Hebrews
Chapter 7
1 1 This ＂Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High,＂ 2 ＂met Abraham as he returned from his defeat of the kings＂ and ＂blessed him.＂
原来这默基瑟德是撒冷王，是至高者天主的司祭；当亚巴郎打败众王回来时，他来迎接，且祝福了他。
2 3 And Abraham apportioned to him ＂a tenth of everything.＂ His name first means righteous king, and he was also ＂king of Salem,＂ that is, king of peace.
亚巴郎就由所有的一切之中，拿出十分之一分给了他；他的名字默基瑟德，第一可称作＂正义之王＂，他也可称作＂撒冷之王＂，就是＂和平之王＂之意。
3 Without father, mother, or ancestry, without beginning of days or end of life, 4 thus made to resemble the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.
他无父，无母，无族谱，生无始，寿无终：他好象天主子，永久身为司祭。
4 5 See how great he is to whom the patriarch ＂Abraham (indeed) gave a tenth＂ of his spoils.
你们要想想：这人是多么伟大，连圣祖亚巴郎也由上等的战利品中，取了十分之一献给了他！
5 The descendants of Levi who receive the office of priesthood have a commandment according to the law to exact tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, although they also have come from the loins of Abraham.
那些由肋未子孙中领受司祭职的，固然有命向人民，按法律征收什一之物，即向他们的弟兄，虽然都是出自亚巴郎的腰中；
6 But he who was not of their ancestry received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had received the promises.
可是不属于他们世系的那一位，却收了亚巴郎的什一之物，并祝福了那蒙受恩许的。
7 Unquestionably, a lesser person is blessed by a greater. 6
从来，在下的受在上的祝福，这是无人可反对的。
8 In the one case, mortal men receive tithes; in the other, a man of whom it is testified that he lives on.
在这里那些领受什一之物的，是有死的人；但在那里领受什一之物的，却是一位证明了常活着的人。
9 One might even say that Levi 7 himself, who receives tithes, was tithed through Abraham,
并且可说：连那领受什一之物的肋未，也借着亚巴郎，交纳了什一之物，
10 for he was still in his father's loins when Melchizedek met him.
因为当默基瑟德迎接亚巴郎的时候，肋未还在祖先的腰中。
11 8 If, then, perfection came through the levitical priesthood, on the basis of which the people received the law, what need would there still have been for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not reckoned according to the order of Aaron?
那么，如果借着肋未司祭职能有成全──因为选民就是本着这司祭职接受了法律──为什么还须要兴起另一位，按照默基瑟德品位的司祭，而不称为按照亚郎的品位呢？
12 When there is a change of priesthood, there is necessarily a change of law as well.
如今司祭职一变更，法律也必然变更，
13 Now he of whom these things are said 9 belonged to a different tribe, of which no member ever officiated at the altar.
因为这里所论到的那一位，原是属于另一支派，由这一支派中，没有一个人曾在祭坛前服务过。
14 It is clear that our Lord arose from Judah, 10 and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.
显然我们的主是由犹太支派出生的，关于这一支派，梅瑟从未提到司祭的事。
15 11 It is even more obvious if another priest is raised up after the likeness of Melchizedek,
既然有另一位司祭，是按照默基瑟德的品级兴起的，那我们所讨论的就更显明了，
16 who has become so, not by a law expressed in a commandment concerning physical descent but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. 12
因为衪之成为司祭，并不是按照血统所规定的法则，而是按照不可消灭的生命的德能，
17 For it is testified: ＂You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.＂
因为有圣经给他作证：‘你照默基瑟德的品位永做司祭。’
18 On the one hand, a former commandment is annulled because of its weakness and uselessness,
先前的诫命之废除，是由于它的弱点和无用，
19 for the law brought nothing to perfection; on the other hand, a better hope 13 is introduced, through which we draw near to God.
因为法律本来就不能成就什么；可是如今引进了一个更好的希望，因着这希望，我们才能亲近天主。
20 14 And to the degree that this happened not without the taking of an oath 15 --for others became priests without an oath,
再者，耶稣成为司祭是具有天主誓言的，其它的司祭并没有这种誓言就成了司祭。
21 but he with an oath, through the one who said to him: ＂The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent: ‘You are a priest forever'＂--
耶稣成为司祭，却具有誓言，因为天主向他说：‘上主一发了誓，他决不再反悔；你永为司祭。’
22 to that same degree has Jesus (also) become the guarantee of an (even) better covenant. 16
如此，耶稣就成了更好的盟约的担保人。
23 Those priests were many because they were prevented by death from remaining in office,
再者，肋未人成为司祭的，人数众多，因为死亡阻碍他们长久留任，
24 but he, because he remains forever, has a priesthood that does not pass away.
但是耶稣因永远长存，具有不可消逝的司祭品位。
25 17 Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them.
因此，凡由他而接近天主的人，他全能拯救，因为他常活着，为他们转求。
26 It was fitting that we should have such a high priest: 18 holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens. 19
这样的大司祭才适合于我们，他是圣善的、无辜的、无玷的、别于罪人的、高于诸天的；
27 He has no need, as did the high priests, to offer sacrifice day after day, 20 first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did that once for all when he offered himself.
他无须像那些大司祭一样，每日要先为自己的罪，后为人民的罪，祭献牺牲；因为衪奉献了自己，只一次而为永远完成了这事，
28 For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests, but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law, appoints a son, who has been made perfect forever.
因为法律所立为大司祭的人是有弱点的；可是在法律以后，以誓言所立的圣子，却是成全的，直到永远。
Footnotes(注解)
1 [1-3] Recalling the meeting between Melchizedek and Abraham described in Genesis 14:17-20, the author enhances the significance of this priest by providing the popular etymological meaning of his name and that of the city over which he ruled (Hebrews 7:2). Since Genesis gives no information on the parentage or the death of Melchizedek, he is seen here as a type of Christ, representing a priesthood that is unique and eternal (Hebrews 7:3).
2 [1] The author here assumes that Melchizedek was a priest of the God of Israel (cf Genesis 14:22 and the note there).
3 [2] In Genesis 14, the Hebrew text does not state explicitly who gave tithes to whom. The author of Hebrews supplies Abraham as the subject, according to a contemporary interpretation of the passage. This supports the argument of the midrash and makes it possible to see in Melchizedek a type of Jesus. The messianic blessings of righteousness and peace are foreshadowed in the names ＂Melchizedek＂ and ＂Salem.＂
4 [3] Without father, mother, or ancestry, without beginning of days or end of life: this is perhaps a quotation from a hymn about Melchizedek. The rabbis maintained that anything not mentioned in the Torah does not exist. Consequently, since the Old Testament nowhere mentions Melchizedek's ancestry, birth, or death, the conclusion can be drawn that he remains . . . forever.
5 [4-10] The tithe that Abraham gave to Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:4), a practice later followed by the levitical priesthood (Hebrews 7:5), was a gift (Hebrews 7:6) acknowledging a certain superiority in Melchizedek, the foreign priest (Hebrews 7:7). This is further indicated by the fact that the institution of the levitical priesthood was sustained by hereditary succession in the tribe of Levi, whereas the absence of any mention of Melchizedek's death in Genesis implies that his personal priesthood is permanent (Hebrews 7:8). The levitical priesthood itself, through Abraham, its ancestor, paid tithes to Melchizedek, thus acknowledging the superiority of his priesthood over its own (Hebrews 7:9-10).
6 [7] A lesser person is blessed by a greater: though this sounds like a principle, there are some examples in the Old Testament that do not support it (cf 2 Sam 14:22; Job 31:20). The author may intend it as a statement of a liturgical rule.
7 [9] Levi: for the author this name designates not only the son of Jacob mentioned in Genesis but the priestly tribe that was thought to be descended from him.
8 [11-14] The levitical priesthood was not typified by the priesthood of Melchizedek, for Psalm 110:4 speaks of a priesthood of a new order, the order of Melchizedek, to arise in messianic times (Hebrews 7:11). Since the levitical priesthood served the Mosaic law, a new priesthood (Hebrews 7:12) would not come into being without a change in the law itself. Thus Jesus was not associated with the Old Testament priesthood, for he was a descendant of the tribe of Judah, which had never exercised the priesthood (Hebrews 7:13-14).
9 [13] He of whom these things are said: Jesus, the priest ＂according to the order of Melchizedek.＂ According to the author's interpretation, Psalm 110 spoke prophetically of Jesus.
10 [14] Judah: the author accepts the early Christian tradition that Jesus was descended from the family of David (cf Matthew 1:1-2, 16, 20; Luke 1:27; 2:4; Romans 1:3). The Qumran community expected two Messiahs, one descended from Aaron and one from David; Hebrews shows no awareness of this view or at least does not accept it. Our author's view is not attested in contemporaneous Judaism.
11 [15-19] Jesus does not exercise a priesthood through family lineage but through his immortal existence (15-16), fulfilling Psalm 110:4 (Hebrews 7:17; cf Hebrews 7:3). Thus he abolishes forever both the levitical priesthood and the law it serves, because neither could effectively sanctify people (Hebrews 7:18) by leading them into direct communication with God (Hebrews 7:19).
12 [16] A life that cannot be destroyed: the life to which Jesus has attained by virtue of his resurrection; it is his exaltation rather than his divine nature that makes him priest. The Old Testament speaks of the Aaronic priesthood as eternal (see Exodus 40:15); our author does not explicitly consider this possible objection to his argument but implicitly refutes it in Hebrews 7:23-24.
13 [19] A better hope: this hope depends upon the sacrifice of the Son of God; through it we ＂approach the throne of grace＂ (Hebrews 4:16); cf Hebrews 6:19, 20.
14 [20] An oath: God's oath in Psalm 110:4.
15 [20-25] As was the case with the promise to Abraham (Hebrews 6:13), though not with the levitical priesthood, the eternal priesthood of the order of Melchizedek was confirmed by God's oath (Hebrews 7:20-21); cf Psalm 110:4. Thus Jesus becomes the guarantee of a permanent covenant (Hebrews 7:22) that does not require a succession of priests as did the levitical priesthood (Hebrews 7:23) because his high priesthood is eternal and unchangeable (Hebrews 7:24). Consequently, Jesus is able to save all who draw near to God through him since he is their ever-living intercessor (Hebrews 7:25).
16 [22] An [even] better covenant: better than the Mosaic covenant because it will be eternal, like the priesthood of Jesus upon which it is based. Hebrews 7:12 argued that a change of priesthood involves a change of law; since ＂law＂ and ＂covenant＂ are used correlatively, a new covenant is likewise instituted.
17 [25] To make intercession: the intercession of the exalted Jesus, not the sequel to his completed sacrifice but its eternal presence in heaven; cf Romans 8:34.
18 [26] This verse with its list of attributes is reminiscent of Hebrews 7:3 and is perhaps a hymnic counterpart to it, contrasting the exalted Jesus with Melchizedek.
19 [26-28] Jesus is precisely the high priest whom the human race requires, holy and sinless, installed far above humanity (Hebrews 26); one having no need to offer sacrifice daily for sins but making a single offering of himself (Hebrews 27) once for all. The law could only appoint high priests with human limitations, but the fulfillment of God's oath regarding the priesthood of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4) makes the Son of God the perfect priest forever (Hebrews 28).
20 [27] Such daily sacrifice is nowhere mentioned in the Mosaic law; only on the Day of Atonement is it prescribed that the high priest must offer sacrifice . . . for his own sins and then for those of the people (Lev 16:11-19). Once for all: this translates the Greek words ephapax/hapax that occur eleven times in Hebrews.