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Hebrews 4-12
Common English Bible
Hebrews 4-12
Common English Bible
Enter the rest
4 Therefore, since the promise that we can enter into rest is still open, let’s be careful so that none of you will appear to miss it. 2 We also had the good news preached to us, just as the Israelites did. However, the message they heard didn’t help them because they weren’t united in faith with the ones who listened to it. 3 We who have faith are entering the rest. As God said,
And because of my anger I swore:
“They will never enter into my rest!”[a]
And yet God’s works were completed at the foundation of the world. 4 Then somewhere he said this about the seventh day of creation: God rested on the seventh day from all his works.[b] 5 But again, in the passage above, God said, They will never enter my rest![c] 6 Therefore, it’s left open for some to enter it, and the ones who had the good news preached to them before didn’t enter because of disobedience. 7 Just as it says in the passage above, God designates a certain day as “today,” when he says through David much later,
Today, if you hear his voice,
don’t have stubborn hearts.[d]
8 If Joshua gave the Israelites rest, God wouldn’t have spoken about another day later on. 9 So you see that a sabbath rest is left open for God’s people. 10 The one who entered God’s rest also rested from his works, just as God rested from his own.
First summary of the message
11 Therefore, let’s make every effort to enter that rest so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience, 12 because God’s word is living, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword. It penetrates to the point that it separates the soul from the spirit and the joints from the marrow. It’s able to judge the heart’s thoughts and intentions. 13 No creature is hidden from it, but rather everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of the one to whom we have to give an answer.
14 Also, let’s hold on to the confession since we have a great high priest who passed through the heavens, who is Jesus, God’s Son; 15 because we don’t have a high priest who can’t sympathize with our weaknesses but instead one who was tempted in every way that we are, except without sin.
16 Finally, let’s draw near to the throne of favor with confidence so that we can receive mercy and find grace when we need help.
Introduction to a deeper teaching
5 Every high priest is taken from the people and put in charge of things that relate to God for their sake, in order to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 The high priest is able to deal gently with the ignorant and those who are misled since he himself is prone to weakness. 3 Because of his weakness, he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as for the people. 4 No one takes this honor for themselves but takes it only when they are called by God, just like Aaron.
5 In the same way Christ also didn’t promote himself to become high priest. Instead, it was the one who said to him,
You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father,
6 as he also says in another place,
You are a priest forever,
according to the order of Melchizedek.[e]
7 During his days on earth, Christ offered prayers and requests with loud cries and tears as his sacrifices to the one who was able to save him from death. He was heard because of his godly devotion. 8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. 9 After he had been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for everyone who obeys him. 10 He was appointed by God to be a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
11 We have a lot to say about this topic, and it’s difficult to explain, because you have been lazy and you haven’t been listening. 12 Although you should have been teachers by now, you need someone to teach you an introduction to the basics about God’s message. You have come to the place where you need milk instead of solid food. 13 Everyone who lives on milk is not used to the word of righteousness, because they are babies. 14 But solid food is for the mature, whose senses are trained by practice to distinguish between good and evil.
Let’s press on to maturity
6 So let’s press on to maturity, by moving on from the basics about Christ’s word. Let’s not lay a foundation of turning away from dead works, of faith in God, 2 of teaching about ritual ways to wash with water, laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment—all over again. 3 We’re going to press on, if God allows it.
4 Because it’s impossible to restore people to changed hearts and lives who turn away once they have seen the light, tasted the heavenly gift, become partners with the Holy Spirit, 5 and tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age. 6 They are crucifying God’s Son all over again and exposing him to public shame. 7 The ground receives a blessing from God when it drinks up the rain that regularly comes and falls on it and yields a useful crop for those people for whom it is being farmed. 8 But if it produces thorns and thistles, it’s useless and close to being cursed. It ends up being burned.
Make your hope sure
9 But we are convinced of better things in your case, brothers and sisters, even though we are talking this way—things that go together with salvation. 10 God isn’t unjust so that he forgets your efforts and the love you have shown for his name’s sake when you served and continue to serve God’s holy people. 11 But we desperately want each of you to show the same effort to make your hope sure until the end. 12 This is so you won’t be lazy but follow the example of the ones who inherit the promises through faith and patience.
Our hope in Jesus’ priesthood
13 When God gave Abraham his promise, he swore by himself since he couldn’t swear by anyone greater. 14 He said, I will certainly bless you and multiply your descendants.[f] 15 So Abraham obtained the promise by showing patience. 16 People pledge by something greater than themselves. A solemn pledge guarantees what they say and shuts down any argument. 17 When God wanted to further demonstrate to the heirs of the promise that his purpose doesn’t change, he guaranteed it with a solemn pledge. 18 So these are two things that don’t change, because it’s impossible for God to lie. He did this so that we, who have taken refuge in him, can be encouraged to grasp the hope that is lying in front of us. 19 This hope, which is a safe and secure anchor for our whole being, enters the sanctuary behind the curtain. 20 That’s where Jesus went in advance and entered for us, since he became a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. 7 1 This Melchizedek, who was king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he returned from the defeat of the kings, and Melchizedek blessed him. 2 Abraham gave a tenth of everything to him. His name means first “king of righteousness,” and then “king of Salem,” that is, “king of peace.” 3 He is without father or mother or any family. He has no beginning or end of life, but he’s like God’s Son and remains a priest for all time.
A priest like Melchizedek
4 See how great Melchizedek was! Abraham, the father of the people, gave him a tenth of everything he captured. 5 The descendants of Levi who receive the office of priest have a commandment under the Law to collect a tenth of everything from the people who are their brothers and sisters, though they also are descended from Abraham. 6 But Melchizedek, who isn’t related to them, received a tenth of everything from Abraham and blessed the one who had received the promises. 7 Without question, the less important person is blessed by the more important person. 8 In addition, in one case a tenth is received by people who die, and in the other case, the tenth is received by someone who continues to live, according to the record. 9 It could be said that Levi, who received a tenth, paid a tenth through Abraham 10 because he was still in his ancestor’s body when Abraham paid the tenth to Melchizedek.
11 So if perfection came through the levitical office of priest (for the people received the Law under the priests), why was there still a need to speak about raising up another priest according to the order of Melchizedek rather than one according to the order of Aaron? 12 When the order of the priest changes, there has to be a change in the Law as well. 13 The person we are talking about belongs to another tribe, and no one ever served at the altar from that tribe. 14 It’s clear that our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, but Moses never said anything about priests from that tribe. 15 And it’s even clearer if another priest appears who is like Melchizedek. 16 He has become a priest by the power of a life that can’t be destroyed, rather than a legal requirement about physical descent. 17 This is confirmed:
You are a priest forever,
according to the order of Melchizedek.[g]
Able to save completely
18 On the one hand, an earlier command is set aside because it was weak and useless 19 (because the Law made nothing perfect). On the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. 20 And this was not done without a solemn pledge! The others have become priests without a solemn pledge, 21 but this priest was affirmed with a solemn pledge by the one who said,
The Lord has made a solemn pledge
and will not change his mind:
You are a priest forever.[h]
22 As a result, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. 23 The others who became priests are numerous because death prevented them from continuing to serve. 24 In contrast, he holds the office of priest permanently because he continues to serve forever. 25 This is why he can completely save those who are approaching God through him, because he always lives to speak with God for them.
26 It’s appropriate for us to have this kind of high priest: holy, innocent, incorrupt, separate from sinners, and raised high above the heavens. 27 He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices every day like the other high priests, first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people. He did this once for all when he offered himself. 28 The Law appoints people who are prone to weakness as high priests, but the content of the solemn pledge, which came after the Law, appointed a Son who has been made perfect forever.
Meeting tents, sacrifices, and covenants
8 Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We have this kind of high priest. He sat down at the right side of the throne of the majesty in the heavens. 2 He’s serving as a priest in the holy place, which is the true meeting tent that God, not any human being, set up. 3 Every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices. So it’s necessary for this high priest also to have something to offer. 4 If he was located on earth, he wouldn’t be a priest because there are already others who offer gifts based on the Law. 5 They serve in a place that is a copy and shadow of the heavenly meeting tent. This is indicated when Moses was warned by God when he was about to set up the meeting tent: See that you follow the pattern that I showed you on the mountain in every detail.[i] 6 But now, Jesus has received a superior priestly service just as he arranged a better covenant that is enacted with better promises.
7 If the first covenant had been without fault, it wouldn’t have made sense to expect a second. 8 But God did find fault with them, since he says,
Look, the days are coming, says the Lord,
when I will make a covenant with the house of Israel,
and I will make a new covenant with the house of Judah.
9 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors
on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt,
because they did not continue to keep my covenant,
and I lost interest in them, says the Lord.
10 This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, says the Lord.
I will place my laws in their minds,
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
11 And each person won’t ever teach a neighbor
or their brother or sister, saying, “Know the Lord,”
because they will all know me,
from the least important of them to the most important;
12 because I will be lenient toward their unjust actions,
and I won’t remember their sins anymore.[j]
13 When it says new, it makes the first obsolete. And if something is old and outdated, it’s close to disappearing.
Christ’s service in the heavenly meeting tent
9 So then the first covenant had regulations for the priests’ service and the holy place on earth. 2 They pitched the first tent called the holy place. It contained the lampstand, the table, and the loaves of bread presented to God. 3 There was a tent behind the second curtain called the holy of holies. 4 It had the gold altar for incense and the chest containing the covenant, which was covered with gold on all sides. In the chest there was a gold jar containing manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the chest there were magnificent winged creatures[k] casting their shadow over the seat of the chest, where sin is taken care of. Right now we can’t talk about these things in detail. 6 When these things have been prepared in this way, priests enter the first tent all the time as they perform their service. 7 But only the high priest enters the second tent once a year. He never does this without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins the people committed in ignorance. 8 With this, the Holy Spirit is showing that the way into the holy place hadn’t been revealed yet while the first tent was standing. 9 This is a symbol for the present time. It shows that the gifts and sacrifices that are being offered can’t perfect the conscience of the one who is serving. 10 These are superficial regulations that are only about food, drink, and various ritual ways to wash with water. They are regulations that have been imposed until the time of the new order.
11 But Christ has appeared as the high priest of the good things that have happened. He passed through the greater and more perfect meeting tent, which isn’t made by human hands (that is, it’s not a part of this world). 12 He entered the holy of holies once for all by his own blood, not by the blood of goats or calves, securing our deliverance for all time. 13 If the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkled ashes of cows made spiritually contaminated people holy and clean, 14 how much more will the blood of Jesus wash our consciences clean from dead works in order to serve the living God? He offered himself to God through the eternal Spirit as a sacrifice without any flaw.
Christ’s death and the new covenant
15 This is why he’s the mediator of a new covenant (which is a will): so that those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance on the basis of his death. His death occurred to set them free from the offenses committed under the first covenant. 16 When there is a will, you need to confirm the death of the one who made the will. 17 This is because a will takes effect only after a death, since it’s not in force while the one who made the will is alive. 18 So not even the first covenant was put into effect without blood. 19 Moses took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the Law scroll itself and all the people after he had proclaimed every command of the Law to all the people. 20 While he did it, he said, This is the blood of the covenant that God established for you.[l] 21 And in the same way he sprinkled the meeting tent and also all the equipment that would be used in the priests’ service with blood. 22 Almost everything is cleansed by blood, according to the Law’s regulations, and there is no forgiveness without blood being shed.
23 So it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be cleansed with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things had to be cleansed with better sacrifices than these. 24 Christ didn’t enter the holy place (which is a copy of the true holy place) made by human hands, but into heaven itself, so that he now appears in God’s presence for us. 25 He didn’t enter to offer himself over and over again, like the high priest enters the earthly holy place every year with blood that isn’t his. 26 If that were so, then Jesus would have to suffer many times since the foundation of the world. Instead, he has now appeared once at the end of the ages to get rid of sin by sacrificing himself. 27 People are destined to die once and then face judgment. 28 In the same way, Christ was also offered once to take on himself the sins of many people. He will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice
10 The Law is a shadow of the good things that are coming, not the real things themselves. It never can perfect the ones who are trying to draw near to God through the same sacrifices that are offered continually every year. 2 Otherwise, wouldn’t they have stopped being offered? If the people carrying out their religious duties had been completely cleansed once, no one would have been aware of sin anymore. 3 Instead, these sacrifices are a reminder of sin every year, 4 because it’s impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Therefore, when he comes into the world he says,
You didn’t want a sacrifice or an offering,
but you prepared a body for me;
6 you weren’t pleased with entirely burned offerings or a sin offering.
7 So then I said,
“Look, I’ve come to do your will, God.
This has been written about me in the scroll.”[m]
8 He says above, You didn’t want and you weren’t pleased with a sacrifice or an offering or with entirely burned offerings or a purification offering,[n] which are offered because the Law requires them. 9 Then he said, Look, I’ve come to do your will.[o] He puts an end to the first to establish the second. 10 We have been made holy by God’s will through the offering of Jesus Christ’s body once for all.
11 Every priest stands every day serving and offering the same sacrifices over and over, sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right side of God. 13 Since then, he’s waiting until his enemies are made into a footstool for his feet, 14 because he perfected the people who are being made holy with one offering for all time.
15 The Holy Spirit affirms this when saying,
16 This is the covenant that I will make with them.
After these days, says the Lord,
I will place my laws in their hearts
and write them on their minds.
17 And I won’t remember their sins
and their lawless behavior anymore.[p]
18 When there is forgiveness for these things, there is no longer an offering for sin.
Second summary of the message
19 Brothers and sisters, we have confidence that we can enter the holy of holies by means of Jesus’ blood, 20 through a new and living way that he opened up for us through the curtain, which is his body, 21 and we have a great high priest over God’s house.
22 Therefore, let’s draw near with a genuine heart with the certainty that our faith gives us, since our hearts are sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies are washed with pure water.
23 Let’s hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, because the one who made the promises is reliable.
24 And let us consider each other carefully for the purpose of sparking love and good deeds. 25 Don’t stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other, especially as you see the day drawing near.
Judgment for intentional sin
26 If we make the decision to sin after we receive the knowledge of the truth, there isn’t a sacrifice for sins left any longer. 27 There’s only a scary expectation of judgment and of a burning fire that’s going to devour God’s opponents. 28 When someone rejected the Law from Moses, they were put to death without mercy on the basis of the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment do you think is deserved by the person who walks all over God’s Son, who acts as if the blood of the covenant that made us holy is just ordinary blood, and who insults the Spirit of grace? 30 We know the one who said,
Judgment is mine; I will pay people back.[q]
And he also said,
The Lord will judge his people.[r]
31 It’s scary to fall into the hands of the living God!
Confidence and faith to endure
32 But remember the earlier days, after you saw the light. You stood your ground while you were suffering from an enormous amount of pressure. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to insults and abuse in public. Other times you became partners with those who were treated that way. 34 You even showed sympathy toward people in prison and accepted the confiscation of your possessions with joy, since you knew that you had better and lasting possessions. 35 So don’t throw away your confidence—it brings a great reward. 36 You need to endure so that you can receive the promises after you do God’s will.
37 In a little while longer,
the one who is coming will come and won’t delay;
38 but my righteous one will live by faith,
and my whole being won’t be pleased with anyone who shrinks back.[s]
39 But we aren’t the sort of people who timidly draw back and end up being destroyed. We’re the sort of people who have faith so that our whole beings are preserved.
Description of faith
11 Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see. 2 The elders in the past were approved because they showed faith.
Acts of faith by God’s people
3 By faith we understand that the universe has been created by a word from God so that the visible came into existence from the invisible.
4 By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice to God than Cain, which showed that he was righteous, since God gave approval to him for his gift. Though he died, he’s still speaking through faith.
5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he didn’t see death, and he wasn’t found because God took him up.[t] He was given approval for having pleased God before he was taken up. 6 It’s impossible to please God without faith because the one who draws near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards people who try to find him.
7 By faith Noah responded with godly fear when he was warned about events he hadn’t seen yet. He built an ark to deliver his household. With his faith, he criticized the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes from faith.
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out without knowing where he was going.
9 By faith he lived in the land he had been promised as a stranger. He lived in tents along with Isaac and Jacob, who were coheirs of the same promise. 10 He was looking forward to a city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11 By faith even Sarah received the ability to have a child, though she herself was barren and past the age for having children, because she believed that the one who promised was faithful. 12 So descendants were born from one man (and he was as good as dead). They were as many as the number of the stars in the sky and as countless as the grains of sand on the seashore. 13 All these people died in faith without receiving the promises, but they saw the promises from a distance and welcomed them. They confessed that they were strangers and immigrants on earth. 14 People who say this kind of thing make it clear that they are looking for a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking about the country that they had left, they would have had the opportunity to return to it. 16 But at this point in time, they are longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God isn’t ashamed to be called their God—he has prepared a city for them.
17 By faith Abraham offered Isaac when he was tested. The one who received the promises was offering his only son. 18 He had been told concerning him, Your legitimate descendants will come from Isaac.[u] 19 He figured that God could even raise him from the dead. So in a way he did receive him back from the dead.
20 By faith Isaac also blessed Jacob and Esau concerning their future.
21 By faith Jacob blessed each of Joseph’s sons as he was dying and bowed in worship over the head of his staff.[v]
22 By faith Joseph recalled the exodus of the Israelites at the end of his life, and gave instructions about burying his bones.
23 By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months when he was born, because they saw that the child was beautiful and they weren’t afraid of the king’s orders.
24 By faith Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter when he was grown up. 25 He chose to be mistreated with God’s people instead of having the temporary pleasures of sin. 26 He thought that the abuses he suffered for Christ were more valuable than the treasures of Egypt, since he was looking forward to the reward.
27 By faith he left Egypt without being afraid of the king’s anger. He kept on going as if he could see what is invisible.
28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, in order that the destroyer could not touch their firstborn children.
29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if they were on dry land, but when the Egyptians tried it, they were drowned.
30 By faith Jericho’s walls fell after the people marched around them for seven days.
31 By faith Rahab the prostitute wasn’t killed with the disobedient because she welcomed the spies in peace.
32 What more can I say? I would run out of time if I told you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. 33 Through faith they conquered kingdoms, brought about justice, realized promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 put out raging fires, escaped from the edge of the sword, found strength in weakness, were mighty in war, and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured and refused to be released so they could gain a better resurrection.
36 But others experienced public shame by being taunted and whipped; they were even put in chains and in prison. 37 They were stoned to death, they were cut in two, and they died by being murdered with swords. They went around wearing the skins of sheep and goats, needy, oppressed, and mistreated. 38 The world didn’t deserve them. They wandered around in deserts, mountains, caves, and holes in the ground.
39 All these people didn’t receive what was promised, though they were given approval for their faith. 40 God provided something better for us so they wouldn’t be made perfect without us.
Let’s also run the race
12 So then, with endurance, let’s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let’s throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up, 2 and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith’s pioneer and perfecter. He endured the cross, ignoring the shame, for the sake of the joy that was laid out in front of him, and sat down at the right side of God’s throne.
Run the race with discipline
3 Think about the one who endured such opposition from sinners so that you won’t be discouraged and you won’t give up. 4 In your struggle against sin, you haven’t resisted yet to the point of shedding blood, 5 and you have forgotten the encouragement that addresses you as sons and daughters:
My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline
or give up when you are corrected by him,
6 because the Lord disciplines whomever he loves,
and he punishes every son or daughter whom he accepts.[w]
7 Bear hardship for the sake of discipline. God is treating you like sons and daughters! What child isn’t disciplined by his or her father? 8 But if you don’t experience discipline, which happens to all children, then you are illegitimate and not real sons and daughters. 9 What’s more, we had human parents who disciplined us, and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live? 10 Our human parents disciplined us for a little while, as it seemed best to them, but God does it for our benefit so that we can share his holiness. 11 No discipline is fun while it lasts, but it seems painful at the time. Later, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness for those who have been trained by it.
12 So strengthen your drooping hands and weak knees! 13 Make straight paths for your feet so that if any part is lame, it will be healed rather than injured more seriously. 14 Pursue the goal of peace along with everyone—and holiness as well, because no one will see the Lord without it. 15 Make sure that no one misses out on God’s grace. Make sure that no root of bitterness grows up that might cause trouble and pollute many people. 16 Make sure that no one becomes sexually immoral or ungodly like Esau. He sold his inheritance as the oldest son for one meal. 17 You know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected because he couldn’t find a way to change his heart and life, though he looked for it with tears.
Priestly service in heavenly Jerusalem
18 You haven’t drawn near to something that can be touched: a burning fire, darkness, shadow, a whirlwind, 19 a blast of a trumpet, and a sound of words that made the ones who heard it beg that there wouldn’t be one more word. 20 They couldn’t stand the command, If even a wild animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.[x] 21 The sight was so frightening that Moses said, “I’m terrified and shaking!”
22 But you have drawn near to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, to countless angels in a festival gathering, 23 to the assembly of God’s firstborn children who are registered in heaven, to God the judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous who have been made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks better than Abel’s blood.
25 See to it that you don’t resist the one who is speaking. If the people didn’t escape when they refused to listen to the one who warned them on earth, how will we escape if we reject the one who is warning from heaven? 26 His voice shook the earth then, but now he has made a promise: Still once more I will shake not only the earth but heaven also.[y] 27 The words “still once more” reveal the removal of what is shaken—the things that are part of this creation—so that what isn’t shaken will remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that can’t be shaken, let’s continue to express our gratitude.[z] With this gratitude, let’s serve[aa] in a way that is pleasing to God with respect and awe, 29 because our God really is a consuming fire.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 4:3 Ps 95:11
- Hebrews 4:4 Gen 2:2
- Hebrews 4:5 Ps 95:11
- Hebrews 4:7 Ps 95:7-8
- Hebrews 5:6 Ps 110:4
- Hebrews 6:14 Gen 22:17
- Hebrews 7:17 Ps 110:4
- Hebrews 7:21 Ps 110:4
- Hebrews 8:5 Exod 25:40
- Hebrews 8:12 Jer 31:31-34
- Hebrews 9:5 Heb cherubim
- Hebrews 9:20 Exod 24:8
- Hebrews 10:7 Ps 40:6-8
- Hebrews 10:8 Ps 40:6
- Hebrews 10:9 Ps 40:7-8
- Hebrews 10:17 Jer 31:33-34
- Hebrews 10:30 Deut 32:35
- Hebrews 10:30 Deut 32:36; Ps 135:14
- Hebrews 10:38 Hab 2:3-4
- Hebrews 11:5 Gen 5:24
- Hebrews 11:18 Gen 21:12
- Hebrews 11:21 Gen 47:31 LXX
- Hebrews 12:6 Prov 3:11-12
- Hebrews 12:20 Exod 19:12-13
- Hebrews 12:26 Exod 19:18
- Hebrews 12:28 Or hold on to grace
- Hebrews 12:28 Or offer priestly service
Hebrews 4-12
New International Version
Hebrews 4-12
New International Version
A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God
4 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.(A) 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.[a](B) 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,
And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.”[c](D) 5 And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”(E)
6 Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience,(F) 7 God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:
8 For if Joshua had given them rest,(H) God would not have spoken(I) later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works,[e](J) just as God did from his.(K) 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.(L)
12 For the word of God(M) is alive(N) and active.(O) Sharper than any double-edged sword,(P) it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.(Q) 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.(R) Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Jesus the Great High Priest
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest(S) who has ascended into heaven,[f](T) Jesus the Son of God,(U) let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.(V) 15 For we do not have a high priest(W) who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are(X)—yet he did not sin.(Y) 16 Let us then approach(Z) God’s throne of grace with confidence,(AA) so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
5 Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God,(AB) to offer gifts and sacrifices(AC) for sins.(AD) 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray,(AE) since he himself is subject to weakness.(AF) 3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.(AG) 4 And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.(AH)
5 In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory(AI) of becoming a high priest.(AJ) But God said(AK) to him,
6 And he says in another place,
7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions(AO) with fervent cries and tears(AP) to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard(AQ) because of his reverent submission.(AR) 8 Son(AS) though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered(AT) 9 and, once made perfect,(AU) he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest(AV) in the order of Melchizedek.(AW)
Warning Against Falling Away(AX)
11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths(AY) of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!(AZ) 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant,(BA) is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature,(BB) who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.(BC)
6 Therefore let us move beyond(BD) the elementary teachings(BE) about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,[i](BF) and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites,[j](BG) the laying on of hands,(BH) the resurrection of the dead,(BI) and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting,(BJ) we will do so.
4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened,(BK) who have tasted the heavenly gift,(BL) who have shared in the Holy Spirit,(BM) 5 who have tasted the goodness(BN) of the word of God(BO) and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen[k] away, to be brought back to repentance.(BP) To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God(BQ) all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed.(BR) In the end it will be burned.
9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends,(BS) we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.(BT) 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope(BU) for may be fully realized. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate(BV) those who through faith and patience(BW) inherit what has been promised.(BX)
The Certainty of God’s Promise
13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,(BY) 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”[l](BZ) 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.(CA)
16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.(CB) 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging(CC) nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised,(CD) he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie,(CE) we who have fled to take hold of the hope(CF) set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,(CG) 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.(CH) He has become a high priest(CI) forever, in the order of Melchizedek.(CJ)
Melchizedek the Priest
7 This Melchizedek was king of Salem(CK) and priest of God Most High.(CL) He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,(CM) 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” 3 Without father or mother, without genealogy,(CN) without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God,(CO) he remains a priest forever.
4 Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch(CP) Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!(CQ) 5 Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people(CR)—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. 6 This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed(CS) him who had the promises.(CT) 7 And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8 In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living.(CU) 9 One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10 because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.
Jesus Like Melchizedek
11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people(CV) established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come,(CW) one in the order of Melchizedek,(CX) not in the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. 13 He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe,(CY) and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar.(CZ) 14 For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah,(DA) and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16 one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is declared:
18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless(DC) 19 (for the law made nothing perfect),(DD) and a better hope(DE) is introduced, by which we draw near to God.(DF)
20 And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:
22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.(DI)
23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.(DJ) 25 Therefore he is able to save(DK) completely[o] those who come to God(DL) through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.(DM)
26 Such a high priest(DN) truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners,(DO) exalted above the heavens.(DP) 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices(DQ) day after day, first for his own sins,(DR) and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all(DS) when he offered himself.(DT) 28 For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness;(DU) but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son,(DV) who has been made perfect(DW) forever.
The High Priest of a New Covenant
8 Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest,(DX) who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,(DY) 2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle(DZ) set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.
3 Every high priest(EA) is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices,(EB) and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer.(EC) 4 If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law.(ED) 5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy(EE) and shadow(EF) of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned(EG) when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”[p](EH) 6 But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant(EI) of which he is mediator(EJ) is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.
7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.(EK) 8 But God found fault with the people and said[q]:
“The days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant(EL)
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
9 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors(EM)
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,
and I turned away from them,
declares the Lord.
10 This is the covenant(EN) I will establish with the people of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.(EO)
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.(EP)
11 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,(EQ)
from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.(ER)”[r](ES)
13 By calling this covenant “new,”(ET) he has made the first one obsolete;(EU) and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.
Worship in the Earthly Tabernacle
9 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary.(EV) 2 A tabernacle(EW) was set up. In its first room were the lampstand(EX) and the table(EY) with its consecrated bread;(EZ) this was called the Holy Place.(FA) 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place,(FB) 4 which had the golden altar of incense(FC) and the gold-covered ark of the covenant.(FD) This ark contained the gold jar of manna,(FE) Aaron’s staff that had budded,(FF) and the stone tablets of the covenant.(FG) 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory,(FH) overshadowing the atonement cover.(FI) But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.
6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly(FJ) into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered(FK) the inner room,(FL) and that only once a year,(FM) and never without blood,(FN) which he offered for himself(FO) and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.(FP) 8 The Holy Spirit was showing(FQ) by this that the way(FR) into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. 9 This is an illustration(FS) for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered(FT) were not able to clear the conscience(FU) of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food(FV) and drink(FW) and various ceremonial washings(FX)—external regulations(FY) applying until the time of the new order.
The Blood of Christ
11 But when Christ came as high priest(FZ) of the good things that are now already here,[s](GA) he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle(GB) that is not made with human hands,(GC) that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves;(GD) but he entered the Most Holy Place(GE) once for all(GF) by his own blood,(GG) thus obtaining[t] eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls(GH) and the ashes of a heifer(GI) sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit(GJ) offered himself(GK) unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences(GL) from acts that lead to death,[u](GM) so that we may serve the living God!(GN)
15 For this reason Christ is the mediator(GO) of a new covenant,(GP) that those who are called(GQ) may receive the promised(GR) eternal inheritance(GS)—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.(GT)
16 In the case of a will,[v] it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.(GU) 19 When Moses had proclaimed(GV) every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves,(GW) together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people.(GX) 20 He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”[w](GY) 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood,(GZ) and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.(HA)
23 It was necessary, then, for the copies(HB) of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one;(HC) he entered heaven itself,(HD) now to appear for us in God’s presence.(HE) 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place(HF) every year with blood that is not his own.(HG) 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world.(HH) But he has appeared(HI) once for all(HJ) at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.(HK) 27 Just as people are destined to die once,(HL) and after that to face judgment,(HM) 28 so Christ was sacrificed once(HN) to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time,(HO) not to bear sin,(HP) but to bring salvation(HQ) to those who are waiting for him.(HR)
Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All
10 The law is only a shadow(HS) of the good things(HT) that are coming—not the realities themselves.(HU) For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect(HV) those who draw near to worship.(HW) 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.(HX) 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.(HY) 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats(HZ) to take away sins.(IA)
5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world,(IB) he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;(IC)
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll(ID)—
I have come to do your will, my God.’”[x](IE)
8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”(IF)—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.”(IG) He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy(IH) through the sacrifice of the body(II) of Jesus Christ once for all.(IJ)
11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices,(IK) which can never take away sins.(IL) 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins,(IM) he sat down at the right hand of God,(IN) 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.(IO) 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect(IP) forever those who are being made holy.(IQ)
15 The Holy Spirit also testifies(IR) to us about this. First he says:
16 “This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”[y](IS)
17 Then he adds:
18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
A Call to Persevere in Faith
19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence(IU) to enter the Most Holy Place(IV) by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way(IW) opened for us through the curtain,(IX) that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest(IY) over the house of God,(IZ) 22 let us draw near to God(JA) with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings,(JB) having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience(JC) and having our bodies washed with pure water.(JD) 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope(JE) we profess,(JF) for he who promised is faithful.(JG) 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,(JH) 25 not giving up meeting together,(JI) as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another(JJ)—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.(JK)
26 If we deliberately keep on sinning(JL) after we have received the knowledge of the truth,(JM) no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire(JN) that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.(JO) 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God(JP) underfoot,(JQ) who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant(JR) that sanctified them,(JS) and who has insulted the Spirit(JT) of grace?(JU) 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[aa](JV) and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”[ab](JW) 31 It is a dreadful thing(JX) to fall into the hands(JY) of the living God.(JZ)
32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light,(KA) when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.(KB) 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution;(KC) at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.(KD) 34 You suffered along with those in prison(KE) and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.(KF) 35 So do not throw away your confidence;(KG) it will be richly rewarded.
36 You need to persevere(KH) so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.(KI) 37 For,
38 And,
“But my righteous[ad] one will live by faith.(KL)
And I take no pleasure
in the one who shrinks back.”[ae](KM)
39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
Faith in Action
11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for(KN) and assurance about what we do not see.(KO) 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.(KP)
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command,(KQ) so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended(KR) as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.(KS) And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.(KT)
5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”[af](KU) For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him(KV) must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen,(KW) in holy fear built an ark(KX) to save his family.(KY) By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.(KZ)
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance,(LA) obeyed and went,(LB) even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land(LC) like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents,(LD) as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.(LE) 10 For he was looking forward to the city(LF) with foundations,(LG) whose architect and builder is God.(LH) 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age,(LI) was enabled to bear children(LJ) because she[ag] considered him faithful(LK) who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead,(LL) came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.(LM)
13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;(LN) they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,(LO) admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.(LP) 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.(LQ) 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.(LR) Therefore God is not ashamed(LS) to be called their God,(LT) for he has prepared a city(LU) for them.
17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.(LV) He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”[ah](LW) 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead,(LX) and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.(LY)
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons,(LZ) and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.(MA)
23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born,(MB) because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.(MC)
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.(MD) 25 He chose to be mistreated(ME) along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace(MF) for the sake of Christ(MG) as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.(MH) 27 By faith he left Egypt,(MI) not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer(MJ) of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.(MK)
29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.(ML)
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.(MM)
31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.[ai](MN)
32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon,(MO) Barak,(MP) Samson(MQ) and Jephthah,(MR) about David(MS) and Samuel(MT) and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms,(MU) administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,(MV) 34 quenched the fury of the flames,(MW) and escaped the edge of the sword;(MX) whose weakness was turned to strength;(MY) and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.(MZ) 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again.(NA) There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging,(NB) and even chains and imprisonment.(NC) 37 They were put to death by stoning;[aj](ND) they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword.(NE) They went about in sheepskins and goatskins,(NF) destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves(NG) and in holes in the ground.
39 These were all commended(NH) for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,(NI) 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us(NJ) would they be made perfect.(NK)
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run(NL) with perseverance(NM) the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus,(NN) the pioneer(NO) and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,(NP) scorning its shame,(NQ) and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.(NR) 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary(NS) and lose heart.
God Disciplines His Children
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.(NT) 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart(NU) when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,(NV)
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”[ak](NW)
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.(NX) For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline(NY)—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits(NZ) and live!(OA) 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.(OB) 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace(OC) for those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.(OD) 13 “Make level paths for your feet,”[al](OE) so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.(OF)
Warning and Encouragement
14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone(OG) and to be holy;(OH) without holiness no one will see the Lord.(OI) 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God(OJ) and that no bitter root(OK) grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral,(OL) or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.(OM) 17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears,(ON) he could not change what he had done.
The Mountain of Fear and the Mountain of Joy
18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm;(OO) 19 to a trumpet blast(OP) or to such a voice speaking words(OQ) that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them,(OR) 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”[am](OS) 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”[an](OT)
22 But you have come to Mount Zion,(OU) to the city(OV) of the living God,(OW) the heavenly Jerusalem.(OX) You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn,(OY) whose names are written in heaven.(OZ) You have come to God, the Judge of all,(PA) to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,(PB) 24 to Jesus the mediator(PC) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood(PD) that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.(PE)
25 See to it that you do not refuse(PF) him who speaks.(PG) If they did not escape when they refused him who warned(PH) them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?(PI) 26 At that time his voice shook the earth,(PJ) but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”[ao](PK) 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken(PL)—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken,(PM) let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,(PN) 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”[ap](PO)
Footnotes
- Hebrews 4:2 Some manuscripts because those who heard did not combine it with faith
- Hebrews 4:3 Psalm 95:11; also in verse 5
- Hebrews 4:4 Gen. 2:2
- Hebrews 4:7 Psalm 95:7,8
- Hebrews 4:10 Or labor
- Hebrews 4:14 Greek has gone through the heavens
- Hebrews 5:5 Psalm 2:7
- Hebrews 5:6 Psalm 110:4
- Hebrews 6:1 Or from useless rituals
- Hebrews 6:2 Or about baptisms
- Hebrews 6:6 Or age, 6 if they fall
- Hebrews 6:14 Gen. 22:17
- Hebrews 7:17 Psalm 110:4
- Hebrews 7:21 Psalm 110:4
- Hebrews 7:25 Or forever
- Hebrews 8:5 Exodus 25:40
- Hebrews 8:8 Some manuscripts may be translated fault and said to the people.
- Hebrews 8:12 Jer. 31:31-34
- Hebrews 9:11 Some early manuscripts are to come
- Hebrews 9:12 Or blood, having obtained
- Hebrews 9:14 Or from useless rituals
- Hebrews 9:16 Same Greek word as covenant; also in verse 17
- Hebrews 9:20 Exodus 24:8
- Hebrews 10:7 Psalm 40:6-8 (see Septuagint)
- Hebrews 10:16 Jer. 31:33
- Hebrews 10:17 Jer. 31:34
- Hebrews 10:30 Deut. 32:35
- Hebrews 10:30 Deut. 32:36; Psalm 135:14
- Hebrews 10:37 Isaiah 26:20; Hab. 2:3
- Hebrews 10:38 Some early manuscripts But the righteous
- Hebrews 10:38 Hab. 2:4 (see Septuagint)
- Hebrews 11:5 Gen. 5:24
- Hebrews 11:11 Or By faith Abraham, even though he was too old to have children—and Sarah herself was not able to conceive—was enabled to become a father because he
- Hebrews 11:18 Gen. 21:12
- Hebrews 11:31 Or unbelieving
- Hebrews 11:37 Some early manuscripts stoning; they were put to the test;
- Hebrews 12:6 Prov. 3:11,12 (see Septuagint)
- Hebrews 12:13 Prov. 4:26
- Hebrews 12:20 Exodus 19:12,13
- Hebrews 12:21 See Deut. 9:19.
- Hebrews 12:26 Haggai 2:6
- Hebrews 12:29 Deut. 4:24
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