sere ondaya. 2 Abraham we mu pere otjitjamurongo tjovipundwa avihe. Rutengatenga ena ndi Melkisedek ri ha kutja “Ombara yOusemba,” neye tjinga a ri ombara ya Salem, ena re wina ri heya kutja “Ombara yOhange”. 3 Ihe ya Melkisedek na ina nooihe mukururume kave iwe. Nu wina kape nokutjiukwa kutja eye wa kwatwa ruṋe nu wa ṱa ruṋe. Eye wa sana nOmuna wa Ndjambi, nu ma karerere omupristeri nga aruhe.
4 Tareye kutja Melkisedek wa ṱekire pu tjike! Nangarire Abraham, ingwi tate mukururume, we mu pere otjitjamurongo tjoviṋa avihe mbya kahuurire movita. 5 Novapristeri mbe ri ozondekurona za Levi ve nousemba, otja komaraerero wOmatwako, wokuwonga otjitjamurongo motjiwaṋa tja Israel, okutja movazamumwe vawo, nandarire kutja imba ovazamumwe vawo owo wina ozondekurona za Abraham. 6 Melkisedek ka ri ondekurona ya Levi, nungwari wa kamburire otjitjamurongo ku Abraham, ingwi omurumendu ngwa perwe omakwizikiro wa Ndjambi, ne mu sere ondaya. 7 Nu kape nozombata kutja ingwi ngu sera ondaya eye omunene pu ingwi ngwa serwa ondaya. 8 Nu komunda wovapristeri imba Ovalevi otjitjamurongo tji wongwa i ovandu mbe koka; nungwari komunda wa Melkisedek ihi otjitjamurongo tji wongwa i omundu ngu hongononwa i omatjangwa kutja u nomuinyo. 9 Rumwe omundu ma tja Abraham tja yandjere otjitjamurongo, Levi, ihe mukururume yozondekurona nḓe wonga ihi otjitjamurongo, wina we tji yandjere. 10 Orondu Levi tjandje keya kwatwa, nungwari wa ri morutu rwa ihe Abraham, Melkisedek tja hakaena na ye.
11 Nu otja koupristeri wOvalevi, otjiwaṋa tja Israel tja perwe Omatwako wa Moses. Nambano ndoovazu otjiungura tjoupristeri wOvalevi tja yenenisirwe, katja rira ohepero kutja pe penduke omupristeri warwe komuhingo woupristeri wa Melkisedek, nu ku ku he ri komuhingo woupristeri wa Aron. 12 Noupristeri tji mau rundururwa, inga omatwako wina maye sokurundururwa. 13 Nu oMuhona wetu ngu hungirirwa oviṋa mbi eye owomuhoko warwe; nu kape na umwe womuhoko we ngwa karera otja omupristeri potjipunguhiro. 14 Pe tjiukwa nawa kutja eye wa zire momuhoko wa Juda; nu Moses ka tamunine omuhoko mbwi indu tja hungirire oupristeri.
Omupristeri warwe ohamukwao na Melkisedek
15 Nu wina mape kahuka nawa komeho, tji matu ripura kutja mape penduka omupristeri warwe ohamukwao na Melkisedek. 16 Eye ka zikirwe omupristeri otja komaraerero womatwako wovandu, nungwari wa rira omupristeri momasa womuinyo mbu ha yanda. 17 Orondu omatjangwa maye tja: “Oove omupristeri nga aruhe komuhingo woupristeri wa Melkisedek.” 18 Omazikamisiro nga omakuru maye isiwa po, tjinga aye noungundipare nu ayehe ri ohepero. 19 Orondu Omatwako wa Moses kaye notjiṋa tji ya yenenisa. Nambano eṱe twa muna omaundjiro omasemba komeho mu matu sora okuya ku Ndjambi.
20 Nu tji tji ri otjinanḓengu komeho okongwi okutja wina pe nomayaneno wa Ndjambi. Nu imba Ovalevi tji va zikirwe okurira ovapristeri, Ndjambi kayaneno, 21 nungwari Jesus tja rira omupristeri Ndjambi we mu yanenene, indu tja tjere ku ye:
“Muhona wa tjiti oruyano,
nu ke nokurunduruka ko:
‘Oove omupristeri nga aruhe.’ ”
22 Motjimbe tjoruyano ndwi, Jesus ongu ma tjiti kutja omerikutiropamwe nga ye yenenisiwe.
23 Pa ri ovapristeri ovengi, nowo va tjaerwa i onḓiro nu otji ve ha yenene okukayendisa otjiungura tjawo komurungu otja ovapristeri, 24 nungwari Jesus u nomuinyo nga aruhe, nu motjiungura tje otja omupristeri kamu pingene omundu. 25 Neye otje nomasorero, nambano na aruhe, okuyama imba mbe ya ku Ndjambi mena re, eye tjinga e nomuinyo nga aruhe okuveyarikaṋena ku Ndjambi.
26 Jesus eye onguri Omupristeri Otjiuru eṱe ngu twa hepa. Eye omuyapuke nomuhinauvi nomukohoke; eye wa yapurwa kovarunde nu wa yerwa kombanda momayuru. 27 Eye ke ri otja Ovapristeri Oviuru ovakwao; nu kahepero kutja eye eyuva arihe rutenga a punguhire ourunde we omuini ozombunguhiro, nu tjazumba a punguhire imbwi wotjiwaṋa. Eye tje ripunguha omuini, wa punguha ombunguhiro ye rumwe na aruhe. 28 Omatwako wa Moses ye zika ovandu mbe ha yenenene okurira ovapristeri oviuru; nungwari omakwizikiro wa Ndjambi nga zikwa nomayaneno nu nge keya kombunda yOmatwako, ya zika Omuna okurira Omupristeri Otjiuru ngwa yenena aruhe nga aruhe.
