To the Hebrews
The Supremacy of God's Son
1 At many times and in many ways, long ago, God, after speaking to our fathers by the prophets 2 in these last days, spoke to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the ages. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His essence, and He upholds all things with the word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of Majesty on high, 4 after becoming so much better than the angels, as He has inherited a name more excellent than theirs.
5 For, to which of the angels did He ever say,
“You are my Son,
And again,
“I will be to Him a Father,
and He will be to Me a Son”c?
6 And again, when He brings the firstborn into the world, He says,
“And worship Him all angels of God.d”
7 And to the angels, indeed, He says,
“He makes His angels winds,
and His ministers a flame of fire.e”
8 But to the Son,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
and the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
for this reason God, your God, anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.f”
10 And,
“You, in the beginning, Lord, laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11 they will perish, but you remain;
and all, like a garment, will wear out,
12 and like a robe, you will roll them up,
like a garmentg, they also will be changed.
But you are the same,
and your years will not end.h”
13 And to which of the angels has He ever said,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”i?
14 Are they not all ministering spirits being sent out to serve for the sake of those about to inherit salvation?
Warning Against Neglecting Salvation
2 For this reason, it is necessary to devote exceeding attention to what we heard that we not drift by it. 2 For if the word, being spoken through the angels is reliable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how will we escape, after neglecting such a great salvation which at first was spoken through the Lord, attested unto us by those hearing, 4 while bearing witness of God with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts distributed by the Holy Spirit, according to His desire?
The Founder of Salvation
5 For not to the angels did God submit the coming world, concerning which we are speaking. 6 But it was testified somewhere,
“What is man that you are mindful of him,
or the son of man that you care for him?
7 You made him, for a little while, lower than the angels;
you crowned him with glory and honor,j
8 all things submitted under his feet.k”
For in submitting everything to him, he left nothing outside his control. But now we do not yet see everything, having been submitted to him. 9 But we see Jesus, after being made lower than the angels for a little while, through the suffering of death, having been crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God, He might taste death for everyone.
10 For it is proper in Him, for whom and through whom all things exist, after bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the founder of their salvation through suffering. 11 For the One sanctifying and those being sanctified are all of one, because of which cause He is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying,
“I will announce your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the church, I will sing your praise.l”
13 And again,
“I will put my trust in Him.m”
And again,
“Behold, I and the children which God gave to me.n”
14 Since therefore, the children have shared in blood and flesh, and He, likewise, shared in the same things that through death He might destroy the one having the power of death, that is the devil, 15 and deliver all those who, in fear of death, throughout all of their life were subject to slavery. 16 For surely it is not the angels He helps, but He helps the offspring of Abraham 17 from which He had, in every respect, to be made like His brothers in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the things of God, to be reconciled for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, after being tempted, He is able to help those being tempted.
Jesus Greater Than Moses
3 Therefore, holy brothers, sharers of a heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our confession, Jesus, 2 who was faithful to Him who made Him as also Moses was in His whole house. 3 For this man has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses — as much more honor has the builder of the house than the house. 4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) 5 And Moses, indeed, was faithful in all His house as a servant to witness of the things that will be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are if we hold fast to our confidence and our boasting in hope.o
A Rest for the People of God
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,
“Today, if you all hear His voice,
8 do not hardenp your hearts as in the provocation,
on the day of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your fathers put me to the test
and saw my works for forty years.
10 Therefore, I was grieved with that generation,
and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart;
and they do not know my ways.’
11 As I swore in my wrath,
‘They will not enter into my rest.q’”
12 Beware, brothers, that there is not in some of you all an evil, unbelieving heart causing you all to depart from the living God. 13 But comfort one another every day, while it is called “today” in order that none of you all may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if we hold our first confidence firm until the end. 15 As it is said,
“Today, if you all hear His voice,
do not hardenr your hearts as in the provocation.s”
16 For who, after hearing, rebelled? But was it not all those coming out of Egypt through Moses? 17 And with whom was He provoked for forty years? Was it not those sinning, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear they would not enter into His rest except to those who were disobedient? 19 And we see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief.
4 We fear, therefore, lest while being left a promise to enter into His rest, it is thought some of you all have fallen short. 2 For we are also receivers of the good news just as they are, but the word they heard did not benefit them, not having been combined with faith in those hearing. 3 For we believers enter into the rest, as He has said,
“As I swore in my wrath,
‘They will not enter into my rest,t’”
although His works from the foundation of the world were finished. 4 For He has spoken somewhere about the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.u” 5 And in this saying again,
“They will not enter into my rest.v”
6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter into it, and those who first were preached the good news did not enter because of disobedience, 7 again He ordains a certain day, today, saying in David after so much time, as it has been foretold,
“Today, if you all hear His voice,
8 And if Joshua gave them rest, he would not speak about another day after this. 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest the people of God. 10 For the one entering into His rest also rested from his works as God did from His own.
11 We should endeavor, therefore, to enter into that rest in order that no one may fall in the same sort of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden before Him, but all are naked and exposed to His eyes to whom we must give account.
Jesus the Great High Priest
14 Therefore, having a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, we should hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one, after having been tempted in every way as we are, yet is without sin. 16 We should draw near, therefore, with boldnessy to the throne of grace in order that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
5 For every high priest, being chosen from men, is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God in order that they may offer gifts and sacrifices for sins, 2 being able to deal gently with those being ignorant and gone astray since he himself is beset with weakness. 3 Because of this, he is obligated, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifice for sins, 4 and no one takes this honor for himself, but while being called by God, exactly as Aaron was.
5 So also, Christ did not glorify Himself to be made a high priest but the one saying to Him,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten youz”;
6 as He also says in another place,
“You are a priest forever,
according to the order of Melchizedek.aa”
7 He, in the days of the flesh, after offering up prayers and supplications to the One being able to save Him from death, with loud cries and tears, was heard because of His godly fear. 8 And yet being a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. 9 And being made perfect, to all who obey Him, He became the cause of eternal salvation, 10 after being called by God a chief priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Warning Against Apostasy
11 Concerning this, we have much to say and it is hard to explain since you all have become dull of hearing. 12 For you all should be teachers by this time; again, you all need someone to teach you all the basic principles of the oraclesab of God. You all have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone drinking milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness since he is a child. 14 But the solid food is for the perfect, for those, who through practice, have their senses trained for discernment of good and evil.
6 Therefore, after leaving the beginning doctrine of Christ, we should go on to perfection, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do, if God allows. 4 For it is impossible for those, once being enlightened and tasting the heavenly gift and being made partakers in the Holy Spirit, 5 and after tasting the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 and after falling away, again to restore them to repentance, crucifying again unto themselves the Son of God, and putting Him to an open shame. 7 For land that drank the rain often falling on it and producing a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated receives a blessing from God. 8 But bearing thorns and thistles, it is useless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.
9 But we have been persuaded concerning you all, beloved, of the better things belonging to salvation, though we speak this way. 10 For God is not unjust to neglect your work and the love which you all showed for His name, after ministering unto the saints, and while still ministering. 11 But we desire each one of you all to show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end 12 in order that you all may notac be sluggish but imitators of those who, through faith and patience, inherit the promise.
The Certainty of God’s Promise
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, “Surely, blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.ad” 15 And so after waiting, he obtained the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes, an oath is final for confirmation. 17 In this, God is abundantly willing to show to the heirs of the promise, the immutability of His will. He confirmedae it with an oath 18 in order that, through two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast and entering into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus entered as a forerunner for us, according to the order of Melchizedek, after becoming a chief priest forever.
The Priestly Order of Melchizedek
7 For this, Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, after meeting Abraham returning from the slaughter of the ``kings and blessing him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything, first, indeed, by interpretation king of righteousness and then king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 He is without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but after having been made like the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.
4 But see how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the spoils! 5 And indeed, those of the sons of Levi, receiving the priestly office, have a commandment to take tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brothers, although they have come out of the loins of Abraham. 6 But this man, not being descended from them, has received tithes from Abraham and has blessed him having the promises. 7 And beyond all dispute, the inferior is blessed by the superior. 8 And indeed, here tithes are received by mortal men, but there, it is witnessed that he lives. 9 And as it says, Levi, while receiving tithes, has paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
Jesus Compared to Melchizedek
11 If indeed then, perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people had received the law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek and not named according to the order of Aaron? 12 For when priesthood is changed, out of necessity, the law is also changed. 13 For the one of whom these things are spoken had belonged to another tribe from which no one had served at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord had arisen out of Judah into which tribe Moses said nothing about priests.
15 And it is yet abundantly more evidentaf if in the likeness of Melchizedek, another priest arises 16 who has become a priest, not according to a legal commandment of fleshly descent, but according to the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is witnessed,
“You are a priest forever,
according to the order of Melchizedek.ag”
18 For indeed, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but a better hope is brought in through which we drawn near to God.
20 And in as much as is it not without an oath. For indeed, those having become priests were without an oath, 21 but this One became a priest with an oath through the One saying to him:
“The Lord swore
and will not change his mind,
‘You are a priest forever.ah’”
22 By so much more Jesus has guaranteed a better covenant.
23 And indeed, there are many being priests because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24 but He, because He remains forever, permanently holds His priesthood. 25 Therefore, He is able to save to the uttermostai those drawing near through Him to God, always living to make intercession for them.
26 For such a high priest is proper for us, holy, innocent, unstained, after having been separated from sinners and made higher than the heavens. 27 He does not have daily necessity, as the chief priests, to offer sacrifice first for His own sins then for those of the people, for this He did once and for all, after offering up Himself. 28 For the law appoints men as chief priests having weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son after having been made perfect forever.
Jesus, High Priest of a Better Covenant
8 Now, the point in what we are saying: we have such a high priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy places and true tent that the Lord set up, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; whereby it is necessary for this priest to have something that He might offer. 4 If indeed then, He were on earth, He would not be a priest, being there are priests offering gifts according to the law. 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was about to erect the tent after being instructed by God, for He says, “See, you all make everything according to the pattern shown to you on the mountain.aj” 6 But now, He has obtained a more excellent ministry as much as He is a mediator of a better covenant which has been enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant was faultless, here would have been no opportunity to look for a second.
8 For, while finding fault, He says to them,
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord,
and I will establish with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah a new covenant,
9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers
on the day after taking them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt,
because they did not remain in my covenant,
and I did not care for them, declares the Lord.
10 Since this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, declares the Lord:
Putting my law into their minds,
and I will write them on their hearts,
and I will be God to them,
and they will be to me a people.
11 And they will not teachak, each one his neighbor
and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
since they all will know me,
from the least to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful toward their unrighteousness,
and their sins I will not rememberal anymore.am
13 In speaking of a new covenant, He had made the first obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is about to vanish away.
The Earthly Holy Place
9 Indeed then, the first also had ordinances for worship and an earthly holiness. 2 For a tent was prepared, the first in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of Presence which is called the Holy Place. 3 But after the second curtain was a tent being called the Holy of Holies, 4 having a golden altar of incense and the arc of the covenant, having been covered on all sides with gold in which was a golden urn holding the manna and the staff of Aaron that budded and the tablets of the covenant. 5 And above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Concerning these things, it is not now to speak in detail.
6 Now, after these things have been prepared, indeed, into the first tent the priests regularly go, accomplishingan their service, 7 but into the second tent, once per year only the chief priest goes, not without blood which he offers for himself and the sins of ignorance of the people. 8 By this, the Holy Spirit is indicating the way of the holy places has not yet been opened while the first tent is still standing 9 (which is symbolicao for the present age). According to this, gifts and sacrifices are offered not able to perfect the conscience of the server, 10 only food and drink and various washings, ordinances of flesh imposed until the time of reformationap.
Redemption Through the Blood of Christ
11 But after, Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things, coming through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), 12 not through blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood He entered once for all into the holy places after finding an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
15 And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant that a death came to redeem them from the transgressions under the first covenant, so those, after having been called, may receive the promised eternal inheritance. 16 For where there is a willaq, death must be brought forth of the one who made it. 17 For a will is secure upon death, since it is not strong when the one who made it is alive. 18 Therefore, not even the first had been inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment of the law was spoken by Moses to all the people, after taking the blood of calves and goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, he sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you all.ar” 21 Both the tent and all the vessels of worship he sprinkled the same way with blood. 22 And almost everything is purified in blood according to the law and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
23 Therefore, indeed, it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter into holy places made with hands which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear to the face of God for us. 25 Nor was it to offer Himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters into the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 since then it would be necessary for Him to suffer repeatedly from the foundation of the world. But now once and for all, He has been manifested once for all at the end of the ages to put away the sin through the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is appointed to men to die once and after that judgment, 28 so also Christ, after being offered once to bear the sins of many, will be seen a second time without sin to those eagerly waiting for Him for salvation.
Christ's Sacrifice Once for All
10 For the law, having a shadow of the coming goodness and not the very image of things, every year, the same sacrifices that are offered continually are never able to make perfect those drawing near. 2 Otherwise, would they not cease being offered because those worshiping would no longer have any consciousness of sins after having once been cleansed? 3 But in these, there is a remembrance of sins every year. 4 For the blood of bulls and goats is not able to take away sins.
5 Therefore, the One coming into the world says,
“Sacrifices and offerings you do not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings,
you did not take pleasure.
7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come,
in the scroll of the book, it has been written about me,
to do your desire, O God.as'”
8 While He is saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings you neither desired nor took pleasure in” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then He had said, “Behold, I have come to do your desire.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. 10 And in that desire, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And indeed, every priest has stood daily ministering and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices which are never able to take away sins. 12 But He, after offering a single sacrifice for all sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 finally waiting until His enemies should be made a footstool for His feet. 14 For in a single offering, He has perfected for all time those being sanctified.
15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after having said,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, says the Lord:
Putting my laws on their hearts,
and on their minds, I will write them,at”
17 and,
“Their sins and their lawless deeds I will not remember anymore.au”
18 But where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.
The Full Assurance of Faith
19 Having therefore, brothers, confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 a new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain, that is His flesh, 21 and having a great priest over the house of God, 22 we should draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, after having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and after having our bodies washed with clean water. 23 We should hold fast to the confessions of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And we should considerav how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not abandoning to gather together as is a habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you all see the Day approaching.
26 For if we deliberately sin, after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment and fury of fire coming to consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone, after setting asideaw the law of Moses, dies without mercy upon two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you all think will be deserved by the one treading underfoot the Son of God and counting the blood of the covenant as common by which he was sanctified and insulting the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.ax” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.ay” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32 But recall the former days in which, after being enlightened, you all endured a hard struggle of suffering, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction and sometimes becoming partakers with those so treated. 34 For you all also were compassionate to those in prison, and the plundering of your property you all received with joy, knowing yourselves to have a better possession remaining. 35 Therefore, do not throw awayaz your confidence which has a great reward. 36 For you all have need of patience in order that after doing the desire of God, you all may receive what is promised. 37 For,
“Yet a little while,
the coming one will come and will not delay;
38 but my righteous one will live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.ba”
39 But we are not of those who shrink back unto destruction but of those who have faith unto preservation of their souls.
By Faith
11 But faith is the essence of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen. 2 For in this, the elders were witnessed. 3 By faith, we understand the ages had been perfected by the word of God, the things being seen had been made not out of what was visible.
4 By faith, Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain to God through which he was witnessed as righteous, God witnessing of his gifts. And through his faith, after dying, he still speaks. 5 By faith, Enoch was transported not to see death, and was not found because God transported him.bb For before he was transported, he had been witnessed as having pleased God. 6 And without faith, it is impossible to please, for it is necessary to those approaching God to believe that He is and those seeking Him He rewards. 7 By faith, Noah, after being warned by God concerning the things not yet seen and reverently afraid, constructed an ark for the salvation of his house. Through this, he condemned the world, and of the righteousness according to faith, he became an heir.
8 By faith, Abraham obeyed, after being called to go out to a place that he was about to receive as an inheritance, and he went out not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith, he lived in the land of promise as a foreigner, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, joint heirs of the same promise. 10 For he was looking for the city having foundations whose builder and maker is God. 11 By faith also, Sarah herself was barren and received power to conceive, even past age, since she considered Him faithful who promised. 12 Therefore, even from one were born descendants, and him as good as dead, as the stars of heaven in multitude and as innumerable as the grains of sand by the seashore.
13 In faith, these all died, not receiving the things promised but seeing them and greeting them from afar and confessing that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For those speaking this way exhibit that they are seeking a homeland. 15 And if indeed, they were remembering that land from which they went out, they would have had a time to return. 16 But now, they desire a better county, that is a heavenly one. Therefore, God Himself is not ashamed to be called their God, for He prepared for them a city.
17 By faith, Abraham had offered Isaac while being tested, and his only son he was offering, the one after gladly receiving the promise, 18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac your offspring will be named.bc” 19 He considered that even from the dead God is able to raise him from which he received him as a parable. 20 By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning coming things. 21 By faith Jacob, while dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshipped over the head of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, while dying, remembered the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave a commandment concerning his bones.
23 By faith, Moses, after being born, was hidden for three months by his parents because they saw the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the commandment of the king. 24 By faith, Moses, after growing up, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 rather choosing to be mistreated with the people of God than to have the temporary pleasures of sin. 26 Greater riches he considered the reproach of Christ than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. 27 By faith, he abandoned Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.
28 By faith, he had kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood in order that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. 29 By faith, they crossed the Red Sea as through dry land which after attempting, the Egyptians drowned. 30 By faith, the walls of Jericho fell, after being encircled for seven days. 31 By faith, Rahab, the prostitute, did not perish with those who were disobedient, after receiving the spies with peace.
32 And what more should I say? For time will fail me while recounting about Gideon, Barack, Samson, Jephthah, David, and Samuel, and the prophets — 33 who, through faith, conquered kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received their dead from resurrection, but some were tortured after not accepting the release in order that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 But others had trials of mocking and suffering and chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned. They were sawn in two. They were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated — 38 of whom the world was not worthy — wandering in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth.
39 And these all, after being witnessed through their faith, did not receive the promise. 40 God providedbd something better for us in order that without us, they should not be made perfectbe.
Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith
12 Therefore, being surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, after laying aside every weight and opposing sin, we should run with patience the race being set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the authorbf and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy being set before Him, endured the cross, after despising shame and has been seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Do Not Grow Weary
3 For consider Him, who after having endured from sinners such contradictionbg against Himself in order that you all may not grow wearybh, being faint in your souls, 4 you all did not resist until bloodshed while struggling against sin. 5 And have you all forgotten the exhortation that addresses you all as sons?
“My son, do not lightly regardbi the discipline of the Lord,
nor be faintbj while being reproved by Him.
6 For whom the Lord loves, He disciplines,
and chastises every son whom He receives.bk”
7 Unto discipline, you all endure. God treats you all as sons. For what son does God not discipline? 8 But if you all are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you all are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, indeed, we had fathers of flesh who disciplined us, and we respected them. Will we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For indeed, they disciplined us for a short time, according to their thoughts, but He disciplines us for our good to partake of His holiness. 11 But all discipline, indeed for the moment, does not seem to be joyful but sorrowful, but later it yields peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore, lift up your drooping hands and weak knees 13 and make straight paths of your feet in order that what is lame may not be put out of jointbl, but rather be healed. 14 Pursue peace with everyone and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord, 15 looking diligently no one falls short of the grace of God; no “root of bitterness” springs up causing trouble, and through it, many become defiled; 16 no one is a fornicator or unholy like Esau, who for single meal, sold his birthright. 17 For you all know that even afterward, desiring to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance although he soughtbm it with tears.
A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken
18 For you all have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words those hearing begged no messages be spoken to them. 20 For they were not bearing the commandment being given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned.bn” 21 And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I exceedingly fear and tremble.bo” 22 But you all have come to Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to a myriad of angels in festal assemblybp, 23 and to the church of the firstborn, after having been enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous being made perfect, 24 and to the new covenant mediator, Jesus, and to the sprinkled blood, speaking better than the blood of Abel.
25 See that you all do not refusebq the one speaking. For if they did not escape, after refusing the one warning them on earth, how much more will we escape, the ones turning away from the one from heaven? 26 His voice shook the earth at that time, but now, He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake, not only the earth, but also the heavens.” 27 But the phrase, “Yet once more,” signifies the removal of the things being shaken — as in, the things having been made — in order that the things not being shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, we should have grace for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, through which we should serve God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.
Sacrifices Pleasing to God
13 Let brotherly love remain. 2 Do not neglectbr the love of strangers, for through this, some entertainedbs angels unaware. 3 Remember those who are in prison, like you all have been in prison with them, and those being mistreated, being yourselves also in body. 4 Let marriage be honorable in all and the marriage bed undefiled, for the fornicator and adulterer God will judge. 5 Let your way of life be free from the love of money, being content with what you have. For He has said, “I will never leavebt you nor will I ever forsakebu you.bv” 6 So that we confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper;
and I will not fear;
what will man do to me?bw”
7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you all the word of God, considering the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Do not be led awaybx by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be securedby by grace, not by foods which were not useful to those walking in them.bz 10 We have an altar from which those serving the tent have no authority to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood for sins is brought into the holy places through the high priest, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore, Jesus also, in order to sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 Accordingly, we should go to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For we do not have here a lasting city, but we seek the coming city. 15 Through Him then, we should offer up a sacrifice of praise continually to God, that is, the fruit of lips confessing His name. 16 But do not neglectca doing good and sharing, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
17 Obey your leaders and submit, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will give an account in order that they do this with joy and not groanings, for that is not advantageous to you all.
18 Pray for us, for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring to behave well in all things. 19 But I abundantly urge you all to do this in order that I may be restored to you all sooner.
Benediction
20 But the God of peace, after bringing up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep in the blood of the eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 perfect you all in every good work to do His desire, working in us that which is pleasing before Him through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings
22 But I appeal to you all, brothers. Bear with the word of exhortation, for I wrote to you all in few words. 23 Know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I will see you all if he comes quickly. 24 Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you all. 25 Grace be with you all.