1 Ngokuba uMelkisedeki lo, inkosi yaseSalema, umpristi kaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, owahlangabeza u-Abrahama mhla ebuya ekubulaleni amakhosi, wambusisa;
2 u-Abrahama wamabela okweshumi kukho konke yena ogama lakhe lithi kuqala ukuhunyushwa kwalo inkosi yokulunga, bese kuba yinkosi yaseSalema, okungukuthi inkosi yokuthula,
3 engenayise, engenanina, engenaluzalo, engenakuqala kwezinsuku nakuphela kokuphila, kepha efaniswe neNdodana kaNkulunkulu, uhlala engumpristi njalonjalo.
4 Qondani-ke ukuthi ungakanani yena owanikwa okweshumi kwempango ngu-Abrahama ukhokho.
5 Nalabo bamadodana kaLevi abamukeliswa ubupristi banomyalo wokuthatha okweshumi kubantu ngokomthetho, okungukuthi kubafowabo, ingani baphume okhalweni luka-Abrahama;
6 kepha yena ongabalwa ozalweni lwabo uthathile okweshumi ku-Abrahama, wambusisa lowo onezithembiso.
7 Kepha akunakuphikwa ukuthi omncinyane ubusiswa ngomkhulu.
8 Lapha-ke abantu abafayo bamukeliswa okweshumi, kepha lapho ngofakazelwa ukuthi uyaphila.
9 Futhi kungathiwa noLevi owamukela okweshumi watheliswa okweshumi ngaye u-Abrahama,
10 ngokuba wayesesokhalweni lukayise mzukwana uMelkisedeki emhlangabeza.
11 Uma-ke kwakukhona ukuphelela ngobupristi bukaLevi ngokuba isizwe samiselwa bona ngomthetho -- kwakusaswelekelani ukuba kuvele omunye umpristi ngokukaMelkisedeki engabizwa ngokokuma kuka-Aroni na?
12 Ngokuba uma ubupristi buguquliwe, kuyadingeka ukuba kuguqulwe nomthetho.
13 Kepha lowo okushiwo lokho ngaye ungowesinye isizwe okungabanga bikho kuso umuntu owake wakhonza e-altare.
14 Ngokuba kusobala ukuthi iNkosi yethu ivele kuJuda, isizwe uMose angakhulumanga lutho ngaso ngobupristi.
15 Ikakhulu kusobala lokho, uma kumiswa omunye umpristi ofana noMelkisedeki,
16 ongamiswanga ngomthetho womyalo wenyama kodwa ngamandla okuphila okungabhubhiyo.
17 Ngokuba kufakazwa ngaye ukuthi: “Wena ungumpristi kuze kube phakade ngokokuma kukaMelkisedeki.”
18 Ngokuba umthetho wokuqala uyachithwa ngenxa yobuthakathaka bawo nokungasizi kwawo,
19 lokhu umthetho awuphelelisanga lutho, kepha sekungeniswa ithemba elingcono, esisondela ngalo kuNkulunkulu.
20 Futhi ngalokho ukuthi akubanga ngaphandle kokufunga -- ngokuba labo kambe babekwa babe ngabapristi ngaphandle kokufunga,
21 kepha yena wabekwa ngokufunga nguye owasho kuye ukuthi:“INkosi yafunga, ayiyikuzisola, yathi:‘Wena ungumpristi kuze kube phakade.’ ”
22 Ngokungakho-ke uJesu waba yisiboniso sesivumelwano esingcono.
23 Kulabo-ke baba baningi ababekwa babe ngabapristi, ngokuba bathiyeka ngenxa yokufa ukuba baqhube njalo;
24 kepha yena, ngenxa yokuba ehlala phakade, unobupristi obungenakuguquka;
25 ngakho-ke unamandla okusindisa ngokupheleleyo abeza kuNkulunkulu ngaye, lokhu ephilela njalo ukubamela.
26 Ngokuba umpristi omkhulu onjalo usifanele thina, ongcwele, ongenacala, ongenabala, owahlukanisiwe nezoni, owenziwa aphakame phezu kwamazulu,
27 ongadingi imihla ngemihla njengalabo bapristi abakhulu ukunikela ngemihlatshelo ngenxa yezakhe izono kuqala nangasemuva ngenxa yezabantu; ngokuba wenza lokho kanye mhla ezinikela yena.
28 Ngokuba umthetho umisa abantu babe ngabapristi abakhulu abanobuthakathaka, kepha izwi lesifungo elalandela umthetho limisa iNdodana epheleliswe kuze kube phakade.