Warning Against Neglecting Salvation

2 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since ^wthe message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 ^xhow shall we ^yescape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and ^zit was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while ^aGod also bore witness by ^bsigns and wonders and various miracles and ^cby gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

The Founder of Salvation

5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world ^dto come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere,

Now in putting ^feverything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with ^gglory and honor ^hbecause of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for ⁱeveryone.

10 For it was fitting that he, ^jfor whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the ^kfounder of their salvation ^lperfect through suffering. 11 For he who ^msanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source.² That is why he is not ⁿashamed to call them ^obrothers,³ 12 saying,

13 And again,

And again,

14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, ^she himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of ^tdeath, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made ^ulike his brothers ^vin every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful ^whigh priest in the service of God, to make ^xpropitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For ^ybecause he himself has suffered when ^ztempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Jesus Greater Than Moses

3 Therefore, holy brothers,¹ you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and ^ahigh priest of our ^bconfession, 2 who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as ^cMoses also was faithful in all God’s² house. 3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) 5 Now ^dMoses was faithful in all God’s house as a ^eservant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a ^fson. And ^gwe are his house, ^hif indeed we ⁱhold fast our ^jconfidence and our ^kboasting in our ^lhope.³

A Rest for the People of God

7 Therefore, ^mas the Holy Spirit says,

12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But ^rexhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15 As it is said,

16 For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, ^twhose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he ^uswear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were ^vdisobedient? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of ^wunbelief.

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.