Chapter 1 – Chapter 6

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

1 God having formerly spoken many times and in many ways to the fathers by the prophets,

2 Has in these last days spoken to us by the Son, whom he has constituted the heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

3 Who being the effulgence of his glory, and the impress of his person, and sustaining all things by his powerful word, having by himself effected the purgation of our sins, sat down on the right hand of Majesty on high;

4 Being so much superior to the angels, as he has inherited a name more excellent than they.

5 For to whom of the angels has he ever said, “My Son art thou, I have this day begotten thee?”

6 And again, “I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?” and again, when he introduces the first­begotten into the world, he says, “And adore him let all the angels of God.

7 And of the angels he saith, “Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire:”

8 But of the Son, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom:

9 Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God hath anointed thee, even thy God, with the oil of joy above thy companions:”

10 And, “Thou art from the beginning, O Lord, thou hast founded the earth, and the works of thine hands are the heavens;

11 They shall perish, but thou continuest; and all as a garment shall become old,

12 And as a vesture shalt thou roll them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.”

13 But to whom of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?”

14 Are they not all administrative spirits, who are sent forth to minister for those who are to inherit salvation?

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

1 Wherefore we ought to attend more to those things which we hear, lest at any time we let them flow away.

2 For if the word which had been declared by angels, was sure, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward;

3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? which, having first been begun to be declared by the Lord, has been confirmed to as by those who had heard him;

4 While God was at the same time bearing a testimony by signs and wonders and various miracles, and gift distributed by the Holy Spirit, according to his will.

5 For to the angels has he not subjected the future world of which we speak:

6 But one has in a certain place testified, saying, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him” or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

7 Thou hast made him a little inferior to the angels; with glory and honor hast thou crowned him, and hast set him over the works of thine hands:

8 All things hast thou made subject under his feet.” Doubtless in making subject all things to him, he left nothing that is not made subject: notwithstanding we do not as yet see all things made subject to him;

9 But we behold Jesus, who was made a little inferior to the angels, (crowned with glory and honor for having suffered death,) that he might by the grace of God taste death for all.

10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in leading many sons to glory, to consecrate the leader of their salvation by sufferings:

11 For he who sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren;

12 Saying, “I will declare thy name to my brethren; in the midst of the Church will I sing to thee:” and again, “I will trust in him;”

13 And again, “Behold I and the children whom God has given me.”

14 Since then the children partake of flesh and blood, he also in like manner was partaker of the same, that by death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil;

15 And might deliver them who through fear of death were all their life subject to bondage.

16 For he nowhere takes hold on angels; but on the seed of Abraham does he take hold.

17 It hence behooved him to become in all things like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things respecting God, in order to atone for the sins of the people:

18 For as it happened to him to be tried, he is able to succor them who are tried.

Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and the High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus:

2 Who was faithful to him who had appointed him, as Moses also was in his whole house.

3 For of greater glory was he counted worthy than Moses, as the builder has greater honor than the house itself

4 Every house is indeed built by some one; but he who has built all things is God.

5 And Moses was indeed faithful in his whole house as a minister, for a testimony to those things which were afterwards to be declared;

6 But Christ as a Son over his own house; whose house we are, if we hold firm the confidence and the glorying of our hope to the end.

7 Therefore (as the Holy Spirit saith, “Today, if ye will hear his voice,

8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness,

9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years:

10 I was therefore offended with that generation, and said, They always err in heart, and they have not known my ways;

11 So I swore in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest”)

12 See, brethren, that there be not at any time in any of you the wicked heart of unbelief, by departing from the living God:

13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deception of sin.

14 For we are become partakers of Christ, if indeed we hold firm the beginning of our confidence to the end,

15 since it is said, “Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation:”

16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke; but not all who had come out of Egypt by Moses.

17 With whom then was he offended for forty years? was it not with them who had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness

18 And to whom did he swear that they should not enter into his rest, except to the unbelieving?

19 We then see that they could not enter in on account of unbelief.

Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

1 Let us then fear, lest, when a promise of entering into his rest remains, any of us should seem to be disappointed of it;

2 For to us has the promise been announced as well as to them; but the word heard did not profit them, for it was not connected with faith in those who heard it.

3 For we enter into his rest when we believe; as he has said, “As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest;” though the works were done at the creation of the world;

4 For he has said thus in a certain place of the seventh day, “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works:”

5 And here again, “If they shall enter into my rest.”

6 Seeing then it remains that some do enter into it, but they to whom it was first preached did not enter in on account of unbelief.

7 Again he defines a certain day, saying by David, “Today,” after so long a time, (as it is said,) “Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”

8 For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken of another after those days.

9 Then there remains a Sabbath­rest for the people of God;

10 For he who is entered into his rest, has also himself rested from his own works, as God from his.

11 Let us then strive to enter into that rest, lest no one fail according to the same example of unbelief.

12 For living is the word of God and efficacious, and more penetrating than any two­edged sword, reaching even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart:

13 For there is no creature which does not appear before him; nay, all things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

14 Having then a great high priest, who has entered into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession:

15 For we have not a high priest who cannot sympathize with our infirmities; but was in all things tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us then come with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace for a seasonable help.

Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

1 For every high priest, taken from men, is appointed for men as to things pertaining to God, that he may offer gifts and sacrifices for sins;

2 Who can render himself gentle to the ignorant and the erring, since he himself is also surrounded with infirmity:

3 And on this account he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.

4 And no one takes to himself this honor, but he, who is called by God, as Aaron also was.

5 So also Christ glorified not himself that he became a high priest, but he who said to him, “My Son art thou, I have this day begotten thee;”

6 As also he says in another place, “Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedec:”

7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and was heard in what he feared;

8 Though he was a Son, yet learned obedience from those things which he suffered;

9 And being sanctified, he became to all who obey him the author of eternal salvation;

10 Having been called by God a priest according to the order of Melchisedec:

11 If whom we have much to say to you, and difficult to be explained, since ye are dull of hearing.

12 For when ye ought for the time to be teachers, ye have again need that one should teach you the elements of the beginning of God’s words, and are become such as have need of milk, And not of strong meat:

13 For every one who partakes of milk is inexperienced in the word of righteousness, for he is an infant;

14 But strong meat is for the perfect, who through practice have their senses exercised so as to distinguish between good and evil.

Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

1 Therefore, passing by the first doctrine of Christ, let us be born onward to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith in God,

2 (of the doctrine of baptisms and of the imposition of hands,) and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment;

3 And this we shall do, if God will permit.

4 For it is impossible that those who have been once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit,

5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

6 And have fallen away, should be renewed again into repentance, they having again crucified to themselves the Son of God, and exposed him to open shame.

7 For the earth, which drinketh the rain which often cometh upon it, and bringeth forth a blade meet for them by whom it is cultivated, receiveth a blessing from God:

8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is worthless and nigh a curse, the end of which is to be burned.

9 But we are persuaded, beloved, of better things respecting you, and those connected with salvation, though we thus speak:

10 For God is not unjust, that he should forget your work, and the labor of that love which yon have shewed towards his name, since ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

11 But we desire that every one of you should shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end;

12 So that ye may not become slothful, but be followers of those who by faith and patience have inherited the promises.

13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he bad none greater by whom he could swear, he swore by himself,

14 Saying, “Blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee:”

15 And so after having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.

16 For men indeed swear by one who is greater, and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all dispute:

17 Therefore God, willing more abundantly to shew to the heirs of salvation the immutability of his counsel, interposed an oath;

18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible that God should lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled to lay hold on the hope set before us:

19 Which we have as an anchor of the soul, safe and firm, and entering into what is within the veil;

20 Where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered, having been made a high priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedec.