Greatness of the New Priest

20 And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath 21 (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him:

n“The Lord has sworn

And will not relent,

‘You are a priest 6forever

According to the order of Melchizedek’ ”),

22 by so much more Jesus has become a 7surety of a obetter covenant.

23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also pable to save 8to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives qto make intercession for them.

26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, rwho is holy, 9harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, sand has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His town sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.

The New Priestly Service

8 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, awho is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a Minister of bthe 1sanctuary and of cthe true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

3 For devery high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore eit is necessary that this One also have something to offer. 4 For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; 5 who serve fthe copy and gshadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, h“See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” 6 But now iHe has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a jbetter covenant, which was established on better promises.

A New Covenant

7 For if that kfirst covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: l“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the mLord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and nI will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 oNone of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the pLord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, qand their sins 2and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

13 rIn that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.