4 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.¹ 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,

although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: ^y“And God ^zrested on the seventh day from all his works.” 5 And again in this passage he said,

6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,

8 For if Joshua had given them ^crest, God² would not have spoken of another day later on. 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of ^ddisobedience. 12 For the word of God is ^eliving and ^factive, ^gsharper than any two-edged ^hsword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And ⁱno creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must ^jgive account.

Jesus the Great High Priest

14 Since then we have a great ^khigh priest who has passed ^lthrough the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us ^mhold fast our ⁿconfession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our ^oweaknesses, but one who ^pin every respect has been ^qtempted as we are, yet ^rwithout sin. 16 Let us then with ^sconfidence ^tdraw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

5 For ^uevery high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices ^vfor sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, ^wsince he himself is beset with ^xweakness. 3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice ^yfor his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4 And ^zno one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

5 So also Christ ^adid not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,

6 as he says also in another place,

7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus¹ offered up ^eprayers and supplications, with ^floud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a ^gson, he learned ^hobedience through what he suffered. 9 And ⁱbeing made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Warning Against Apostasy

11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become ^jdull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the ^kbasic principles of the oracles of God. You need ^lmilk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a ^mchild. 14 But solid food is for the ⁿmature, for those who have their powers of discernment ^otrained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

6 Therefore let us leave the ^pelementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from ^qdead works ^rand of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings,¹ the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. 4 For ^sit is impossible, in the case of those who have once been ^tenlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and ^uhave shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have ^vtasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, ^wsince they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. 7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8 But ^xif it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and ^yits end is to be burned.

9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. 10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your ^zwork and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the ^afull assurance of ^bhope until the end, 12 so that you may not be ^csluggish, but ^dimitators of those who through faith and patience ^einherit the promises.

The Certainty of God’s Promise

13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, ^fhe swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” 15 And thus Abraham,² having patiently waited, ^gobtained the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to ^hlie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to ⁱhold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that ^jenters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 ^kwhere Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, ^lhaving become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

The Priestly Order of Melchizedek

7 For ^mthis Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.

4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 5 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office ⁿhave a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers,¹ though these also are descended from Abraham. 6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 8 In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

Jesus Compared to Melchizedek

11 Now ^oif perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the ^porder of Aaron? 12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. 13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was ^qdescended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is witnessed of him,

18 For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its ^sweakness and uselessness 19 (for the law ^tmade nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better ^uhope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:

22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a ^xbetter covenant.

23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost² those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to ^ymake intercession for them.

26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a ^zhigh priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first ^afor his own sins and then for those of the people, since ^bhe did this ^conce for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son ^dwho has been made perfect forever.

Jesus, High Priest of a Better Covenant

8 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is ^eseated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy places, in the ^ftrue ^gtent¹ that the Lord set up, ^hnot man. 3 For ⁱevery high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They serve a ^jcopy and ^kshadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, ^l“See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 6 But as it is, Christ² has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the ^mcovenant he ⁿmediates is ^obetter, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For ^pif that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.

8 For he finds fault with them when he says:³

13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.