7:1  hic enim Melchisedech rex Salem         1.  For this Melchisedec, king of
sacerdos Dei summi qui obviavit Abrahae      Salem, priest of the most high God, who
regresso a caede regum et benedixit ei       met Abraham returning from the
                                             slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;

7:2  cui decimas omnium divisit Abraham      2.  To whom also Abraham gave a tenth
primum quidem qui interpretatur rex          part of all; first being by
iustitiae deinde autem et rex Salem          interpretation King of righteousness,
quod est rex pacis                           and after that also King of Salem,
                                             which is, King of peace;

7:3  sine patre sine matre sine              3.  Without father, without mother,
genealogia neque initium dierum neque        without descent, having neither
finem vitae habens adsimilatus autem         beginning of days, nor end of life; but
Filio Dei manet sacerdos in perpetuum        made like unto the Son of God; abideth
                                             a priest continually.

7:4  intuemini autem quantus sit hic         4.  Now consider how great this man
cui et decimam dedit de praecipuis           was, unto whom even the patriarch
Abraham patriarcha                           Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

7:5  et quidem de filiis Levi                5.  And verily they that are of the
sacerdotium accipientes mandatum habent      sons of Levi, who receive the office of
decimas sumere a populo secundum legem       the priesthood, have a commandment to
id est a fratribus suis quamquam et          take tithes of the people according to
ipsi exierunt de lumbis Abrahae              the law, that is, of their brethren,
                                             though they come out of the loins of
                                             Abraham:

7:6  cuius autem generatio non               6.  But he whose descent is not counted
adnumeratur in eis decimas sumpsit           from them received tithes of Abraham,
Abraham et hunc qui habebat                  and blessed him that had the promises.
repromissiones benedixit

7:7  sine ulla autem contradictione          7.  And without all contradiction the
quod minus est a meliore benedicitur         less is blessed of the better.

7:8  et hic quidem decimas morientes         8.  And here men that die receive
homines accipiunt ibi autem contestatus      tithes; but there he receiveth them, of
quia vivit                                   whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

7:9  et ut ita dictum sit per Abraham        9.  And as I may so say, Levi also, who
et Levi qui decimas accipit decimatus        receiveth tithes, payed tithes in
est                                          Abraham.

7:10  adhuc enim in lumbis patris erat       10.  For he was yet in the loins of his
quando obviavit ei Melchisedech              father, when Melchisedec met him.

7:11  si ergo consummatio per                11.  If therefore perfection were by
sacerdotium leviticum erat populus enim      the Levitical priesthood, (for under it
sub ipso legem accepit quid adhuc            the people received the law,) what
necessarium secundum ordinem                 further need was there that another
Melchisedech alium surgere sacerdotem        priest should rise after the order of
et non secundum ordinem Aaron dici           Melchisedec, and not be called after
                                             the order of Aaron?

7:12  translato enim sacerdotio necesse      12.  For the priesthood being changed,
est ut et legis translatio fiat              there is made of necessity a change
                                             also of the law.

7:13  in quo enim haec dicuntur de alia      13.  For he of whom these things are
tribu est de qua nullus altario praesto      spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of
fuit                                         which no man gave attendance at the
                                             altar.

7:14  manifestum enim quod ex Iuda           14.  For it is evident that our Lord
ortus sit Dominus noster in qua tribu        sprang out of Juda; of which tribe
nihil de sacerdotibus Moses locutus est      Moses spake nothing concerning
                                             priesthood.

7:15  et amplius adhuc manifestum est        15.  And it is yet far more evident:
si secundum similitudinem Melchisedech       for that after the similitude of
exsurgit alius sacerdos                      Melchisedec there ariseth another
                                             priest,

7:16  qui non secundum legem mandati         16.  Who is made, not after the law of
carnalis factus est sed secundum             a carnal commandment, but after the
virtutem vitae insolubilis                   power of an endless life.

7:17  contestatur enim quoniam tu es         17.  For he testifieth, Thou art a
sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem        priest for ever after the order of
Melchisedech                                 Melchisedec.

7:18  reprobatio quidem fit                  18.  For there is verily a disannulling
praecedentis mandati propter                 of the commandment going before for the
infirmitatem eius et inutilitatem            weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

7:19  nihil enim ad perfectum adduxit        19.  For the law made nothing perfect,
lex introductio vero melioris spei per       but the bringing in of a better hope
quam proximamus ad Deum                      did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

7:20  et quantum est non sine                20.  And inasmuch as not without an
iureiurando alii quidem sine                 oath he was made priest:
iureiurando sacerdotes facti sunt

7:21  hic autem cum iureiurando per eum      21.  (For those priests were made
qui dixit ad illum iuravit Dominus et        without an oath; but this with an oath
non paenitebit tu es sacerdos in             by him that said unto him, The Lord
aeternum                                     sware and will not repent, Thou art a
                                             priest for ever after the order of
                                             Melchisedec:)

7:22  in tantum melioris testamenti          22.  By so much was Jesus made a surety
sponsor factus est Iesus                     of a better testament.

7:23  et alii quidem plures facti sunt       23.  And they truly were many priests,
sacerdotes idcirco quod morte                because they were not suffered to
prohiberentur permanere                      continue by reason of death:

7:24  hic autem eo quod maneat in            24.  But this man, because he
aeternum sempiternum habet sacerdotium       continueth ever, hath an unchangeable
                                             priesthood.

7:25  unde et salvare in perpetuo            25.  Wherefore he is able also to save
potest accedentes per semet ipsum ad         them to the uttermost that come unto
Deum semper vivens ad interpellandum         God by him, seeing he ever liveth to
pro eis                                      make intercession for them.

7:26  talis enim decebat ut nobis esset      26.  For such an high priest became us,
pontifex sanctus innocens inpollutus         who is holy, harmless, undefiled,
segregatus a peccatoribus et excelsior       separate from sinners, and made higher
caelis factus                                than the heavens;

7:27  qui non habet cotidie                  27.  Who needeth not daily, as those
necessitatem quemadmodum sacerdotes          high priests, to offer up sacrifice,
prius pro suis delictis hostias offerre      first for his own sins, and then for
deinde pro populi hoc enim fecit semel       the people's: for this he did once,
se offerendo                                 when he offered up himself.

7:28  lex enim homines constituit            28.  For the law maketh men high
sacerdotes infirmitatem habentes sermo       priests which have infirmity; but the
autem iurisiurandi qui post legem est        word of the oath, which was since the
Filium in aeternum perfectum                 law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated
                                             for evermore.