1 God, who in times past spoke by the prophets to the fathers a little at a time and in a variety of ways,
2 has in these last days spoken to us by [His] Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things and by whom he made the worlds.
3 [The Son], being the brilliant shining of [His] glory and the exact likeness of His substance and maintaining all things by his powerful word, after--by himself--making purification of our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty of high,
4 being so much better than the angels as he has inherited a more excellent name that they.
5 For to which of the angels did he ever say, "You are my son, this day I have begotten you?" And again, "I will be a Father to him, and he will be a Son to me?"
6 And again, when he brings in the first begotten into the world, he says, "Let all the angels of God worship him."
7 But about the angels he says, "Who makes his angels spirits and his attendants a flame of fire."
8 But to the Son [he says], "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of righteousness.
9 "You have loved righteousness and hated breaking the law, therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness far above your peers."
10 And "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11 they will perish, but you remain. All of them will become worn out like clothes,
12 like outer clothing you will fold them up, and they will be changed, but you are the same, and your years do not end."
13 To which of the angels did He ever say, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool?"
14 Are not all ministering spirits sent out to help those who will be heirs of salvation?
1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to the things that we have heard, lest we might drift away.
2 For if the word spoken by angels was proven true and every violation and disobedience received a just repayment,
3 how will we escape if we treat so great a salvation as unimportant, which first began to be proclaimed by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him.
4 God also bore witness, both with signs and wonders, and with different types of power and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will.
5 For he has not made the world to come--of which we speak--subject to angels.
6 But someone somewhere gave his witness saying, "What is man, that you would remember him, or the son of man that you would come and help him.
7 "You made him a little lower than the angels; you adorn him with glory and honor; you set him over the works of your hands.
8 "You put everything under his feet." For to put all under his authority, [means] he left out nothing that is unable to be under his authority, but now we do not see everything under his authority.
9 But we do see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, so that he by the grace of God might taste death for all, [now] crowned with glory and honor.
10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was right for him--for whom are all things and by whom are all things--to perfect the leader of their salvation through sufferings.
11 For both the one who purifies and those being purified are all from one, for this reason he is not ashamed to call them brothers.
12 He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing praise to you."
13 And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again, "Look, I and the children which God has given me."
14 So then as the children have flesh and blood in common, so he also likewise took of the same, so that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil
15 and deliver those who through fear of death were all their lifetime held in bondage.
16 Truly, he didn't come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham.
17 Therefore it was necessary in all things to become like his brethren, so that he could be a merciful and faithful high priest before God, to make atonement for the sins of the people,
18 because he has himself suffered from being tempted, he is able to help these who are now tempted.
1 As a result, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our common confession, Christ Jesus.
2 He was faithful to him who appointed him, just like Moses [was faithful] in all of God's house.
3 For this one is entitled to greater honor than Moses, in the same way as one who builds the house has greater honor than the house.
4 For every house is built by someone, but he who built everything is God.
5 And truly Moses was faithful in all of God's house, as a servant, for a testimony for those things spoken about later
6 But Christ as a son over his own house--we are his house, if we tightly hold on to our boldness and rejoicing of hope firmly to the end.
7 Therefore even as the Holy Spirit says, "Today--if you will listen to his voice--
8 "Do not harden your hearts, as in «The Provocation,» the day of testing in the wilderness,
9 when your fathers tempted me, questioned my credibility, and saw my works for forty years.
10 "Therefore I was totally disgusted with that generation and said, «Their hearts always go astray, and they have not really known my ways.»
11 "So I swore in my wrath, «They will never enter my rest.»
12 Be careful, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.
13 Urge one another every day while it is still "Today", lest any of you become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we have been made partakers of Christ, if we hold on to the beginning of our confidence firmly to the end.
15 That's why it is said, "Today--if you will listen to his voice--do not harden your hearts as in «The Provocation»
16 For some, after they had heard, did provoke to anger. Nevertheless not everyone who came out of Egypt with Moses.
17 But with whom was he exasperated with for forty years? Wasn't it with those who had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom was it that he swore that they wouldn't enter into his rest? Wasn't it with those who didn't believe?
19 So we see that they couldn't enter in because of unbelief.
1 Therefore, let us be very careful, lest, since the promise of entering into his rest still remains, any of you perhaps will fall short of it.
2 For the good news was spoken to us as well as to them, but the message heard [by them] did not benefit them, [because it was] not united with faith in those who heard it,
3 yet we who have believed enter rest, just like he said, "As I have sworn in my wrath, those people will never enter into my rest," even though the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4 For he spoke in a certain place about the seventh day this way, "And God rested the seventh day from all his works."
5 And again here, "If they will enter into my rest..."
6 So then it follows for some to enter into it, and those to whom it was first spoken do not enter because of obstinate unbelief.
7 Moreover he designates a certain day, today--saying through David after such a long time--to quote it exactly, "Today--if you will listen to his voice--do not harden your hearts."
8 If Joshua had given them rest, then [God] afterward wouldn't have spoken about another day.
9 Therefore there remains a rest for the people of God.
10 For one who enters his rest also ceases from his own works, just as God did from his.
11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter into that rest, in order that anyone would not fall in the same kind of unbelief.
12 For the Word of God is living, powerful, and sharper that any two-edged sword, piercing even to separate the soul and spirit, and joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 Nor is there any creature that is not totally transparent in his sight, but all things are uncovered and opened to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account [of ourselves].
14 Therefore since we have a great high priest who is gone into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold on tightly to what we believe,
15 for we don't have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses but was in every way tempted like us, yet without any sin.
16 Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace so that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.
1 All high priests taken from among men are appointed for men in things [pertaining] to God, so that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.
2 [A high priest] who can have compassion on the ignorant and those who have wandered away, for he himself is also encompassed with weakness.
3 For this reason he has to bring an offering for sin for himself just as he does for the people.
4 And no man takes this honor for himself, instead [it is for] him who is called by God, like Aaron.
5 So also Christ didn't glorify himself to be made high priest, instead [it was] he who said to him, "You are my Son; today, I have begotten you."
6 As he also says in another place, "You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek."
7 [Christ] in the days of his flesh, when he had offered requests and urgent appeals for help with intense cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared.
8 Even though he was a son, yet he learned obedience through the things which he suffered.
9 And having completed all this, he became the author of eternal salvation to those who obey him.
10 He is called by God a high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
11 About whom we have many things to say and difficult to explain, since you are reluctant to listen.
12 And also at the time you should be teachers, you have need that one reteach you the basics of the word of God and have become as those who need milk and not solid food.
13 For every one who uses milk is inexperienced with the word of righteousness, because he is a baby.
14 But solid food belongs to those who are mature having their spiritual senses exercised through use to discern both good and evil.
1 So then leaving the discussion about the basic principles about Christ, let us go on to maturity, not laying the foundation again of repentance from dead works and of faith in God,
2 of the doctrine about baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment.
3 We will do that if God permits it.
4 For those who were once enlightened, experienced the heavenly gift, were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
5 experienced the good word of God and the powers of the coming age,
6 and have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them to repentance again, since they put the Son of God up on the cross again for themselves and expose him to public disgrace.
7 For the earth, which soaks in the rain that frequently falls on it and produces herbs useful for those who work the soil, receives blessing from God.
8 But that which produces thorns and briars is rejected and about to be doomed, whose final state is to be burned.
9 And beloved we are convinced of better things of you and things that go along with salvation, even though we speak this way.
10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which you have shown in his name in that, you have served and do serve the saints.
11 We desire that each one of you would show the same diligence to [obtain] the unshakeable assurance of hope all the way to the end,
12 so that you will not be apathetic but followers of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he couldn't solemnly swear by anyone greater, he swore by himself,
14 saying, "Most assuredly blessing, I will bless you and multiplying, multiply you."
15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
16 Truly men swear by the greater, and an oath of confirmation is to them the end of all argument.
17 In which God wanting even more abundantly to show to the heirs of promise the unchangeableness of his counsel confirmed it with an oath,
18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we, who have fled for refuge, could have strong encouragement to hang on to the hope set before us.
19 That [hope] we have is a sure and steadfast anchor for the soul and enters into the other side of the veil,
20 where our forerunner, Jesus, entered, having become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.
1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem [and] priest of the most high God, met Abraham returning from slaughtering the kings, and blessed him.
2 Abraham also gave him a tenth of everything. [Melchizedek] by interpretation [means], first of all, King of righteousness and then also King of Salem, that is King of peace.
3 [He is] without father, mother, or a genealogy, having neither [recorded] beginning of days, nor end of life, in this sense like the Son of God, he continually remains a priest.
4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave ten percent of the spoils of war.
5 And truly those who are from the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a command to take a tenth from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren even though they come out of the loins of Abraham.
6 But he whose lineage is not from them received a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.
7 Without any contradiction the lesser is blessed by the greater.
8 Here men who die receive a tenth, but there he of whom it is witnessed that he lives [receives them].
9 And if I may say so, Levi also, who receives the tenth, paid ten percent through Abraham,
10 for he was still in the loins of his forefather when Melchizedek met him.
11 Therefore if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the Law) what further need [was there] that another priest should arise in the order of Melchizedek and not be mentioned in the order of Aaron?
12 Because the priesthood was being transferred, there needed to be a change in the law also.
13 For the one of whom these things are spoken about belongs to another tribe about which no one attended at the altar.
14 For [it is] obvious that our Lord arose from Judah, [and] about this tribe Moses said nothing pertaining to the priesthood.
15 Yet something is still more obvious: another priest arose, similar to Melchizedek,
16 who was made [a priest] not according to the law about meeting human requirements but according to the power of an endless life.
17 For he testifies, "You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek."
18 So there truly is a canceling of the former commandment, because of its weakness and ineffectiveness.
19 For the law made nothing perfect, but bringing in a better hope [did], by which we draw near to God.
20 And none of this happened without an oath,
21 for those were made priests without an oath, but this one with an oath by him who said to him, «The Lord swore and will not repent, «You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.»
22 By so much more was Jesus made a guarantee of a better covenant.
23 Truly there were many priests, because they were prevented from continuing by death,
24 but this one, because he endures forever, has an untransferable priesthood.
25 Therefore he is also able to save them, who come to God through him, to the uttermost, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
26 For such a high priest is right for us; [he is] holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens,
27 who doesn't need daily, like those high priests, to offer up a sacrifice first for his own sins, then for the people's. He did this [sacrifice for the people] once when he offered up himself.
28 The Law appoints men high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, [appoints] forever the Son, who is completely perfect.
1 Now this is the summary of what we have talked about: We have such a High Priest who sits at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.
2 [He serves as] the minister of the most holy place and the true tent, which the Lord set up, not man.
3 Every high priest is appointed to bring both gifts and sacrifices, and so [it is] necessary that this man have something to bring also.
4 If he were on earth, then he would not be a priest, since there are priests, who bring gifts according the law,
5 who serve as an example and shadow of heavenly things just as Moses was warned by God when he was ready to make The Tent, for he says, "See [that] you make everything according to the pattern shown to you in the mountain."
6 But now he [Jesus] has gotten a more excellent ministry and is far superior, as he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
7 For if that first [covenant] had been faultless, then there would be no need to seek the second.
8 But finding fault with them, he says, "Look, the days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,
9 not like the covenant that I made with their ancestors on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. Since they did not continue in my covenant, I had no interest in them," says the Lord.
10 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel in those days," says the Lord. "I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their heart. I will their God, and they will be my people.
11 "Never again will each teach his neighbor saying, «Know the Lord,» for they all will know me from the least to the greatest.
12 "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and I will no longer remember their sins and wickedness."
13 By saying, "New," he has made the first [covenant] old. Now that which is worn out and grows old [is] soon to disappear.
1 Now truly, the first [covenant] also had regulations for worship and an earthly holy place.
2 For there was a tent set up. The outer one [had] in it the candlestick, the table, and the showbread. This is the Holy Place.
3 Behind the second curtain of the tent is [the place] called the Holy of Holies,
4 which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant, which was totally covered with gold [containing] the golden jar that held manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.
5 Over it [were] the cherubim of glory whose shadow covered the mercy seat concerning, which we cannot now speak in detail.
6 Now after these things were prepared, the priest always went into the outer tent doing the service [of God].
7 But only the high priest [goes] into inner tent and then only once a year, and never without blood which he brought for himself and for the errors of the people.
8 The Holy Spirit making it evident that the way into the Holy of Holies was not yet open, while the first tent was still standing.
9 This was a symbol for the present time, in which both gifts and sacrifices that are offered cannot make the conscience of the worshiper perfect,
10 since [they dealt with] only foods, drinks, various washings, and regulations [for the] body imposed [on them] until the time things would be straightened out.
11 But now Christ has come as High Priest of the good things to come by going through a greater and more perfect tent, not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.
12 He entered into the Holy of Holies only one time, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, to obtain eternal redemption.
13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on the ceremonially unclean [people], for [the purpose of] purifying the flesh, makes [them] ceremonially clean,
14 then how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
15 For this reason, he is the mediator of the new covenant, so that by death for the redemption of violations of the first covenant, those who are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
16 For where there is a will, there must also be the death of the testator.
17 For a will [is] in force after death, seeing that it is not binding while the testator lives.
18 That is why even the first [covenant] was not initiated without blood.
19 For after Moses had spoken every rule to all the people as the law commanded, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop and sprinkled both the book and all the people.
20 He said, "This [is] the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you".
21 Likewise he sprinkled blood both on the tent and all the utensils of the religious service.
22 In fact, nearly everything by law is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood, [there] is no forgiveness.
23 Therefore, it was necessary that the copies of the heavenly things should be purified with these but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ did not enter into the Holy of Holies of human construction, [which is] a copy of the original, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us,
25 not however that he should offer himself frequently, like the high priest enters into the Holy of Holies every year with blood not his own,
26 for then he would have had to suffer many times from the foundation of the world. But now at the end of the world, he has appeared one time to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
27 And as it is appointed for people to die one time, and after that The Judgment,
28 so Christ was offered one time to bear the sins of many, and for those who look for him, he will appear the second time not for sin but for salvation.
1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, not the thing itself, can never with those sacrifices, which they continually offer year after year, make those who come perfect.
2 For wouldn't they have stopped being offered? Because worshipers, once purified, should have no more conscientiousness of sins.
3 But in those [sacrifices there is] a recollection of sins every year,
4 because [it is] impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 For this reason when he came into the world, he said, "Sacrifice and offering is not what you want, but you have prepared a body for me.
6 You were not pleased with burnt offerings or sin-offerings."
7 Then I said, "Look, I am here (in the roll of the book it is written about me) to do your will, O God".
8 When he said above, "Sacrifice, offering, burnt offerings, and sin-offerings you didn't want, nor pleased [with them]" (those offered by the law).
9 He then said, "See, I have come to do your will, O God." He abolishes the first, so that he may establish the second.
10 By that determined choice we are freed from the guilt of sin through the one time offering of the body of Jesus Christ.
11 Every priest stands day after day doing service and offering the same sacrifices over and over, which can never take away sins.
12 He himself, however, after he had offered one permanent sacrifice for sins, sat down on the right hand of God,
13 from then on waiting until his enemies are made his footstool.
14 For by one sacrifice, he has perfected forever those who are free from the guilt of sin.
15 And the Holy Spirit is also a witness to us, because after what he had said before,
16 This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days,' says the Lord, «I will put my laws into their heart, and I write them in their minds,
17 and I will not any longer remember their sins and lawless actions.»
18 Now where [there is] forgiveness of these, there [is] no more sacrifice for sin.
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter into the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus,
20 by a fresh and living way which he has initiated for us through the curtain, that is, his flesh,
21 and [having] a High Priest over the house of God,
22 let us come near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, [because] our hearts have been sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us tightly hold on to the confession of hope without wavering, for the one who promised is faithful.
24 Let us think about one another in order to stimulate love and good works.
25 Do not forsake the gathering of ourselves together as [is] the practice of some, but encourage [each other] and more so as you see the Day coming,
26 because if we sin deliberately after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there doesn't remain any more sacrifice for sins,
27 only a certain, fearful expectation of judgment and indignation of fire which will devour the adversaries.
28 Anyone who despised Moses' law died without mercy on [the testimony] of two or three witnesses.
29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserving the one who has spurned the Son of God and has considered the blood of the covenant, with which he was purified, an unholy thing and has insulted the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him who has said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay," says the Lord. And in addition, "The Lord will judge his people."
31 [It is] a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32 But remember the past days, in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle of hardship.
33 At times, you were viewed with scorn, both with insults and persecutions, and at times, you were associated with those who were treated this way.
34 For you had compassion on me in my imprisonment and with joy allowed the stealing of you possessions, knowing in yourselves that you have better and enduring possessions in heaven.
35 Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward.
36 You need perseverance, so that, after you have done the will of God, you will receive the promise.
37 For besides, in a little while, he, who will come, will come and will not delay.
38 Now the just will live by faith, but if he turns back, my soul will not be will pleased with him.
39 But we are not those who turn back into eternal ruin but of those who have faith for preserving the soul.
1 Now faith is the assurance of the things we hope for, the evidence of the things we cannot see.
2 For by it the elders received a good testimony [from God].
3 It is through faith that we understand that the universe was established into systematic order by the word of God, so that the things that we see did not come into existence from things that are visible.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he was given witness that he was righteous. God gave a good report of this offering. By it, even though he is dead, continues to speak.
5 By faith Enoch was taken away without experiencing death and was not found, because God had taken him away, and before he was taken away, he had the testimony that he pleased God.
6 But without faith, [it is] impossible to please [God], because the one who comes to God must believe that he exists and a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.
7 By faith Noah was warned by God concerning things never seen yet, so fearing [God] he built an ark for saving of his family. By this he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness, which comes by faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place which he would later receive as an inheritance, obeyed and left even though he did not know where he was going.
9 By faith he lived as a foreigner in the Promised Land living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise,
10 because he looked for a city whose foundations were designed and built by God.
11 By faith Sarah also received the miracle to conceive offspring and delivered a child when she was too old, because she considered him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore there was born from one, and him as good as dead, as many as the multitude of stars of the sky and like the innumerable sands of the seashore.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but anticipating them. They were convinced about them, welcomed [them], and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 Now they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they kept thinking about the [country] from where they came, they could have the chance to return.
16 But now they desire a better [country], that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
17 By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18 of whom it was said, "That after Isaac will be descendants be named."
19 Reasoning that God was able to raise [him], even from the dead, from where, figuratively speaking, he did receive him.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both sons of Joseph and worshiped [leaning] on the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when he died, mentioned the departure of the children of Israel and gave instructions concerning his bones.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
25 having chosen to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a little while,
26 considering being insulted for the sake of Christ to be greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, because he kept focusing on the future reward.
27 By faith he left Egypt without fearing the king's wrath, because he was unshakable as if seeing him who is invisible.
28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn would touch them.
29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as if on dry land, which when the Egyptians attempted to do drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they went around them seven days.
31 By faith Rahab, the harlot, was not killed with those who did not believe, because she had received the spies with peace.
32 What more can I say? There is not enough time for me to speak about Gideon, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets.
33 Who, through faith, overcame kingdoms, did what was right, received the promises, shut lion's mouths,
34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned back foreign armies.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again; others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, so they might obtain a better resurrection.
36 Others experienced derision and whipping, and after that chains and the dungeon.
37 They were stoned; they were sawn in two, were cruelly tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered around in sheepskins and goat skins, destitute, afflicted, [and] tormented.
38 (Of whom the world was not worthy), they wandered in deserts and mountains; [they lived] in caves and holes in the earth.
39 These all, having received a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise.
40 God having provided something better for us, in order that they would not become perfect without us.
1 And therefore, since we have such a great surrounding cloud of witnesses with us, let us get rid of every hindrance and the sin, which so easily entangles us, and let us run with cheerful endurance the race that lies before us.
2 Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of [our] faith, who instead of the joy set before him endured the cross (despising the shame), and has sat down at the right hand of God's throne.
3 Therefore, carefully think about him who endured such contradiction of sinners against him, lest you become weary and faint in your souls.
4 You have not yet resisted, striving against sin, to the point of [your] blood.
5 And have you forgotten the encouragement which speaks to you like children? "My child, do not despise the Lord's discipline, nor despair when rebuked by him.
6 For whom the Lord loves, he disciplines and severely punishes.
7 If you endure correction, God treats you as children, because what child is [there] whom the father doesn't discipline?
8 But if you are without any correction, of which all are partakers, then you are illegitimate, not children.
9 Furthermore we have had human fathers who disciplined [us], and we gave [them] great respect. Will we not much more be under obedience to the Father of our spirits and live?
10 Truly they disciplined us for only a few days according to what seemed best to them, but He for our benefit, so that we may be partakers of His holiness.
11 Now no discipline at the time seems joyous but joyless, nevertheless, after it is all over, it produces the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.
12 For this reason lift up the hands, which hang down, and those feeble knees,
13 and make straight paths for your feet, lest what is lame become dislocated, instead let it be healed.
14 Follow peace with all, as well as holiness. Without [holiness] none will see the Lord.
15 Look carefully lest any fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble [you] and from it many become defiled,
16 [and] lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for a single meal gave away his birthright.
17 For you know that afterwards when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected, because he could find no opportunity to reverse [what had happened] even though he sought it carefully with tears.
18 For you have not come to a physical mountain with its burning fire, blackness, gloom, violent winds,
19 trumpet blast, and spoken words, which when they heard, the hearers begged that the message wouldn't be spoken to them any more.
20 For they could not tolerate what was commanded, "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be killed by stoning or spearing".
21 And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I'm terrified and shaking."
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the City of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable group of angels,
23 to the joyful gathering and assembly of the firstborn (whose names are written in heaven), to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just people made perfect,
24 and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks better than Abel's.
25 Beware, that you don't brush-off him who speaks, because if they didn't escape him who spoke on earth, how much more will we not escape if we turn away from him who [speaks] from heaven.
26 His voice shook the world then, but now he has promised, "Yet once more, I [will] shake, not only the earth, but also heaven."
27 Now this quote, "Yet once more," indicates the removing of those shakeable things that are made, so that those things which cannot be shaken will stay in place.
28 Therefore receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have gratitude by which we can serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear,
29 because our God [is] a consuming fire.
1 Let brotherly love continue.
2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, because in doing so some have unknowingly entertained angels.
3 Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; [remember] those who are mistreated, as though your body is being [mistreated] also.
4 Let marriage be honored by all, and let the bed be undefiled, but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be satisfied with what you have, because he has said, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you."
6 So then we can boldly say, "The Lord is my helper," and "I will not be afraid of what anyone will do to me."
7 Remember those leading you, who spoke the word of God to you. Imitate their faith. Carefully think on the outcome of their way of life.
8 Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, today, and forever!
9 Do not be carried away with various and strange teachings. For [it is] a good thing that the heart be made stable by grace, not with foods that have not benefited those who follow [those rules].
10 We have an altar from which, those who serve The Tent, have no right to eat.
11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the Holy Place by the High Priest for sin, are burned outside the camp.
12 For this reason Jesus also, so he might make holy the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate.
13 Therefore let us go out to him, outside the camp, sharing his reproach.
14 For we have no permanent city here, but we are looking for one to come.
15 Therefore through him let us offer continually the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name.
16 Do not forget to do good and share, because with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
17 Let yourselves be persuaded by those who lead you and yield yourselves, because they watch over your souls as those who must give an answer [and] so that they may do it with joy and not with grief, because that would not be profitable for you.
18 Pray for us, because we trust to have a good conscience and always determined to live doing what is right.
19 And I beg [you] even more to do this, so that I may be quickly restored to you.
20 Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
21 bring you to perfection in every good work to do his will, doing in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.
22 Brothers, I urge you to allow this message of encouragement, for I have written to you a brief letter.
23 Know that [our] brother Timothy is set free; with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you.
24 Greet your leaders and all God's people; those from Italy greet you.
25 Grace [be] with all of you. Amen.