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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Hebrews 7 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/hebrews/7.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/hebrews/7-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > Hebrews 7</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../hebrews/6.htm" title="Hebrews 6">◄</a> Hebrews 7 <a href="../hebrews/8.htm" title="Hebrews 8">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">The Priestly Family of Melchizedek</h3><p class="par"><span class="v58_7_1"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.1" class="v58_7_1">1</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Heb.7.1!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> 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. </span><span class="v58_7_2"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.2" class="v58_7_2">2</span>Then Abraham gave him a tenth of everything he had.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v58_7_2">The meaning of the name Melchizedek is “King of Justice.” But since Salem means “peace,” he is also “King of Peace.” </span><span class="v58_7_3"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.3" class="v58_7_3">3</span>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.<a href="#fn" id="link_Heb.7.3!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="par"><span class="v58_7_4"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.4" class="v58_7_4">4</span>Notice how great Melchizedek was! Our famous ancestor Abraham gave him a tenth of what he had taken from his enemies. </span><span class="v58_7_5"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.5" class="v58_7_5">5</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Heb.7.5!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> 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. </span><span class="v58_7_6"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.6" class="v58_7_6">6</span>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. </span><span class="v58_7_7"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.7" class="v58_7_7">7</span>Everyone agrees a person who gives a blessing is greater than the one who receives the blessing.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v58_7_8"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.8" class="v58_7_8">8</span>Priests are given a tenth of what people earn. But all priests die, except Melchizedek, and the Scriptures teach that he is alive. </span><span class="v58_7_9"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.9" class="v58_7_9">9</span>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. </span><span class="v58_7_10"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.10" class="v58_7_10">10</span>This is because Levi was born later into the family of Abraham, who gave a tenth to Melchizedek.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v58_7_11"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.11" class="v58_7_11">11</span>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.<a href="#fn" id="link_Heb.7.11!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span><span class="v58_7_12"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.12" class="v58_7_12">12</span>And when the rules for selecting a priest are changed, the Law must also be changed.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v58_7_13"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.13" class="v58_7_13">13</span>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. </span><span class="v58_7_14"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.14" class="v58_7_14">14</span>Everyone knows he came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never said priests would come from that tribe.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v58_7_15"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.15" class="v58_7_15">15</span>All of this becomes clearer, when someone who is like Melchizedek is appointed to be a priest. </span><span class="v58_7_16"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.16" class="v58_7_16">16</span>That person wasn't appointed because of his ancestors, but because his life can never end. </span><span class="v58_7_17"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.17" class="v58_7_17">17</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Heb.7.17!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> The Scriptures say about him,</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v58_7_17">“You are a priest forever,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v58_7_17">just like Melchizedek.”</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="m"><span class="v58_7_18"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.18" class="v58_7_18">18</span>In this way a weak and useless command was put aside, </span><span class="v58_7_19"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.19" class="v58_7_19">19</span>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.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v58_7_20"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.20-Heb.7.21" class="v58_7_20">20-21</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Heb.7.20-Heb.7.21!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> 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,</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v58_7_20">“I, the Lord, promise that you</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v58_7_20">will be a priest forever!</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v58_7_20">And I will never</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v58_7_20">change my mind!”</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="par"><span class="v58_7_22"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.22" class="v58_7_22">22</span>This means that Jesus guarantees us a better agreement with God. </span><span class="v58_7_23"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.23" class="v58_7_23">23</span>There have been a lot of other priests, and all of them have died. </span><span class="v58_7_24"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.24" class="v58_7_24">24</span>But Jesus will never die, and so he will be a priest forever! </span><span class="v58_7_25"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.25" class="v58_7_25">25</span>He is forever able to save<a href="#fn" id="link_Heb.7.25!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> the people he leads to God, because he always lives to speak to God for them.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v58_7_26"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.26" class="v58_7_26">26</span>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, </span><span class="v58_7_27"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.27" class="v58_7_27">27</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Heb.7.27!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> 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. </span><span class="v58_7_28"><span class="reftext" id="Heb.7.28" class="v58_7_28">28</span>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.</span></p> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">7.3 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">will be a priest forever: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">See the note at 5.6.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">7.11 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">descendants of Levi … from the priestly family of Aaron: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Levi was the ancestor of the tribe from which priests and their helpers (called “Levites”) were chosen. Aaron was the first high priest.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">7.25 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">forever able to save: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Or “able to save forever.”</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Bible text from the Contemporary English Version 2nd Edition (CEV®) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (<a href="http://www.americanbible.org">www.americanbible.org</a>). Learn more at <a href="http://www.cev.bible">www.cev.bible</a>. 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