thereby becoming like his brothers in every way, so that he could be a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God and could atone for the people's sins.

Therefore, holy brothers, partners in a heavenly calling, keep your focus on Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us live our lives consistent with our confession of faith.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. Instead, we have one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet he never sinned.

For every high priest selected from among men is appointed to officiate on their behalf in matters relating to God, that is, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

In the same way, the Messiah did not take upon himself the glory of being a high priest. No, it was God who said to him, "You are my Son. Today I have become your Father."

As he also says in another place, "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."

having been designated by God to be a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

where Jesus, our forerunner, has gone on our behalf, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Now this man Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, met Abraham and blessed him when he was returning from defeating the kings.

He has no father, mother, or genealogy, no birth date recorded for him, nor a date of death. Like the Son of God, he continues to be a priest forever.

Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood for on this basis the people received the Law what further need would there be to speak of appointing another kind of priest according to the order of Melchizedek, not one according to the order of Aaron?

This point is even more obvious in that another priest who is like Melchizedek has appeared

who was appointed to be a priest, not on the basis of a genealogical registry, but rather on the power of an indestructible life.

For it is declared about him, "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."

but Jesus became a priest with an oath when God told him, "The Lord has taken an oath and will not change his mind. You are a priest forever."

We need such a high priest one who is holy, innocent, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.

Now the main point in what we are saying is this: we do have this kind of high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven

For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore, this high priest had to offer something, too.

Now if he were on earth, he would not even be a priest, because other men offer the gifts prescribed by the Law.

But only the high priest went into the second part, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins committed by the people in ignorance.

But when the Messiah came as a high priest of the good things that have come, he went through the greater and more perfect tent that was not made by human hands and that is not a part of this creation.

Nor did he go into heaven to sacrifice himself again and again, the way the high priest goes into the Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.

Day after day every priest stands and repeatedly offers the same sacrifices that can never take away sins.

But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, "he sat down at the right hand of God."

and since we have a great high priest over the household of God,

For the bodies of animals, whose blood is taken into the sanctuary by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp.