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