Hebrews 7:1-10

1Now this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, met Abraham as he was returning from defeating the kings and blessed him.

2To him also Abraham apportioned a tithe of everything. His name first means king of righteousness, then king of Salem, that is, king of peace.

3Without father, without mother, without genealogy, he has neither beginning of days nor end of life but is like the son of God, and he remains a priest for all time.

4But see how great he must be, if Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe of his plunder.

5And those of the sons of Levi who receive the priestly office have authorization according to the law to collect a tithe from the people, that is, from their fellow countrymen, although they too are descendants of Abraham.

6But Melchizedek who does not share their ancestry collected a tithe from Abraham and blessed the one who possessed the promise.

7Now without dispute the inferior is blessed by the superior,

8and in one case tithes are received by mortal men, while in the other by him who is affirmed to be alive.

9And it could be said that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid a tithe through Abraham.

10For he was still in his ancestor Abraham’s loins when Melchizedek met him.