UMelkisedeki uhlangana no-Abrahama
UMelkisedeki uvela kuGenesise, engumpristi kaBaba wethu oPhezukonke, ubusisa u-Abrahama futhi uthatha okweshumi, kanti umbhali wakha phezu kwalokho: ubupristi obudala kunobukaLevi futhi obungaphandle kwabo. Njengoba ubupristi bushintsha, nomthetho ushintsha kanye nabo. Lo mpristi uhlala ephila njalo ukuze asikhulumele.
7 1Lo Melkisedeki, inkosi yaseSalema, umpristi woPhezukonke, uBaba wethu, wahlangana no-Abrahama ebuya ekunqobeni amakhosi, wambusisa. 2U-Abrahama wamnika okweshumi kwakho konke. Igama lakhe lisho, kuqala, inkosi yokulunga, bese kuthi futhi inkosi yaseSalema—okusho inkosi yokuthula. 3Engenayise, engenanina, engenalwazi lozalo, engenakuqala kwezinsuku noma ukuphela kokuphila, kodwa njengeNdodana kaBaba wethu, uhlala engumpristi kuze kube phakade.
4Cabangani ukuthi mkhulu kangakanani lo muntu: u-Abrahama ukhokho wamnika okweshumi kwempango. 5Labo abayinzalo kaLevi ababa ngabapristi bayalwa ngumthetho ukuba baqoqe okweshumi kubantu—abafowabo uqobo—nakuba nabo bevela ku-Abrahama. 6Kodwa yena, nakuba engeyena owenzalo yabo, wathatha okweshumi ku-Abrahama, wambusisa lowo owayephethe izithembiso. 7Akuphikiseki nhlobo ukuthi omncane ubusiswa ngomkhulu. 8Kokunye, okweshumi kwamukelwa ngabantu abafayo; kokunye, ngulowo ofakazelwa ukuthi uyaphila. 9Umuntu angaze athi uLevi, owamukela okweshumi, wakukhokha ngo-Abrahama, 10ngokuba wayesesemzimbeni kakhokho wakhe mhla uMelkisedeki ehlangana no-Abrahama.
11Uma ubupristi bukaLevi babuletha ukuphelela—abantu bawamukela umthetho ngaphansi kwabo—kwakudingekelani omunye umpristi, lowo ohlelweni lukaMelkisedeki, ongabizwa ngokohlelo luka-Aroni? 12Ngokuba lapho ubupristi bushintsha, umthetho kumele ushintshe nawo. 13Ngokuba yena okukhulunywa ngaye lezi zinto wayengowesinye isizwe, okungakaze kube khona owaso owakhonza e-altare. 14Kusobala ukuthi iNkosi yethu yavela kwaJuda; uMose akashongo lutho ngabapristi abavela kuleso sizwe. 15Futhi lokhu kuba sobala nakakhulu lapho kuvela omunye umpristi ofana noMelkisedeki, 16oye waba umpristi hhayi ngomthetho wozalo lwenyama kodwa ngamandla okuphila okungenakubhujiswa.
17Ngokuba kufakazelwa ngaye kuthiwa: “Ungumpristi kuze kube phakade, ohlelweni lukaMelkisedeki.”
18Ngakolunye uhlangothi, umyalo wangaphambili ubekwa eceleni ngenxa yobuthakathaka bawo nokungabi namsebenzi. 19Umthetho awuphelelisanga lutho; kodwa kwethulwa ithemba elingcono, esisondela ngalo kuBaba wethu. 20Lokhu akwenzekanga ngaphandle kwesifungo, ngokuba abanye baba ngabapristi ngaphandle kwesifungo,
21kodwa yena waba umpristi ngesifungo, ngalowo owathi kuye: “UBaba wethu ufungile, ngeke aguqule umqondo wakhe, ‘Ungumpristi kuze kube phakade.’” a a v21 ‘Lowo owasho’ isifungo nguBaba wethu, owamisa ubupristi obuphakade bukaJesu. IHubo 110 yihubo elicashunwa kakhulu kuleTestamente eliSha—konke ukucashunwa kukhomba kuJesu.
22Ngaleso sizinga esifanayo, uJesu useba yisiqinisekiso sesivumelwano esingcono.
23Abapristi bangaphambili babebaningi, ngokuba ukufa kwakubavimbela ukuba baqhubeke esikhundleni, 24kodwa yena ubugcina ubupristi bakhe kuze kube nini nanini, ngokuba uqhubeka phakade. 25Ngakho angabasindisa ngokugcwele labo abeza kuBaba wethu ngaye, njengoba ehlala ephila ukuba abancengele.
26Umpristi omkhulu onjalo wayesifanele: ongcwele, ongenacala, ongenabala, owahlukaniswa nezoni, owaphakanyiselwa ngaphezu kwamazulu. 27Ngokungafani nalabo bapristi abakhulu, akadingi ukunikela ngemihlatshelo nsuku zonke—kuqala ngenxa yezono zakhe, bese kuthi ngezabantu—njengoba akwenza lokhu kwaba kanye kuphela, ezinikela yena. 28Umthetho umisa abantu ababuthakathaka babe ngabapristi abakhulu, kodwa izwi lesifungo, elifika emva komthetho, limisa iNdodana, eyenziwe yaphelela kuze kube phakade.
