¹For this Melchisedec, King of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from smiting the kings, and blessed him;

¹¶ Ko 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,

²to whom Abraham gave also the tenth portion of all; first being interpreted King of righteousness, and then also King of Salem, which is King of peace;

²A 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:

³without father, without mother, without genealogy; having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but assimilated to the Son of God, abides a priest continually.

³He 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.

⁴Now consider how great this [personage] was, to whom [even] the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth out of the spoils.

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

⁵And they indeed from among the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have commandment to take tithes from the people according to the law, that is from their brethren, though these are come out of the loins of Abraham:

⁵Ko 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:

⁶but he who has no genealogy from them has tithed Abraham, and blessed him who had the promises.

⁶Ko 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.

⁷But beyond all gainsaying, the inferior is blessed by the better.

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

⁸And here dying men receive tithes; but there [one] of whom the witness is that he lives;

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

⁹and, so to speak, through Abraham, Levi also, who received tithes, has been made to pay tithes.

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

¹⁰For he was yet in the loins of his father when Melchisedec met him.

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

¹¹If indeed then perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, for the people had their law given to them in connexion with *it*, what need [was there] still that a different priest should arise according to the order of Melchisedec, and not be named after the order of Aaron?

¹¹¶ Na, 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?

¹²For, the priesthood being changed, there takes place of necessity a change of law also.

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

¹³For he, of whom these things are said, belongs to a different tribe, of which no one has [ever] been attached to the service of the altar.

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

¹⁴For it is clear that our Lord has sprung out of Juda, as to which tribe Moses spake nothing as to priests.

¹⁴He 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.

¹⁵And it is yet more abundantly evident, since a different priest arises according to the similitude of Melchisedec,

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

¹⁶who has been constituted not according to law of fleshly commandment, but according to power of indissoluble life.

¹⁶Ko 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.

¹⁷For it is borne witness, *Thou* art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedec.

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

¹⁸For there is a setting aside of the commandment going before for its weakness and unprofitableness,

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

¹⁹(for the law perfected nothing,) and the introduction of a better hope by which we draw nigh to God.

¹⁹Kahore 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.

²⁰And by how much [it was] not without the swearing of an oath;

²⁰Na kihai nei i mahue te oati:

²¹(for they are become priests without the swearing of an oath, but he with the swearing of an oath, by him who said, as to him, The Lord has sworn, and will not repent [of it], *Thou* [art] priest for ever [according to the order of Melchisedec];)

²¹Ko 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:

²²by so much Jesus became surety of a better covenant.

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

²³And they have been many priests, on account of being hindered from continuing by death;

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

²⁴but he, because of his continuing for ever, has the priesthood unchangeable.

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

²⁵Whence also he is able to save completely those who approach by him to God, always living to intercede for them.

²⁵Na, 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.

²⁶For such a high priest became us, holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and become higher than the heavens:

²⁶He 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;

²⁷who has not day by day need, as the high priests, first to offer up sacrifices for his own sins, then [for] those of the people; for this he did once for all [in] having offered up himself.

²⁷Kahore 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.

²⁸For the law constitutes men high priests, having infirmity; but the word of the swearing of the oath which [is] after the law, a Son perfected for ever.

²⁸Ko 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.