1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, ^awhom he appointed the heir of all things, ^bthrough whom also he created the world. 3 ^cHe is the radiance of the glory of God and ^dthe exact imprint of his nature, and ^ehe upholds the universe by the word of his power. After ^fmaking purification for sins, ^ghe sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the ^hname he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,

Or again,

6 And again, when he brings the ^kfirstborn into the world, he says,

7 Of the angels he says,

8 But of the Son he says,

10 And,

13 And to which of the angels has he ever said,

14 Are they not all ^uministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to ^vinherit salvation?

1 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.

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.

1 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.

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.

1 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.

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.

1 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.

1 For since the law has but a ^lshadow of the ^mgood things to come instead of the true form of these realities, ⁿit can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been ^ocleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5 Consequently, when Christ¹ came ^pinto the world, he said,

8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and ^sburnt offerings and ^tsin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will we have been ^usanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ^vonce for all.

11 And every priest stands ^wdaily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ² had ^xoffered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, ^yhe sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has ^zperfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

15 And ^athe Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

17 then he adds,

18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

19 Therefore, brothers,³ since we have ^dconfidence to ^eenter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living ^fway that he opened for us through the ^gcurtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the ^hhouse of God, 22 let us ⁱdraw near with a true heart in ^jfull assurance of faith, with our hearts ^ksprinkled clean from an evil ^lconscience and our bodies ^mwashed with pure water. 23 Let us ⁿhold fast the ^oconfession of our ^phope without wavering, for he who promised is ^qfaithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but ^rencouraging one another, and all the more as you see the ^sDay drawing near.

26 For ^tif we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the ^uknowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a ^vfury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy ^won the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 ^xHow much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has ^ytrampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the ^zblood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, ^a“Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, ^b“The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a ^cfearful thing to fall into the hands of the ^dliving God.

32 But recall the former days when, after you were ^eenlightened, you ^fendured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being ^gpublicly exposed to ^hreproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For you had compassion on those ⁱin prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. 35 Therefore do not throw away your ^jconfidence, which has a great ^kreward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For,

39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also ^ylay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us ^zrun with ^aendurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the ^bfounder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him ^cendured the cross, despising the shame, and is ^dseated at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or ^efainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the ^fexhortation that addresses you as sons?

7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. ⁱGod is treating you as sons. For ^jwhat son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father ^kof spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that ^lwe may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the ^mpeaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been ⁿtrained by it.

12 Therefore ^olift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 14 ^pStrive for peace with everyone, and for the ^qholiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ^r“root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is ^ssexually immoral or unholy like Esau, ^twho sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that ^uafterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

18 For you have not come to what may be touched, ^va blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and the ^wsound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers ^xbeg that no further messages be spoken to them. 20 For they could not endure the order that was given, ^y“If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” 21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ^z“I tremble with fear.” 22 But you have come to Mount ^aZion and to the ^bcity of the ^cliving God, the ^dheavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly¹ of the firstborn who are ^eenrolled in heaven, and to God, the ^fjudge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous ^gmade perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the ^hmediator of a ⁱnew covenant, and to the ^jsprinkled blood that speaks a better word than ^kthe blood of ^lAbel.