1 P orque este Melquisedeque, rei de Salém, sacerdote do Deus Altíssimo, que saiu ao encontro de Abraão quando este regressava da matança dos reis, e o abençoou,

Melchizedek was king of Salem. He was a religious leader for God. When Abraham was coming back from the war where many kings were killed, Melchizedek met Abraham and showed respect to him.

2 a quem também Abraão separou o dízimo de tudo (sendo primeiramente, por interpretação do seu nome, rei de justiça, e depois também rei de Salém, que é rei de paz;

Abraham gave Melchizedek one-tenth part of all he had. Melchizedek’s name means king of what is right. Salem means peace. So he is king of peace.

3 s em pai, sem mãe, sem genealogia, não tendo princípio de dias nem fim de vida, mas feito semelhante ao Filho de Deus), permanece sacerdote para sempre.

Melchizedek was without a father or mother or any family. He had no beginning of life or end of life. He is a religious leader forever like the Son of God.

4 C onsiderai, pois, quão grande era este, a quem até o patriarca Abraão deu o dízimo dentre os melhores despojos.

We can see how great Melchizedek was. Abraham gave him one-tenth part of all he had taken in the war.

5 E os que dentre os filhos de Levi recebem o sacerdócio têm ordem, segundo a lei, de tomar os dízimos do povo, isto é, de seus irmãos, ainda que estes também tenham saído dos lombos de Abraão;

The Law made the family of Levi the Jewish religious leaders. The Law said that the religious leaders were to take one-tenth part of everything from their own people.

6 m as aquele cuja genealogia não é contada entre eles, tomou dízimos de Abraão, e abençoou ao que tinha as promessas.

Melchizedek was not even from the family group of Levi but Abraham paid him. Melchizedek showed respect to Abraham who was the one who had received God’s promises.

7 O ra, sem contradição alguma, o menor é abençoado pelo maior.

The one who shows respect is always greater than the one who receives it.

8 E aqui certamente recebem dízimos homens que morrem; ali, porém, os recebe aquele de quem se testifica que vive.

Jewish religious leaders receive one-tenth part. They are men and they all die. But here Melchizedek received one-tenth part and is alive.

9 E , por assim dizer, por meio de Abraão, até Levi, que recebe dízimos, pagou dízimos,

We might say that Levi, who receives one-tenth part, paid one-tenth part through Abraham.

10 p orquanto ele estava ainda nos lombos de seu pai quando Melquisedeque saiu ao encontro deste.

Levi was not yet born. He was still inside Abraham’s body when Abraham paid Melchizedek.

11 D e sorte que, se a perfeição fosse pelo sacerdócio levítico (pois sob este o povo recebeu a lei), que necessidade havia ainda de que outro sacerdote se levantasse, segundo a ordem de Melquisedeque, e que não fosse contado segundo a ordem de Arão?

The Law was given during the time when Levi and his sons were the religious leaders. If the work of those religious leaders had been perfect in taking away the sins of the people, there would have been no need for another religious leader. But one like Melchizedek was needed and not one from the family group of Aaron.

12 P ois, mudando-se o sacerdócio, necessariamente se faz também mudança da lei.

For when the family group of religious leaders changed, the Law had to be changed also.

13 P orque aquele, de quem estas coisas se dizem, pertence a outra tribo, da qual ninguém ainda serviu ao altar,

These things speak of Christ Who is from another family group. That family group never had a religious leader who killed animals and gave gifts at the altar for the sins of the people.

14 v isto ser manifesto que nosso Senhor procedeu de Judá, tribo da qual Moisés nada falou acerca de sacerdotes.

Our Lord came from the family group of Judah. Moses did not write anything about religious leaders coming from that family group. A Different Religious Leader Has Come

15 E ainda muito mais manifesto é isto, se ã semelhança de Melquisedeque se levanta outro sacerdote,

We can see that a different Religious Leader has come. This One is like Melchizedek.

16 q ue não foi feito conforme a lei de um mandamento carnal, mas segundo o poder duma vida indissolúvel.

Christ did not become a Religious Leader by coming from the family group of Levi as the Law said had to be. He became the Religious Leader by the power of a life that never ends.

17 P orque dele assim se testifica: Tu és sacerdote para sempre, segundo a ordem de Melquisedeque.

The Holy Writings say this about Christ, “You are a Religious Leader forever like Melchizedek.”

18 P ois, com efeito, o mandamento anterior é ab-rogado por causa da sua fraqueza e inutilidade

God put the Law of Moses aside. It was weak and could not be used.

19 ( pois a lei nenhuma coisa aperfeiçoou), e desta sorte é introduzida uma melhor esperança, pela qual nos aproximamos de Deus.

For the Law of Moses could not make men right with God. Now there is a better hope through which we can come near to God.

20 E visto como não foi sem prestar juramento (porque, na verdade, aqueles, sem juramento, foram feitos sacerdotes,

God made a promise when Christ became the Religious Leader Who made the way for man to go to God.

21 m as este com juramento daquele que lhe disse: Jurou o Senhor, e não se arrependerá: Tu és sacerdote para sempre),

God did not make such a promise when Levi’s family group became religious leaders. But when Christ became a Religious Leader, this is the promise God made, “The Lord has made a promise. He will never change His mind. You will be a Religious Leader forever.”

22 d e tanto melhor pacto Jesus foi feito fiador.

Christ makes this New Way of Worship sure for us because of God’s promise.

23 E , na verdade, aqueles foram feitos sacerdotes em grande número, porque pela morte foram impedidos de permanecer,

There had to be many religious leaders during the time of the Old Way of Worship. They died and others had to keep on in their work.

24 m as este, porque permanece para sempre, tem o seu sacerdócio perpétuo.

But Jesus lives forever. He is the Religious Leader forever. It will never change.

25 P ortanto, pode também salvar perfeitamente os que por ele se chegam a Deus, porquanto vive sempre para interceder por eles.

And so Jesus is able, now and forever, to save from the punishment of sin all who come to God through Him because He lives forever to pray for them.

26 P orque nos convinha tal sumo sacerdote, santo, inocente, imaculado, separado dos pecadores, e feito mais sublime que os céus;

We need such a Religious Leader Who made the way for man to go to God. Jesus is holy and has no guilt. He has never sinned and is different from sinful men. He has the place of honor above the heavens.

27 q ue não necessita, como os sumos sacerdotes, de oferecer cada dia sacrifícios, primeiramente por seus próprios pecados, e depois pelos do povo; porque isto fez ele, uma vez por todas, quando se ofereceu a si mesmo.

Christ is not like other religious leaders. They had to give gifts every day on the altar in worship for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. Christ did not have to do that. He gave one gift on the altar and that gift was Himself. It was done once and it was for all time.

28 P orque a lei constitui sumos sacerdotes a homens que têm fraquezas, mas a palavra do juramento, que veio depois da lei, constitui ao Filho, para sempre aperfeiçoado.

The Law makes religious leaders of men. These men are not perfect. After the Law was given, God spoke with a promise. He made His Son a perfect Religious Leader forever.