Melikizedeki Mpirisiti
1 Melikizedeki iwoyu wakabe ali mambo we Salema, kakale ali mpirisiti we Ndzimu Upezhugwi zhugwi wakashanganidza Abhurahama edwa kubulaya bomambo mu ngwa ngono kankombolela, 2 ipapo Abhurahama kan'dusila tjebugumi muna kose kwaakabe anako. Tje kutanga shandulidzo ye zina la Melikizedeki lodwa kuti, “Mambo we ndulamo;” kakale wakabe ali mambo we Salema, kudwiwa kuti, “Mambo we kunyalala.” 3 Melikizedeki aana tate kene mme kene ludzi, aana panotangisa butjilo gugwe kene pagunopelela, unonga Nkololo we Ndzimu, bupirisiti gugwe godwilila nge kusingapele.
4 Bonani ngono kuti nkulu kungapani! Na Abhurahama batategulu bedu wakan'dusila tjebugumi muna kose kwabakabe batapa mu ngwa. 5 Bana ba Levi bakapiwa bupirisiti bana ndayilo mu nlayo* inoti batole tjebugumi mu bathu, betjitola mu bana batate babo, nenguba bali bakololo ba Abhurahama naibobo. 6 Koga nlume iwoyu usi we ludzi gwabo, wakapiwa tjebugumi ndi Abhurahama, ngono Abhurahama iye wakaamutjila kugadzabgwe kwe Ndzimu, kakombolegwa ndi Melikizedeki. 7 Akuna ungalandula kuti nthu ntukunu unokombolegwa nge nkulu. 8 Mu ndongoloso iyeyi tjebugumi tjoamutjigwa nge bathu banofa, koga mu ndongoloso iyeyije tjakaamutjigwa nge unotendekwa nge kukwe kuti unotjila. 9 Nthu ungana kati Levi nge kukwe iye unoamutjila tjebugumi, wakadusa tjebugumi muna Abhurahama; 10 ngobe Levi wakabe atji mu malopa a batategulu babe Abhurahama, ha Melikizedeki enshangamidza.
11 Ha kululwama kwakapelela kwawanika nge bupirisiti gwa Levi, se bathu bakaamutjila nlayo balipasi gwago, kwakabe kowobe kutjashakigwani kuti kube ne mmwe mpirisiti kuyendidzana nge ndongoloso ya Melikizedeki kuzhe kwe wakatumigwa nge ndongoloso ya Aroni? 12 Ngobe ha kuna kushanduka mu bupirisiti ne mu nlayo kube ne kushandukabo. 13 Iye unolebegwa zwithu izwezwi, nge we ludzi gupoga, kusina unodwa mu guli wakatongo shinga pa tjibeso tje zwibhayilo. 14 Ku patjena kuti She wedu wakazwagwa ali we ludzi gwa Juda, ngono ngekwe ludzi igogo, Mushe aazoleba tjimwe ngekwe bapirisiti.
Mpirisiti mmwe unonga Melikizedeki
15 Ikoku kobe patjena kwazo ha mpirisiti upoga ezha, enga Melikizedeki. 16 Aazothamwa mpirisiti kuyendidzana nge milayo ye lutshinga, koga wakathamwa nge simba le butjilo gusingalobe. 17 Ngobe kotendekwa nge kukwe kuyi,
“Iwe u mpirisiti nge kusingapele,
kuyendidzana nge ndongoloso ya Melikizedeki.”
18 Ngono nlayo we kutanga wakabigigwa ntome, ngobe wakabe usakasima kakale usina nshingo. 19 Ngobe nlayo awuna tjimwe tjawakathama tjikapelela. Koga ngwenu kugalabgwe kunoyita kwakazhisiwa, iko kunoti sedzedza pejo ne Ndzimu.
20 Kwakathamiwa nge kutuna kwe Ndzimu. Ibabo bakabe bakathamiwa bapirisiti kutanga bakabigwa kuzhe kwe kutuna ikoku. 21 Koga Jesu wakabigwa mpirisiti shule kwe kutuna kwe Ndzimu pawakan'dwa ukati,
“She wakatuna
ngono aangashanduse nkumbulo uwe.” Kati,
“U mpirisiti nge kusingapele.”
22 Ngekwa ikoku Jesu kabe itjo tjatingawana mu tjidumano tjinoyita.
23 Bapirisiti be kutanga bakabe bali banjinji, ngoti lufu gwakabe gubadzibisa kudwilidza nshingo ngobe bakabe befa. 24 Jesu nge kusingapele una bupirisiti gusingapele. 25 Ndizo unotubula kutjidza mu misi yose, ibabo banozha ku Ndzimu ndiye, se etjila misi yose ku Ndzimu.
26 Ngobe kwakalingisana kuti tibe ne mpirisiti nkulu wakajali wakayengemala, usina nlandu, mbuyanana, wakathubukana ne batjinyi wakamilidzigwa pezhugwi kwe kudzimu. 27 Akutosheteka kuti ayise zwibhayilo se bapirisiti bakulu ibabaje, akutosheteka kuti azwiyisile tjibhayilo tje zwibi zwizwe kutanga ekoyisila bathu shule; wakathama ikoku kang'ompela ethamila misi yose paakazwipa kube tjibhayilo. 28 Nge malebeswa nlayo unobiga bathu basakasima kube bapirisiti bakulu, koga dama le kutuna ileli lakazha shule kwe nlayo lobiga Nkololo, iye wakathamiwa mpezha nge kusingapele.
The Priest Melchizedek
1 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and a priest of the Most High God. As Abraham was coming back from the battle in which he defeated the four kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him one tenth of all he had taken. (The first meaning of Melchizedek's name is “King of Righteousness”; and because he was king of Salem, his name also means “King of Peace.”) 3 There is no record of Melchizedek's father or mother or of any of his ancestors; no record of his birth or of his death. He is like the Son of God; he remains a priest forever.
4 You see, then, how great he was. Abraham, our famous ancestor, gave him one tenth of all he got in the battle. 5 And those descendants of Levi who are priests are commanded by the Law to collect one tenth from the people of Israel, that is, from their own people, even though they are also descendants of Abraham. 6 Melchizedek was not descended from Levi, but he collected one tenth from Abraham and blessed him, the man who received God's promises. 7 There is no doubt that the one who blesses is greater than the one who is blessed. 8 In the case of the priests the tenth is collected by men who die; but as for Melchizedek the tenth was collected by one who lives, as the scripture says. 9 And, so to speak, when Abraham paid the tenth, Levi (whose descendants collect the tenth) also paid it. 10 For Levi had not yet been born, but was, so to speak, in the body of his ancestor Abraham when Melchizedek met him.
11 It was on the basis of the levitical priesthood that the Law was given to the people of Israel. Now, if the work of the levitical priests had been perfect, there would have been no need for a different kind of priest to appear, one who is in the priestly order of Melchizedek, not of Aaron. 12 For when the priesthood is changed, there also has to be a change in the law. 13 And our Lord, of whom these things are said, belonged to a different tribe, and no member of his tribe ever served as a priest. 14 It is well known that he was born a member of the tribe of Judah; and Moses did not mention this tribe when he spoke of priests.
Another Priest, like Melchizedek
15 The matter becomes even plainer; a different priest has appeared, who is like Melchizedek. 16 He was made a priest, not by human rules and regulations, but through the power of a life which has no end. 17 For the scripture says, “You will be a priest forever, in the priestly order of Melchizedek.” 18 The old rule, then, is set aside, because it was weak and useless. 19 For the Law of Moses could not make anything perfect. And now a better hope has been provided through which we come near to God.
20 In addition, there is also God's vow. There was no such vow when the others were made priests. 21 But Jesus became a priest by means of a vow when God said to him,
“The Lord has made a solemn promise
and will not take it back:
‘You will be a priest forever.’”
22 This difference, then, also makes Jesus the guarantee of a better covenant.
23 There is another difference: there were many of those other priests, because they died and could not continue their work. 24 But Jesus lives on forever, and his work as priest does not pass on to someone else. 25 And so he is able, now and always, to save those who come to God through him, because he lives forever to plead with God for them.
26 Jesus, then, is the High Priest that meets our needs. He is holy; he has no fault or sin in him; he has been set apart from sinners and raised above the heavens. 27 He is not like other high priests; he does not need to offer sacrifices every day for his own sins first and then for the sins of the people. He offered one sacrifice, once and for all, when he offered himself. 28 The Law of Moses appoints men who are imperfect to be high priests; but God's promise made with the vow, which came later than the Law, appoints the Son, who has been made perfect forever.