UKhristu Ongumphristi Omkhulu NgokukaMelkhizedeki
1UMelkhizedeki lo, yinkosi yaseSalema, umphristi kaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, owahlangabeza u-Abhrahama mhla ebuya ekubulaleni amakhosi, wambusisa; 2u-Abhrahama wamabela okweshumi kukho konke, yena ogama lakhe okokuqala uma lihunyushwa lisho ukuthi inkosi yokulunga, bese kuba yinkosi yaseSalema, okuchaza ukuthi inkosi yokuthula. 3Kanayise, kananina, kanaluzalo, kanasiqalo sezinsuku nakuphela kokuphila, kodwa enziwe wafana neNdodana kaNkulunkulu, uyohlala engumphristi kuze kube phakade.
4Bonani-ke ukuthi mkhulu kangakanani lo owanikwa okweshumi kwempango ngu-Abhrahama ukhokho. 5Nalabo bamadodana kaLevi abamukeliswa ubuphristi, bayaliwe ukuba bathathe okweshumi kubantu ngokomthetho, okusho ukuthi kubafowabo, nakuba nabo bengabokhalo luka-Abhrahama. 6Kepha yena ongaveli olibeni lwabo, wemukela okweshumi ku-Abhrahama, wambusisa lowo onezithembiso. 7Kepha akunakuphikwa ukuthi omncinyane ubusiswa ngomkhulu. 8Lapha-ke abantu abafayo bemukeliswa okweshumi, kodwa lapho ngofakazelwa ukuthi uyaphila. 9Kungashiwo ukuthi uLevi uqobo wemukela okweshumi, wakhokha okweshumi ngaye u-Abhrahama, 10ngokuba wayesesokhalo lukayise mzukwana uMelkhizedeki emhlangabeza.
11Uma-ke ukuphelela kutholakala ngobuphristi bukaLevi ngokuba isizwe samiselwa bona ngomthetho, pho kusadingeke ngani ukuba kuvele omunye umphristi ngokokuma kukaMelkhizedeki, kungabi ngokohlelo luka-Aroni na? 12Ngokuba lapho kunoguquko ebuphristini, kuba nesidingo sokuba kuguqulwe nomthetho. 13Ngoba lowo okushiwo ngaye lokho, ungowesinye isizwe okungakaze kube khona muntu kuso owake wakhonza e-althare. 14Kusobala ukuthi iNkosi yethu ivele kuJuda, isizwe uMose angakhulumanga lutho ngaso mayelana nobuphristi. 15Kusobala kakhulu lokho, uma kumiswa omunye umphristi ofana noMelkhizedeki, 16ongamiswanga ngokomthetho womyalo wabantu, kodwa ngamandla okuphila okungabhubhiyo. 17Ngokuba kufakazwa ngaye ukuthi: “Wena ungumphristi kuze kube phakade, ngokokuma kukaMelkhizedeki.”
18Kukhona ngakolunye uhlangothi ukwesulwa komthetho wokuqala ngenxa yokuba ubuthakathaka, futhi ungasizi ngalutho, 19lokhu akukho okupheleliswe ngomthetho, yingakho-ke sesinikwe ithemba elingcono, okungalo sisondela kuNkulunkulu.
20Lokho akubanga ngenxa yokufunga, ngokuba laba babekwa baba ngabaphristi ngaphandle kokufunga, 21kepha yena wabekwa ngokufunga nguye owakhuluma kuye, ethi:
“INkosi yafunga, ayiyukuzisola, yathi: ‘Wena
ungumphristi kuze kube phakade.’ ”
22Kungenxa yalokho-ke uJesu waba yisiqinisekiso sesivumelwano esingcono.
23Kepha abaphristi bokuqala babebaningi, ngokuba bathiywa ngukufa ukuba baqhubeke njalo, 24kodwa uJesu Yena, ngenxa yokuthi uphila ingunaphakade, unobuphristi obungenakuguquka. 25Ngakho-ke unamandla okusindisa ngokupheleleyo laba abeza kuNkulunkulu ngaye, lokhu ephila ukuba abamele njalo.
26Ngokuba umphristi omkhulu onjengaye usifanele thina; ongcwele, ongenacala, ongenasici, owehlukanisiwe kwabayizoni, owenziwe waphakama phezu kwamazulu. 27Akadingi, njengabanye abaphristi abakhulu, ukuba imihla ngemihla anikele ngemihlatshelo ngenxa yezono zakhe kuqala, bese kuba ngenxa yezabantu, ngokuba wakwenza lokho kwaba kanye mhla ezinikela Yena. 28Ngokuba umthetho ubeka abantu abanobuthakathaka ngokwemvelo ukuba babe ngabaphristi abakhulu, kodwa izwi lesifungo elalandela umthetho libeka iNdodana ephelelisiwe, kuze kube phakade.
