JAMES 3

The Tongue Is a Fire

1 Not many [of you] should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] willbe judged by a higher standard [because we have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach incorrectly].

2 For we all stumbleandsin in manyways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says [never saying the wrong thing], he is a perfect man [fully developed in character, without serious flaws], able to bridle his whole bodyandrein in his entire nature [taming his human faults and weaknesses].

3 Now if we put bits into the horses’ mouths to make them obey us, we guide their whole body as well.

4 And look at the ships. Even though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the helmsman determines.

5 In the same sense, the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.

See [by comparison] how great a forest is set on fire by a small spark!

6 And the tongue is [in a sense] a fire, theveryworld of injusticeandunrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members as that which contaminates the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life [the cycle of man’s existence], and is itself set on fire byhell (Gehenna).

7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and sea creatures, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.

8 But no one can tame thehumantongue; it is a restless evil [undisciplined, unstable], full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God.

10 Out of the same mouth comebothblessing and cursing. These things, my brothers, should not be this way [for we have a moral obligation to speak in a manner that reflects our fear of God and profound respect for His precepts].

11 Does a spring send out from the same openingbothfresh and bitterwater?

12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Nor can salt water producefresh.

Wisdom from Above

13 Who among you is wise and intelligent? Let him by his good conduct show his [good] deeds with the gentlenessandhumility oftruewisdom.

14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be arrogant, and [as a result] be in defiance of the truth.

15 This [superficial] wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly (secular), natural (unspiritual),evendemonic.

16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder [unrest, rebellion] and every evil thingandmorally degrading practice.

17 But the wisdom from above is first pure [morally and spiritually undefiled], then peace-loving [courteous, considerate], gentle, reasonable [and willing to listen], full of compassion and good fruits. It is unwavering, without [self-righteous] hypocrisy [and self-serving guile].

18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness (spiritual maturity) is sown in peace by those who make peace [by actively encouraging goodwill between individuals].

JAMES 4

Things to Avoid

1 What leads to [the unending]quarrels and conflicts among you? Do they not come from your [hedonistic] desires that wage war in your [bodily] members [fighting for control over you]?

2 You are jealousandcovet [what others have] andyour lust goes unfulfilled; so youmurder. You are envious and cannot obtain [the object of your envy]; so you fight and battle. You do not have because you do not ask [it of God].

3 You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you askwith wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [hedonistic] desires.

4 You adulteresses [disloyal sinners–flirting with the world and breaking your vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend [that is, loving the things of the world] is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

5 Or do you think that the Scripture says to no purposethat the [human] spirit which He has made to dwell in us lusts with envy?

6 But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proudandhaughty,but[continually]gives[the gift of]grace to the humble[who turn away from self-righteousness].”

7 So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you.

8 Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people].

9 Be miserable and grieve and weep [over your sin]. Let your [foolish] laughter be turned to mourning and your [reckless] joy to gloom.

10 Humble yourselves [with an attitude of repentance and insignificance] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up, He will give you purpose].

11 Believers, do not speak againstorslander one another. He who speaks [self-righteously] against a brother orjudges his brother [hypocritically], speaks against the Law and judges the Law. If you judge the Law, you are not a doer of the Law but a judge of it.

12 There isonlyone Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy [the one God who has the absolute power of life and death]; but who are you to [hypocritically or self-righteously] pass judgment on your neighbor?

13 Come now [and pay attention to this], you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and carry on our business and make a profit.”

14 Yet you do not know [the least thing]about what may happen in your life tomorrow. [What is secure in your life?] You aremerelya vapor [like a puff of smoke or a wisp of steam from a cooking pot] that is visible for a little while and then vanishes [into thin air].

15 Insteadyou ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and we will do this or that.”

16 But as it is, you boast [vainly] in your pretensionandarrogance. All such boasting is evil.

17 So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin.

JAMES 5

Misuse of Riches

1 Come [quickly] now, you rich [who lack true faith and hoard and misuse your resources], weep and howl over the miseries [the woes, the judgments] that are coming upon you.

2 Your wealth has rottedandis ruined and your [fine] clothes have become moth-eaten.

3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. You have stored up your treasure in the last days [when it will do you no good].

4 Look! The wages that you have [fraudulently] withheld from the laborers who have mowed your fields are crying out [against you for vengeance]; and the cries of the harvesters have come to the ears ofthe Lord of Sabaoth.

5 On the earth you have lived luxuriouslyandabandoned yourselves to soft living and led a life of wanton pleasure [self-indulgence, self-gratification]; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.

6 You have condemned and have put to death the righteousman;he offers you no resistance.

Exhortation

7 So wait patiently, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits [expectantly] for the precious harvest from the land, being patient about it, until it receives the early and late rains.

8 You too, be patient; strengthen your hearts [keep them energized and firmly committed to God], because the coming of the Lord is near.

9 Do not complain against one another, believers, so that you will not be judged [for it]. Look! The Judge is standingright at the door.

10 As an example, brothers and sisters, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord [as His messengers and representatives].

11 You know we call those blessed [happy, spiritually prosperous, favored by God] who were steadfastandendured [difficult circumstances]. You have heard of thepatientendurance of Job and you have seen the Lord’s outcome [how He richly blessed Job]. The Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

12 But above all, my fellow believers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but let your yes be [a truthful] yes, and your no be [a truthful] no, so that you may not fall under judgment.

13 Is anyone among you suffering? He must pray. Is anyone joyful? He is to sing praises [to God].

14 Is anyone among you sick? He must call for the elders (spiritual leaders) of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him withoil in the name of the Lord;

15 and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healedandrestored. The heartfeltandpersistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God–it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].

17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours [with the same physical, mental, and spiritual limitations and shortcomings], and he prayedintensely for it not to rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.

18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its crops [as usual].

19 My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you strays from the truthandfalls into error and [another] one turns him back [to God],

20 let the [latter] one know that the one who has turned a sinner from the error of his way will save that one’s soul from death and cover a multitude of sins [that is, obtain the pardon of the many sins committed by the one who has been restored].

HEBREWS 1

God’s Final Word in His Son

1 God, having spoken to the fathers long ago in [the voices and writings of] the prophets in many separate revelations [each of which set forth a portion of the truth], and in many ways,

2 has in these last days spoken [with finality] to us in [the person of One who is by His character and nature] His Son [namely Jesus], whom He appointed heirandlawful owner of all things, through whom also He created the universe [that is, the universe as a space-time-matter continuum].

3 The Son is the radianceandonly expression of the glory of [our awesome] God [reflecting God’sShekinah glory, the Light-being, the brilliant light of the divine], and the exact representationandperfect imprint of His [Father’s] essence, and upholdingandmaintainingandpropelling all things [the entire physical and spiritual universe] by His powerful word [carrying the universe along to its predetermined goal]. When He [Himself and no other] had [by offering Himself on the cross as a sacrifice for sin] accomplished purification from sinsandestablished our freedom from guilt, He sat down [revealing His completed work] at the right hand of the Majesty on high [revealing His Divine authority],

4 having become as much superior to angels, since He has inherited a more excellentandgloriousname than they [that is, Son–the name above all names].

5 For to which of the angels did the Father ever say,

“You areMySon,

TodayIhave begotten(fathered) You[established You as a Son, with kingly dignity]”?

And again [did He ever say to the angels],

“Ishall be aFather toHim

AndHe shall be aSon toMe”?

6 And when He again brings the firstborn [highest-ranking Son] into the world, He says,

“And all the angels ofGod are to worshipHim.”

7 And concerning the angels He says,

“Who makesHis angels winds,

AndHis ministering servants flames of fire[to do His bidding].”

8 But about the Son [the Father says to Him],

“Your throne,O God,is forever and ever,

And thescepter of[absolute]righteousness is the scepter ofHis kingdom.

9 “You have loved righteousness[integrity, virtue, uprightness in purpose]and have hated lawlessness[injustice, sin].

ThereforeGod, YourGod, HasanointedYou

With the oil of gladness aboveYour companions.”

10 And,

“You, Lord,laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,

And the heavens are the works ofYour hands;

11 They will perish,butYou remain[forever and ever];

And they will all wear out like a garment,

12 And like a robeYou will roll them up;

Like a garment they will be changed.

ButYou arethe same[forever],

AndYour years will never end.”

13 But to which of the angels has the Father ever said,

“Sit atMy right hand[together with me in royal dignity],

UntilImake your enemies

Afootstool for your feet[in triumphant conquest]”?

14 Are not all the angels ministering spirits sent out [by God] to serve (accompany, protect) those who will inherit salvation? [Of course they are!]

HEBREWS 2

Give Heed

1 For this reason [that is, because of God’s final revelation in His Son Jesus and because of Jesus’ superiority to the angels] we must pay much closer attention than ever to the things that we have heard, so that we do not [in any way] drift away from truth.

2 For if the message giventhrough angels [the Law given to Moses] was authenticandunalterable, and every violation and disobedient act received an appropriate penalty,

3 how will we escape [the penalty] if we ignore such a great salvation [the gospel, the new covenant]? For it was spoken at first by the Lord, and it was confirmed to usandproved authentic by those whopersonallyheard [Him speak],

4 [and besides this evidence] God also testifying with them [confirming the message of salvation], both by signs and wonders and by various miracles [carried out by Jesus and the apostles] and by [granting to believers the] gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

Earth Subject to Man

5 It was not to angels that God subjected the [inhabited] world of the future [when Christ reigns], about which we are speaking.

6 But one has [solemnly] testified somewhere [in Scripture], saying,

“What is man,thatYou are mindful of him,

Or the son of man,thatYou graciously care for him?

7 “You have made him for a little while lower[in status]than the angels;

You have crowned him with glory and honor,

And set him over the works ofYour hands;

8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet[confirming his supremacy].”

Now in putting all things in subjection to man, He left nothing outside his control. But at present we do not yet see all things subjected to him.

Jesus Briefly Humbled

9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while [by taking on the limitations of humanity], crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering of death, so that by the grace of God [extended to sinners] He might experience death for [the sins of] everyone.

10 For it was fitting for God [that is, an act worthy of His divine nature] that He, for whose sake are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, should make theauthorandfounder of their salvation perfect through suffering [bringing to maturity the human experience necessary for Him to be perfectly equipped for His office as High Priest].

11 Both Jesus who sanctifies and those who are sanctified [that is, spiritually transformed, made holy, and set apart for God’s purpose] are all from oneFather;for this reason He is not ashamed to call thembrothers and sisters,

12 saying,

“Iwill declareYour(the Father’s)name toMy brethren(believers),

In the midst of the congregationIwill singYour praise.”

13 And again [He says],

“My trustandconfident hope will be placed inHim.”

And again,

“HereIam, Iand the children whomGod has givenMe.”

14 Therefore, since [these His] children share in flesh and blood [the physical nature of mankind], He Himself in a similar manner also shared in the same [physical nature, but without sin], so that through [experiencing] death He might make powerless (ineffective, impotent) him who had the power of death–that is, the devil–

15 and [that He] might free all those who through [the haunting] fear of death were held in slavery throughout their lives.

16 For, as we all know, He (Christ) does not take hold of [the fallen] angels [to give them a helping hand], but He does take hold of [the fallen] descendants of Abraham [extending to them His hand of deliverance].

17 Therefore,it was essential thatHe had to be made like His brothers (mankind) in every respect, so that He might [by experience] become a merciful and faithful High Priest in things related to God, to make atonement (propitiation) for the people’s sins [thereby wiping away the sin, satisfying divine justice, and providing a way of reconciliation between God and mankind].

18 Because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted, He is able to helpandprovide immediate assistance to those who are being temptedandexposed to suffering.

HEBREWS 3

Jesus Our High Priest

1 Therefore,holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, [thoughtfully and attentively] consider the Apostle and High Priest whom we confessed [as ours when we accepted Him as Savior], namely,Jesus;

2 He was faithful to Him who appointed Him [Apostle and High Priest], as Moses also wasfaithfulin all God’s house.

3 Yet Jesus has been considered worthy of much greater gloryandhonor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house.

4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.

5 Now Moses was faithful in [the administration of] all God’s house, [but only] as aministeringservant, [his ministry serving] as a testimony of the things which were to be spoken afterward [the revelation to come in Christ];

6 but Christ is faithful as a Son over His [Father’s] house. And we are His house if we hold fast our confidence and sense of triumph in our hope [in Christ].

7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,

“Today if you hearHis voice,

8 Do not harden your hearts as[your fathers did]in the rebellion[of Israel atMeribah],

On the day of testing in the wilderness,

9 Where your fathers triedMe by testing[My forbearance and tolerance],

And sawMy works forforty years

[And found I stood their test].

10 “ThereforeIwas angered with this generation,

AndIsaid, ‘They always go astray in their heart,

And they did not knowMy ways[nor become progressively better and more intimately acquainted with them]’;

11 SoIswore[an oath]inMy wrath,

‘They shall not enterMy rest[the promised land].’”

The Peril of Unbelief

12 Take care, brothers and sisters, that there not be in any one of you a wicked, unbelievingheart [which refuses to trust and rely on the Lord, a heart] that turns away from the living God.

13 But continually encourage one another every day, as long as it is called “Today” [and there is an opportunity], so that none of you will be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [its cleverness, delusive glamour, and sophistication].

14 For we [believers] have become partakers of Christ [sharing in all that the Messiah has for us], if only we hold firm our newborn confidence [which originally led us to Him] until the end,

15 while it is said,

“Today[while there is still opportunity]if you hearHis voice,

Do not harden your heart,as when they provokedMe[in the rebellion in the desert at Meribah].”

16 For who were they who heard and yet provokedHim[with rebellious acts]? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?

17 And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies were scattered in the desert?

18 And to whom did He swear [an oath] that they would not enter His rest, but to those who disobeyed [those who would not listen to His word]?

19 So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest–the promised land] because of unbeliefandan unwillingness to trust in God.

HEBREWS 4

The Believer’s Rest

1 Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still remainsandis freely offered today, let us fear, in case any one of you may seem to come short of reaching itorthink he has come too late.

2 For indeed we have had the good news [of salvation] preached to us, just as the Israelites also [when the good news of the promised land came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not united with faith [in God] by those who heard.

3 For we who believe [that is, we who personally trust and confidently rely on God] enter that rest [so we have His inner peace now because we are confident in our salvation, and assured of His power], just as He has said,

“AsIswore[an oath]inMy wrath,

They shall not enterMy rest,”

[this He said] although His works werecompleted from the foundation of the world [waiting for all who would believe].

4 For somewhere [in Scripture] He has said this about the seventh day: “AndGodrested on the seventh day from allHis works”;

5 and again in this, “They shall not enterMy rest.”

6 Therefore, since the promise remains for some to enter His rest, and those who formerly had the good news preached to them failed to [grasp it and did not] enter because of [their unbelief evidenced by] disobedience,

7 He again sets a definite day, [a new] “Today,” [providing another opportunity to enter that rest by] saying through David after so long a time, just as has been said before [in the words already quoted],

“Today if you hearHis voice,

Do not harden your hearts.”

8 [This mention of a rest was not a reference to their entering into Canaan.] For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak about another day [of opportunity] after that.

9 So there remains a [full and complete] Sabbath rest for the people of God.

10 For the one who has once entered His rest has also rested from [the weariness and pain of] his [human] labors, just as God rested from [those labors uniquely] His own.

11 Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], so that no one will fall byfollowingthe same example of disobedience [as those who died in the wilderness].

12 For the word of God is living and activeandfull of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edgedsword, penetrating as far as the division of thesoul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposingandjudging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.

13 And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are openandexposed, and revealed to the eyes of Him with whom we have to give account.

14 Inasmuch then as we [believers] have a great High Priest who has [already ascended and] passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith and cling tenaciously to our absolute trust in Him as Savior].

15 For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathizeandunderstand our weaknessesandtemptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect aswe are, yetwithout [committing any] sin.

16 Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidenceandwithout fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].

HEBREWS 5

The Perfect High Priest

1 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed [to act] on behalf of men in things relating to God, so that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.

2 He is able to deal gently with thespirituallyignorant and misguided, since he is also subject tohumanweakness;

3 and because of this [human weakness] he is required to offersacrificesfor sins, for himself as well as for the people.

4 And besides, one does not appropriate for himself the honor [of being high priest], but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.

5 So too Christ did not glorify Himself so as to be made a high priest, but He [was exalted and appointed by the One] who said to Him,

“You areMySon,

TodayIhave begotten(fathered) You[declared Your authority and rule over the nations]”;

6 just as He also says in another place,

“You are a priest[appointed]forever

According tothe order ofMelchizedek.”

7 In the days of His earthly life, Jesus offered up both [specific] petitions and [urgent] supplications [for that which He needed] with fervent crying and tears to the One who was [always] able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission toward God [His sinlessness and His unfailing determination to do the Father’s will].

8 Although He was a Son [who had never been disobedient to the Father], He learned [active, special] obedience through what He suffered.

9 And having been made perfect [uniquely equipped and prepared as Savior and retaining His integrity amid opposition], He became the source of eternal salvation [an eternal inheritance] to all those who obey Him,

10 being designated by God as High Priest according to the order ofMelchizedek.

11 Concerning this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dullandsluggish in [your spiritual] hearinganddisinclined to listen.

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers [because of the time you have had to learn these truths], you actually need someone to teach you again the elementary principles of God’s word [from the beginning], and you have come to becontinuallyin need of milk, not solid food.

13 For everyone who lives on milk is [doctrinally inexperienced and] unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is aspiritualinfant.

14 But solid food is for the [spiritually] mature, whose senses are trained by practice to distinguish between what is morally good andwhat isevil.

HEBREWS 6

The Peril of Falling Away

1 Therefore let us get past the elementary stage in the teachings about the Christ, advancing on to maturityandperfectionandspiritual completeness, [doing this] without laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

2 of teaching about washings (ritual purifications), the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. [These are all important matters in which you should have been proficient long ago.]

3 And we will do this [that is, proceed to maturity], if God permits.

4 For [it is impossible to restore to repentance] those who have once been enlightened [spiritually] and who havetastedandconsciously experienced the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit,

5 and have tastedandconsciously experienced the good word of God and the powers of the age (world) to come,

6 and then have fallen away–it is impossible to bring them back again to repentance, since they again nail the Son of God on the cross [for as far as they are concerned, they are treating the death of Christ as if they were not saved by it], and are holding Him up again to public disgrace.

7 For soil that drinks the rain which often falls on it and produces crops useful to those for whose benefit it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God;

8 but if it persistently produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

Better Things for You

9 But, beloved, even though we speak to you in this way,we are convinced of better things concerning you, and of things that accompany salvation.

10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown for His name in ministering to [the needs of] the saints (God’s people), as you do.

11 And we desire for each one of you to show the same diligence [all the way through] so as to realizeandenjoy the full assurance of hope until the end,

12 so that you will not be [spiritually] sluggish, but [will instead be] imitators of those who through faith [lean on God with absolute trust and confidence in Him and in His power] and by patient endurance [even when suffering] are [now] inheriting the promises.

13 For when God made the promise to Abraham, He swore [an oath] by Himself, since He had no one greater by whom to swear,

14 saying, “Iwill surely bless you andIwill surely multiply you.”

15 And so, having patiently waited, he realized the promise [in the miraculous birth of Isaac, as a pledge of what was to come from God].

16 Indeed men swear [an oath] byone greaterthan themselves,and with them [in all disputes] the oathservesas confirmation [of what has been said] and is an end of the dispute.

17 In the same way God, in His desire to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable nature of His purpose, intervenedandguaranteed it with an oath,

18 so that by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge would have strong encouragementandindwelling strength to hold tightly to the hope set before us.

19 This hope [this confident assurance] we have as an anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whatever pressure bears upon it]–a safe and steadfast hope that enters within the veil [of the heavenly temple, that most Holy Place in which the very presence of God dwells],

20 where Jesus has entered [in advance] as a forerunner for us, having become a High Priest forever according to the order ofMelchizedek.

HEBREWS 7

Melchizedek’s Priesthood Like Christ’s

1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of all [the spoil]. He is, first of all, by the translationof his name,king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, which means king of peace.

3 Without [any record of] father or mother, nor ancestral line, without [any record of] beginning of days (birth) nor ending of life (death), but having been made like the Son of God, he remains a priest without interruptionandwithout successor.

4 Now pauseandconsider how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the spoils.

5 It is true that those descendants of Levi who are charged with the priestly office are commanded in the Law to collect tithes from the people–which means, from their kinsmen–though these have descended from Abraham.

6 But this person [Melchizedek] who is not from their Levitical ancestry received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who possessed the promises [of God].

7 Yet it is beyond all dispute that the lesser person isalwaysblessed by the greater one.

8 Furthermore, here [in the Levitical priesthood] tithes are received by men who are subject to death; but in that case [concerning Melchizedek],they are receivedby one of whom it is testified that helives on [perpetually].

9 A person might even say that Levi [the father of the priestly tribe] himself, who received tithes, paid tithes through Abraham [the father of all Israel and of all who believe],

10 for Levi was still in the loins (unborn) of his forefather [Abraham] when Melchizedek met him (Abraham).

11 Now if perfection [a perfect fellowship between God and the worshiper] had been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people were given the Law) what further need was there for anotheranddifferent kind of priest to arise, one in the manner of Melchizedek, rather than one appointed to the order of Aaron?

12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is of necessity a change of the law [concerning the priesthood] as well.

13 For the One of whom these things are said belonged [not to the priestly line of Levi but] to another tribe, from which no one has officiatedorserved at the altar.

14 For it is evident that our Lord descended from [the tribe of] Judah, and Moses mentioned nothing about priests in connection with that tribe.

15 And this becomes even more evident if another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek,

16 who has becomea priest,not on the basis of aphysicalandlegal requirement in the Law [concerning his ancestry as a descendant of Levi], but on the basis of the power of an indestructibleandendless life.

17 For it is attested [by God] of Him,

“You(Christ)are aPriestforever

According to the order ofMelchizedek.”

18 For, on the one hand, a former commandment is cancelled because of its weakness and uselessness [because of its inability to justify the sinner before God]

19 (for the Law never made anything perfect); while on the other hand a better hope is introduced through which we nowcontinuallydraw near to God.

20 And indeed it was not without the taking of an oath [that Christ was made priest]

21 (for thoseLeviteswho formerly became priests [received their office] without [its being confirmed by the taking of] an oath, but this One [was designated] with an oath through the One who said to Him,

“TheLord has sworn

Andwill not changeHis mindorregret it,

‘You(Christ)are aPriestforever’”).

22 And so [because of the oath’s greater strength and force] Jesus has become the certain guarantee of a better covenant [a more excellent and more advantageous agreement; one that will never be replaced or annulled].

23 The [former successive line of] priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were each prevented by death from continuing [perpetually in office];

24 but, on the other hand, Jesus holds His priesthood permanentlyandwithout change, because He lives on forever.

25 Therefore He is able also to save forever (completely, perfectly, for eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercedeandintervene on their behalf [with God].

26 It was fitting for us to have such a High Priest [perfectly adapted to our needs], holy, blameless, unstained [by sin], separated from sinners and exalted higher than the heavens;

27 who has no day by day need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices, first of all for his own [personal] sins and then for those of the people, because He [met all the requirements and] did this once for all when He offered up Himself [as a willing sacrifice].

28 For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak [frail, sinful, dying men], but the word of the oath [of God], which came after [the institution of] the Law,permanently appoints[as priest] a Sonwho has been made perfect forever.