7. And everyone knows that the more important person always blesses the less important person.
8. Those priests get a tenth, but they are only men who live and then die. But Melchizedek, who got a tenth from Abraham, continues to live, as the Scriptures say.
9. Now those from the family of Levi are the ones who get a tenth from the people. But we can say that when Abraham paid Melchizedek a tenth, then Levi also paid it.
10. Levi was not yet born, but he already existed in his ancestor Abraham when Melchizedek met him.
11. The people were given the law under the system of priests from the tribe of Levi. But no one could be made spiritually perfect through that system of priests. So there was a need for another priest to come. I mean a priest like Melchizedek, not Aaron.
12. And when a different kind of priest comes, then the law must be changed too.
13-14. We are talking about our Lord Christ, who belonged to a different tribe. No one from that tribe ever served as a priest at the altar. It is clear that Christ came from the tribe of Judah. And Moses said nothing about priests belonging to that tribe.
15. And these things become even clearer when we see that another priest has come who is like Melchizedek.
16. He was made a priest, but not because he met the requirement of being born into the right family. He became a priest by the power of a life that will never end.
17. This is what the Scriptures say about him: “You are a priest forever—the kind of priest Melchizedek was.”
18. The old rule is now ended because it was weak and worthless.