Hebrews 5:1-10

1Every leader of God's priests comes from among the people. That special priest's work is to serve God on behalf of God's people. He offers gifts and sacrifices to God, so that God will forgive the people's sins.

2That priest himself may often do wrong things, because he is weak and human. As a result, he understands other people who make mistakes. He can be kind to people who do wrong things.

3But, because he himself does wrong things, he must offer sacrifices to God on behalf of himself, as well as on behalf of the people.

4Nobody decides for himself to become a leader of the priests. God himself must choose him. That is how Aaron became a priest.

5It is the same with Christ. He did not choose himself to be God's special priest. He did not choose to make himself important like that. God chose him. God showed that Christ was very important. God said to him: ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.’

6And in another place in the Bible God says this: ‘You will be a priest for ever, in the same way that Melchizedek was a priest long ago.’

7When Jesus Christ lived on earth as a man, he often prayed to God. He asked God to help him. He prayed strongly and he cried loudly with many tears. He knew that God could save him from death. And God listened to Jesus when he prayed, because Jesus served God.

8Jesus is God's Son. But he still had trouble and pain. In that way, he learned to obey God completely.

9As a result, Jesus became the person who can save everyone who obeys him. Because of Jesus, God forgives their sins for ever.

10God has chosen Jesus to be his special priest in the same way that Melchizedek was.