6. But Melchizedek, who was not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God.
7. And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed.
8. The priests who collect tithes are men who die, so Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on.
9. In addition, we might even say that these Levites—the ones who collect the tithe—paid a tithe to Melchizedek when their ancestor Abraham paid a tithe to him.
10. For although Levi wasn’t born yet, the seed from which he came was in Abraham’s body when Melchizedek collected the tithe from him.