The Priestly Family of Melchizedek
1 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. 2 Then Abraham gave him a tenth of everything he had.
The meaning of the name Melchizedek is “King of Justice.” But since Salem means “peace,” he is also “King of Peace.” 3 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.
4 Notice how great Melchizedek was! Our famous ancestor Abraham gave him a tenth of what he had taken from his enemies. 5 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. 6 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. 7 Everyone agrees a person who gives a blessing is greater than the one who receives the blessing.
8 Priests are given a tenth of what people earn. But all priests die, except Melchizedek, and the Scriptures teach that he is alive. 9 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. 10 This is because Levi was born later into the family of Abraham, who gave a tenth to Melchizedek.
11 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. 12 And when the rules for selecting a priest are changed, the Law must also be changed.
13 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. 14 Everyone knows he came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never said priests would come from that tribe.
15 All of this becomes clearer, when someone who is like Melchizedek is appointed to be a priest. 16 That person wasn't appointed because of his ancestors, but because his life can never end. 17 The Scriptures say about him,
“You are a priest forever,
just like Melchizedek.”
18 In this way a weak and useless command was put aside, 19 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.
20-21 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,
“I, the Lord, promise that you
will be a priest forever!
And I will never
change my mind!”
22 This means that Jesus guarantees us a better agreement with God. 23 There have been a lot of other priests, and all of them have died. 24 But Jesus will never die, and so he will be a priest forever! 25 He is forever able to save the people he leads to God, because he always lives to speak to God for them.
26 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, 27 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. 28 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.
Melikisedeki niŋ Iburayima
1 Ñiŋ Melikisedeki mu Salaamu saatewo mansakewo le ti nuŋ, aniŋ Alla Mansa Tallaa la piriisoo*. Kabiriŋ Iburayima be muru kaŋ naŋ ka bo keloo la, a ye mansakewolu noo daameŋ, Melikisedeki niŋ a benta, aduŋ a neemata Iburayima ma le. 2 Iburayima fanaa ye feŋolu bee jakoo dii a la le. Melikisedeki too kotoo mu Tiliŋo Mansa le ti, aduŋ ate mu Kayiroo Mansa fanaa le ti, kaatu Salaamu kotoo mu kayiroo le ti. 3 Melikisedeki faamaa la kuwo maŋ yitandi, waraŋ a baamaa, sako a bonsuŋ saataroo. A la baluwo foloodulaa maŋ safee, sako a labandulaa, bari ate be le ko Alla Dinkewo*. A be tu la piriisiyaa le la fo abadaa.
4 Ali a juubee, a la kuwo warata ñaameŋ! Hani m̀ mumu Iburayima faŋo ye jakoo dii ñiŋ Melikisedeki la le feŋolu to, a ye mennu soto keloo to. 5 Wo Lewi lasiloo moolu, mennu naata ke piriisoolu ti, ì ye yaamaroo soto Luwaa kono le ka jakoolu taa moolu bulu, hani wolu mu ì baadiŋolu* ti, baawo ì fanaa bota Iburayima le bala. 6 Bari ñiŋ kewo, Melikisedeki, a maŋ bo nuŋ Lewi lasiloo kono, bari a ye jakoo soto Iburayima bulu le. Aduŋ Iburayima ye Alla la laahidoolu soto ñaa-wo-ñaa, bari Melikisedeki neemata a ma le. 7 Ñoosaboo te ñiŋ kuwo to ko, meŋ ka neemoo dii, wo le la kuwo warata ka tambi, a neemata meŋ ma. 8 Jakoolu ka dii piriisoolu le la, mennu ka faa. Bari ñiŋ kumoo fota Melikisedeki la kuwo le to, meŋ be baluuriŋ, ko a seedeyaata ñaameŋ. 9 Moo si hani a fo noo ko, Lewi faŋo meŋ lasiloo moolu ka jakoolu taa, wo ye jakoolu dii Melikisedeki la le ka bo niŋ Iburayima la. 10 Kaatu biriŋ Melikisedeki niŋ Lewi mumu Iburayima benta, wo ye a tara le, Lewi maŋ wuluu foloo, bari a be nuŋ wo lasiloo kono le.
Yeesu la kuwo be le ko Melikisedeki
11 Moolu ye Luwaa soto ka bo niŋ Lewi lasiloo la piriisiyaa le la, bari niŋ ì si timma noo ka bo wo la, muŋ ne duŋ ye a tinna, suuloo tarata piriisi doo la naa to? Muŋ ne ye a tinna ì suulata moo la, meŋ na piriisiyaa be ko Melikisedeki la piriisiyaa be ñaameŋ, a maŋ ke ko Haaruna taa? 12 Niŋ falindiroo keta piriisiyaa to, wo to luwaa fanaa ñanta faliŋ na le. 13 Kaatu ñiŋ kuwolu fota moo meŋ na kuwo to, a bota lasili doo le to, moo nene maŋ bo meŋ kono ka piriisiyaa dookuwo ke sadaajanidulaa* to. 14 A koyita le ko, m̀ Maariyo bota Yahuuda lasiloo le kono, aduŋ Musa nene maŋ feŋ fo ñiŋ lasiloo la kuwo to, biriŋ a diyaamuta piriisiyaa la kuwo la.
15 Wo kuwo naata seneyaa le set, biriŋ piriisi doo naata, meŋ be ko Melikisedeki. 16 A maŋ naa ke piriisoo ti ka bo niŋ luwaa la yaamaroo la, meŋ ye Lewi lasiloo londi wo dookuwo to, bari a naata ke piriisoo ti ka bo niŋ badaa-badaa baluwo semboo la. 17 Kaatu a la kuwo seedeyaata le ko:
“Ite keta piriisoo le ti fo abadaa,
ko Melikisedeki la piriisiyaa be ñaameŋ.”
18 Wo to, yaamari kotoo ñanta landi la kara la le, kaatu a maŋ semboo waraŋ nafaa soto. 19 Musa la Luwaa* maŋ feŋ ne timmandi, bari a ye siloo le parendi jikoo ye, meŋ si ǹ sutiyandi noo Alla la.
20 Kabiriŋ Alla ye a la laahidoo dii ñiŋ jikoo la kuwo to, a ye a bambandi niŋ kaloo le la. A nene maŋ i kali piriisi doolu kerekeroo to ì la dookuwo la, 21 bari kaloo keta Yeesu dammaa le la kuwo to ko:
“Maariyo ye i kali le,
aduŋ a te a hakiloo faliŋ na:
‘Ite keta piriisoo le ti fo abadaa.’ ”
22 Ñiŋ kaloo ye a tinna le, Yeesu keta sankayaaraŋo ti kambeŋ kutoo ye, meŋ beteyaata kambeŋ kotoo ti.
23 Piriisi jamaa le be jee nuŋ, saayaa le ye ì la piriisiyaa dookuwo daŋ. 24 Bari Yeesu ye a la piriisiyaa meŋ soto, wo nene te baŋ na, kaatu a be tu la baluuriŋ ne fo abadaa. 25 Wo le ye a tinna a ka moolu kiisa noo, mennu ka sutiyaa Alla la ka bo niŋ ate la, baawo a be baluuriŋ ne fo abadaa ka duwaa ì ye.
26 Yeesu le mu wo ñoŋ piriisi kuntii baa ti, ǹ suulata meŋ na. A seneyaata le, a nene maŋ junuboo ke, a maŋ sootaari soto. A landita kara la ka bo junubelaalu kono, aduŋ a wulindita horomoo kono le santo, saŋ fatoolu kunto. 27 A maŋ ke ko piriisi kuntii baa doolu, mennu suulata ka beeyaŋ sadaalu* bondi luŋ-wo-luŋ, ì faŋolu foloo la junuboolu ye, wo koolaa moo doolu. Bari ate ye sadaa bo siiñaa kiliŋ moolu bee ye, biriŋ a ye a faŋo dii sadaa ti. 28 Tooñaa, Musa la Luwaa ye hadamadiŋolu tomboŋ ì la sembentaŋyaa kono le, ka ke piriisi kuntii baalu ti. Bari Luwaa koolaa, Alla ye a la kaloo dii ka a Dinkewo le tomboŋ ñiŋ dookuwo to, aduŋ ate timmandita le fo abadaa.
