1 K o tenei Merekihereke hoki, kingi o harema, tohunga o te Atua o te Runga Rawa, i tutaki nei ki a Aperahama i a ia e hoki ana i te patunga i nga kingi, i manaaki nei i a ia,

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

2 A hoatu ana e Aperahama ki a ia nga whakatekau o nga mea katoa, ko te whakamaoritanga o tona ingoa i te tuatahi ko te Kingi o te tika, i to muri hoki ko te Kingi o Harema, ara ko te Kingi o te rangimarie:

to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,”

3 H e mea matuakore, whaeakore, kahore nei ona whakapapa tupuna, kahore he timatanga o ona ra, kahore he mutunga o tona ora; he tangata kua whakaritea ki te Tama a te Atua, mau tonu ana ia hei tohunga.

without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.

4 N a, whakaaroa te nui o tenei tangata i hoatu nei ki a ia e te tupuna nui, e Aperahama, nga whakatekau o nga taonga parakete.

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

5 K o nga tama hoki a Riwai, ara nga mea kua riro nei i a ratou te mahi tohunga, he ture kei a ratou kia tangohia ta te ture i whakarite ai, nga whakatekau a te iwi, he mea na o ratou teina i puta mai nei ano i te hope o Aperahama:

And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham;

6 K o tenei tangata ia, ehara nei i te mea no to ratou kawai, riro ana i a ia nga whakatekau a Aperahama, a manaakitia ana e ia te tangata i a ia nei nga kupu whakaari.

but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.

7 E kore rawa ia tenei e taea te whakateka, ara ko te mea iti e manaakitia ana e te mea nui.

Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better.

8 I konei e riro ana nga whakatekau i nga tangata, he matemate nei; i reira ia, i tera e kiia nei kei te ora ia.

Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.

9 M e penei ano te ki, ko Riwai e tango whakatekau nei, hoatu ana e ia he whakatekau i ta Aperahama meatanga ra.

Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak,

10 I roto tonu hoki ia i te hope o tona papa i te tutakitanga o Merekihereke ki a ia.

for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. Need for a New Priesthood

11 N a, ki te mea na ta te Riwai mahi tohunga i tino rite ai, a i na runga hoki i tera te rironga o te ture i te iwi, he aha atu te mea e whakatika ake ai tetahi atu tohunga i runga i to Merekihereke ritenga; te kiia ai i runga i to Arona ritenga?

Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?

12 K a whakaputaia ketia nei hoki te mahi tohunga, ina kua puta ke ano hoki te ture.

For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.

13 K o te tangata hoki mona enei korero, he hapu ke tona, kahore nei tetahi o ratou i whakatata ki te aata.

For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.

14 H e mea takoto marama hoki tenei, i puta ake to tatou Ariki i roto i a Hura: hore rawa he kupu a Mohi mo te mahi tohunga a tera iwi.

For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.

15 A ka tino marama rawa ta matou i korero ai, ina whakatika ake tetahi atu tohunga i te ritenga o Merekihereke;

And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest

16 K o tona whakatohungatanga nei hoki ehara i te mea no runga i te ture o nga tikanga o te kikokiko, engari no runga i te kaha o te ora e kore e mutu.

who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.

17 K ua whakaaturia mai nei hoki e ia, Hei tohunga koe ake ake i runga i te ritenga o Merekihereke.

For He testifies: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

18 K ua whakakahoretia hoki te ture i whakatakotoria i mua, no te mea kahore ona kaha, kahore ona hua,

For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness,

19 K ahore hoki he mea i tino tika i te ture; kua mauria mai ano he mea e hira ake ai te tumanako, na reira nei tatou ka whakatata atu ki te Atua.

for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. Greatness of the New Priest

20 N a kihai nei i mahue te oati:

And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath

21 K o era hoki kahore he oati i to ratou whakatohungatanga; he oati ia i to tenei, na tera i ki mai ra ki a ia, Kua oati te Ariki, a e kore e puta ke tona whakaaro, hei tohunga koe ake ake i runga i te ritenga o Merekihereke:

(for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: “The L ord has sworn And will not relent, ‘You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek’” ),

22 K oia i nui ke ai te pai o te kawenata ko Ihu nei tona kaiwhakamau.

by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.

23 H e tokomaha hoki ratou i whakatohungatia, ta te mea kihai i tukua e te mate kia tu tonu;

Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing.

24 K o tenei ia, e mau tonu ana ake ake, e kore ano e puta ke tana mahi tohunga.

But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.

25 N a, e taea ano e ia te tino whakaora te hunga e na runga atu ana i a ia ki te Atua; e ora tonu ana hoki ia hei inoi mo ratou.

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

26 H e pai rawa hoki tenei tu tohunga nui mo tatou, te tapu, te kinokore, te pokekore, he mea motu ke i te hunga hara, kua whakanekehia ake ano hoki ki runga ake i nga rangi;

For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;

27 K ahore ana mea e pera ai ia me nga tohunga nui, e whakaeke patunga tapu ai ia i ia ra, mo ona hara ake i te tuatahi, muri iho mo o te iwi; kotahi tonu hoki tana meatanga i tenei, i tana whakaekenga atu i a ia ake.

who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

28 K o nga tohunga nui hoki e whakaturia ana e te ture, he tangata e pehia ana e te ngoikore; ko ta te kupu ia o te oati, i muri nei i te ture, ko te Tama, kua oti nei te mea kia tino tika ake ake.

For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.