Bible Gateway passage: Exodus 13:17-14:9, Hebrews 7:1-22 - New King James Version (2024)

The Wilderness Way^(A)

¹⁷Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people ^(B)change their minds when they see war, and ^(C)return to Egypt.” ¹⁸So God ^(D)led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁹And Moses took the ^(E)bones of ^(F)Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, ^(G)“God will surely ^[a]visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.”

²⁰So ^(H)they took their journey from ^(I)Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness. ²¹And ^(J)the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. ²²He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.

The Red Sea Crossing

14Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ²“Speak to the children of Israel, ^(K)that they turn and camp before ^(L)Pi Hahiroth, between ^(M)Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. ³For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ^(N)‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ ⁴Then ^(O)I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I ^(P)will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, ^(Q)that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

⁵Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and ^(R)the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” ⁶So he ^[b]made ready his chariot and took his people with him. ⁷Also, he took ^(S)six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. ⁸And the Lord ^(T)hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and ^(U)the children of Israel went out with boldness. ⁹So the ^(V)Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsem*n and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.

The King of Righteousness^(A)

7For this ^(B)Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, ²to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,” ³without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.

⁴Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the ^[a]spoils. ⁵And indeed ^(C)those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; ⁶but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham ^(D)and blessed ^(E)him who had the promises. ⁷Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. ⁸Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, ^(F)of whom it is witnessed that he lives. ⁹Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, ¹⁰for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

Need for a New Priesthood^(G)

^11(H)Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? ¹²For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. ¹³For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has ^[b]officiated at the altar.

¹⁴For it is evident that ^(I)our Lord arose from ^(J)Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning ^[c]priesthood. ¹⁵And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest ¹⁶who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. ¹⁷For ^[d]He testifies:

^(K)“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.”

¹⁸For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of ^(L)its weakness and unprofitableness, ¹⁹for ^(M)the law made nothing ^[e]perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of ^(N)a better hope, through which ^(O)we draw near to God.

Greatness of the New Priest

²⁰And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath ²¹(for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him:

^(P)“The Lord has sworn
And will not relent,
‘You are a priest ^[f]forever
According to the order of Melchizedek’ ”),

²²by so much more Jesus has become a ^[g]surety of a ^(Q)better covenant.

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