1 E sse Melquisedeque, rei de Salém e sacerdote do Deus Altíssimo, encontrou-se com Abraão quando este voltava, depois de derrotar os 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 e Abraão lhe deu o dízimo de tudo. Em primeiro lugar, seu nome significa “rei de justiça”; depois, “rei de Salém” quer dizer “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, sem princípio de dias nem fim de vida, feito semelhante ao Filho de Deus, ele 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 onsiderem a grandeza desse homem: até mesmo o patriarca Abraão lhe deu o dízimo dos despojos!

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

5 A Lei requer dos sacerdotes dentre os descendentes de Levi que recebam o dízimo do povo, isto é, dos seus irmãos, embora estes sejam descendentes 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 E ste homem, porém, que não pertencia à linhagem de Levi, recebeu os dízimos de Abraão e abençoou aquele 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 S em dúvida alguma, o inferior é abençoado pelo superior.

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

8 N o primeiro caso, quem recebe o dízimo são homens mortais; no outro caso é aquele de quem se declara 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 P ode-se até dizer que Levi, que recebe os dízimos, entregou-os por meio de Abraão,

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

10 p ois, quando Melquisedeque se encontrou com Abraão, Levi ainda não havia sido gerado. Jesus é Semelhante a Melquisedeque

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

11 S e fosse possível alcançar a perfeição por meio do sacerdócio levítico (visto que em sua vigência o povo recebeu a Lei), por que haveria ainda necessidade de se levantar outro sacerdote, segundo a ordem de Melquisedeque e não 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 C erto é que, quando há mudança de sacerdócio, é necessário que haja mudança de lei.

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

13 O ra, aquele de quem se dizem estas coisas pertencia a outra tribo, da qual ninguém jamais havia servido diante do 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 p ois é bem conhecido que o nosso Senhor descende de Judá, tribo da qual Moisés nada fala quanto a sacerdócio.

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 O que acabamos de dizer fica ainda mais claro quando aparece outro sacerdote semelhante a Melquisedeque,

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

16 a lguém que se tornou sacerdote, não por regras relativas à linhagem, mas segundo o poder de uma vida indestrutível.

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 orquanto sobre ele é afirmado: “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 A ordenança anterior é revogada, porque era fraca e inútil

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

19 ( pois a Lei não havia aperfeiçoado coisa alguma), sendo introduzida uma esperança superior, 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 isso não aconteceu sem juramento! Outros se tornaram sacerdotes sem qualquer juramento,

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

21 m as ele se tornou sacerdote com juramento, quando Deus lhe disse: “O Senhor jurou 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 J esus tornou-se, por isso mesmo, a garantia de uma aliança superior.

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

23 O ra, daqueles sacerdotes tem havido muitos, porque a morte os impede de continuar em seu ofício;

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, visto que vive para sempre, Jesus tem um sacerdócio permanente.

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

25 P ortanto, ele é capaz de salvar definitivamente aqueles que, por meio dele, aproximam-se de Deus, pois 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 É de um sumo sacerdote como este que precisávamos: santo, inculpável, puro, separado dos pecadores, exaltado acima dos 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 A o contrário dos outros sumos sacerdotes, ele não tem necessidade de oferecer sacrifícios dia após dia, primeiro por seus próprios pecados e, depois, pelos pecados do povo. E ele o fez uma vez por todas quando a si mesmo se ofereceu.

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 ois a Lei constitui sumos sacerdotes a homens que têm fraquezas; mas o juramento, que veio depois da Lei, constitui o Filho perfeito para sempre.

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.