BRETHREN, it is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. Here tithes are received by mortal men; there, by one whom it is testified that he lives. One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him. Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not according to a legal requirement concerning bodily descent but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him, "Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek."

يَُّا إِخْوَة، بِدُونِ كُلِّ مُشَاجَرَةٍ: الأَكْبَرُ يُبَارِكُ الأَصْغَرَ. وَهُنَا أُنَاسٌ مَائِتُونَ يَأْخُذُونَ عُشْراً، وَأَمَّا هُنَاكَ فَالْمَشْهُودُ لَهُ بِأَنَّهُ حَيٌّ. حَتَّى أَقُولُ كَلِمَةً: إِنَّ لاَوِي أَيْضاً الآخِذَ الأَعْشَارَ قَدْ عُشِّرَ بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ .  لأَنَّهُ كَانَ بَعْدُ فِي صُلْبِ أَبِيهِ حِينَ اسْتَقْبَلَهُ مَلْكِي صَادِقَ.فَلَوْ كَانَ بِالْكَهَنُوتِ اللاَّوِيِّ كَمَالٌ - إِذِ الشَّعْبُ أَخَذَ النَّامُوسَ عَلَيْهِ - مَاذَا كَانَتِ الْحَاجَةُ بَعْدُ إِلَى أَنْ يَقُومَ كَاهِنٌ آخَرُ عَلَى رُتْبَةِ مَلْكِي صَادِقَ، وَلاَ يُقَالُ عَلَى رُتْبَةِ هَارُونَ ،لأَنَّهُ إِنْ تَغَيَّرَ الْكَهَنُوتُ فَبِالضَّرُورَةِ يَصِيرُ تَغَيُّرٌ لِلنَّامُوسِ أَيْضاً. لأَنَّ الَّذِي يُقَالُ عَنْهُ هَذَا كَانَ شَرِيكاً فِي سِبْطٍ آخَرَ لَمْ يُلاَزِمْ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُ الْمَذْبَحَ. فَإِنَّهُ وَاضِحٌ أَنَّ رَبَّنَا قَدْ طَلَعَ مِنْ سِبْطِ يَهُوذَا، الَّذِي لَمْ يَتَكَلَّمْ عَنْهُ مُوسَى شَيْئاً مِنْ جِهَةِ الْكَهَنُوتِ. وَذَلِكَ أَكْثَرُ وُضُوحاً أَيْضاً إِنْ كَانَ عَلَى شِبْهِ مَلْكِي صَادِقَ يَقُومُ كَاهِنٌ آخَرُ، قَدْ صَارَ لَيْسَ بِحَسَبِ نَامُوسِ وَصِيَّةٍ جَسَدِيَّةٍ، بَلْ بِحَسَبِ قُوَّةِ حَيَاةٍ لاَ تَزُولُ.لأَنَّهُ يَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ ((كَاهِنٌ إِلَى الأَبَدِ عَلَى رُتْبَةِ مَلْكِي صَادِقَ)).

At that time, the parents brought the child Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons." Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Symeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

"Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel."

And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; and Symeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

²² في ذلك الزمان ، حَسَبَ شَرِيعَةِ مُوسَى ، صَعِدُوا أهله بِهِ إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ لِيُقَدِّمُوهُ لِلرَّبِّ ،²³كَمَا هُوَ مَكْتُوبٌ فِي نَامُوسِ الرَّبِّ: أَنَّ كُلَّ ذَكَرٍ فَاتِحَ رَحِمٍ يُدْعَى قُدُّوساً لِلرَّبِّ. ²⁴وَلِكَيْ يُقَدِّمُوا ذَبِيحَةً كَمَا قِيلَ فِي نَامُوسِ الرَّبِّ : زَوْجَ يَمَامٍ أَوْ فَرْخَيْ حَمَامٍ.²⁵وَكَانَ رَجُلٌ فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ اسْمُهُ سِمْعَانُ ، وَهَذَا الرَّجُلْ كَانَ بَارّاً تَقِيّاً يَنْتَظِرُ تَعْزِيَةَ إِسْرَائِيلَ ، وَالرُّوحُ الْقُدُسُ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ. ²⁶وَكَانَ قَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْهِ بِالرُّوحِ الْقُدُسِ أَنَّهُ لاَ يَرَى الْمَوْتَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرَى مَسِيحَ الرَّبِّ. ²⁷فَأَتَى بِالرُّوحِ إِلَى الْهَيْكَلِ. وَعِنْدَمَا دَخَلَ بِالصَّبِيِّ يَسُوعَ أَبَوَاهُ ، لِيَصْنَعَا لَهُ حَسَبَ عَادَةِ النَّامُوسِ ، ²⁸أَخَذَهُ عَلَى ذِرَاعَيْهِ وَبَارَكَ اللهَ وَقَالَ: ²⁹((الآنَ تُطْلِقُ عَبْدَكَ يَا سَيِّدُ حَسَبَ قَوْلِكَ بِسَلاَمٍ، ³⁰لأَنَّ عَيْنَيَّ قَدْ أَبْصَرَتَا خَلاَصَكَ ، ³¹الَّذِي أَعْدَدْتَهُ قُدَّامَ وَجْهِ جَمِيعِ الشُّعُوبِ. ³²نُورَ إِعْلاَنٍ لِلأُمَمِ، وَمَجْداً لِشَعْبِكَ إِسْرَائِيلَ)). ³³وَكَانَ يُوسُفُ وَأُمُّهُ يَتَعَجَّبَانِ مِمَّا قِيلَ فِيهِ. ³⁴وَبَارَكَهُمَا سِمْعَانُ ، وَقَالَ لِمَرْيَمَ أُمِّهِ: ((هَا إِنَّ هَذَا قَدْ وُضِعَ لِسُقُوطِ وَقِيَامِ كَثِيرِينَ فِي إِسْرَائِيلَ ، وَلِعَلاَمَةٍ تُقَاوَمُ. ³⁵وَأَنْتِ أَيْضاً يَجُوزُ فِي نَفْسِكِ سَيْفٌ ، لِتُعْلَنَ أَفْكَارٌ مِنْ قُلُوبٍ كَثِيرَةٍ)).³⁶وَكَانَتْ نَبِيَّةٌ ، حَنَّةُ بِنْتُ فَنُوئِيلَ مِنْ سِبْطِ أَشِيرَ ، وَهِيَ مُتَقّدِّمَةٌ فِي أَيَّامٍ كَثِيرَةٍ ، قَدْ عَاشَتْ مَعَ زَوْجٍ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ بَعْدَ بُكُورِيَّتِهَا. ³⁷وَهِيَ أَرْمَلَةٌ نَحْوَ أَرْبَعٍ وَثَمَانِينَ سَنَةً ، لاَ تُفَارِقُ الْهَيْكَلَ ، عَابِدَةً بِأَصْوَامٍ وَطِلْبَاتٍ لَيْلاً وَنَهَاراً. ³⁸فَهِيَ فِي تِلْكَ السَّاعَةِ وَقَفَتْ تُسَبِّحُ الرَّبَّ ، وَتَكَلَّمَتْ عَنْهُ مَعَ جَمِيعِ الْمُنْتَظِرِينَ فِدَاءً فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ. ³⁹وَلَمَّا أَكْمَلُوا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَسَبَ نَامُوسِ الرَّبِّ ، رَجَعُوا إِلَى الْجَلِيلِ إِلَى مَدِينَتِهِمُ النَّاصِرَةِ. ⁴⁰وَكَانَ الصَّبِيُّ يَنْمُو وَيَتَقَوَّى بِالرُّوحِ ، مُمْتَلِئاً حِكْمَةً ، وَكَانَتْ نِعْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ.