For this reason there is the more need for us to give attention to the things which have come to our ears, for fear that by chance we might be slipping away.

But a certain writer has given his witness, saying, What is man, that you keep him in mind? what is the son of man, that you take him into account?

But we see him who was made a little lower than the angels, even Jesus, crowned with glory and honour, because he let himself be put to death so that by the grace of God he might undergo death for all men.

And because the children are flesh and blood, he took a body himself and became like them; so that by his death he might put an end to him who had the power of death, that is to say, the Evil One;

For, truly, he does not take on the life of angels, but that of the seed of Abraham.

Because of this it was necessary for him to be made like his brothers in every way, so that he might be a high priest full of mercy and keeping faith in everything to do with God, making offerings for the sins of the people.

So that I was angry with this generation, and I said, Their hearts are in error at all times, and they have no knowledge of my ways;

My brothers, take care that there is not by chance in any one of you an evil heart without belief, turning away from the living God:

But give comfort to one another every day as long as it is still Today; so that no one among you may be made hard by the deceit of sin:

And to whom did he make an oath that they might not come into his rest? was it not to those who went against his orders?

So we see that they were not able to go in because they had no belief.

Let us then, though we still have God's word that we may come into his rest, go in fear that some of you may be unable to do so.

So that as it is clear that some have to go in, and that the first hearers of the good news were not able to go in because they went against God's orders,

So that there is still a Sabbath-keeping for the people of God.

Because of this, let us have a strong desire to come into that rest, and let no one go after the example of those who went against God's orders.

Then let us come near to the seat of grace without fear, so that mercy may be given to us, and we may get grace for our help in time of need.

Every high priest who is taken from among men is given his position to take care of the interests of men in those things which have to do with God, so that he may make offerings for sins.

For this reason let us go on from the first things about Christ to full growth; not building again that on which it is based, that is, the turning of the heart from dead works, and faith in God,

But, my loved ones, though we say this, we are certain that you have better things in you, things which go with salvation;

And it is our desire that you may all keep the same high purpose in certain hope to the end:

So that you may not be slow in heart, but may take as your example those to whom God has given their heritage, because of their faith and their long waiting.

Saying, Be certain that I will give you my blessing, and make your numbers very great.

So that when it was God's desire to make it specially clear to those who by his word were to have the heritage, that his purpose was fixed, he made it more certain with an oath;

So that we, who have gone in flight from danger to the hope which has been put before us, may have a strong comfort in two unchanging things, in which it is not possible for God to be false;

And this hope is like a strong band for our souls, fixed and certain, and going in to that which is inside the veil;

And to whom Abraham gave a tenth part of everything which he had, being first named King of righteousness, and then in addition, King of Salem, that is to say, King of peace;

And it is true that by the law, those of the sons of Levi who have the position of priests may take a tenth part of the people's goods; that is to say, they take it from their brothers though these are the sons of Abraham.

But there is no doubt that the less gets his blessing from the greater.

Now at the present time, men over whom death has power take the tenth; but then it was taken by one of whom it is witnessed that he is living.

And we may say that in Abraham, even Levi, who has a right to take the tenth part, gave it;

Because it is clear that our Lord comes out of Judah, and Moses said nothing about priests from that tribe.

That is to say, not made by a law based on the flesh, but by the power of a life without end:

(For those were made priests without an oath, but this one was made a priest with an oath by him who says of him, The Lord gave his oath, which he will not take back, that you are a priest for ever);

And it is true that there have been a great number of those priests, because death does not let them go on for ever;

So that he is fully able to be the saviour of all who come to God through him, because he is ever living to make prayer to God for them.

The law makes high priests of men who are feeble; but the word of the oath, which was made after the law, gives that position to a Son, in whom all good is for ever complete.

Now every high priest is given authority to take to God the things which are given and to make offerings; so that it is necessary for this man, like them, to have something for an offering.

Being servants of that which is a copy and an image of the things in heaven, as Moses, when he was about to make the Tent, had special orders from God: for, See, he said, that you make everything like the design which you saw in the mountain.

For if that first agreement had been as good as possible, there would have been no place for a second.

The Holy Spirit witnessing by this that the way into the holy place had not at that time been made open, while the first Tent was still in being;

But now Christ has come as the high priest of the good things of the future, through this greater and better Tent, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this world,

And for this cause it is through him that a new agreement has come into being, so that after the errors under the first agreement had been taken away by his death, the word of God might have effect for those who were marked out for an eternal heritage.

So that even the first agreement was not made without blood.

And because by God's law death comes to men once, and after that they are judged;

So that when he comes into the world, he says, You had no desire for offerings, but you made a body ready for me;

Then he said, See, I have come to do your pleasure. He took away the old order, so that he might put the new order in its place.

By that pleasure we have been made holy, by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for ever.

And has been waiting there from that time, till all who are against him are made a foot-rest for his feet.

By the new and living way which he made open for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

For you had pity on those who were in prison, and had joy in the loss of your property, in the knowledge that you still had a better property and one which you would keep for ever.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the sign that the things not seen are true.

By faith it is clear to us that the order of events was fixed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made from things which only seem to be.

By faith Enoch was taken up to heaven so that he did not see death; he was seen no longer, for God took him away: for before he was taken, witness had been given that he was well-pleasing to God:

And without faith it is not possible to be well-pleasing to him, for it is necessary for anyone who comes to God to have the belief that God is, and that he is a rewarder of all those who make a serious search for him.

So that from one man, who was near to death, came children in number as the stars in heaven, or as the sand by the seaside, which may not be numbered.

All these came to their end in faith, not having had the heritage; but having seen it with delight far away, they gave witness that they were wanderers and not of the earth.

For those who say such things make it clear that they are searching for a country for themselves.

But now their desire is for a better country, that is to say, for one in heaven; and so it is no shame to God to be named their God; for he has made ready a town for them.

Judging that God was able to give life even to the dead; and because of this he did get him back as if from death.

By faith Joseph, when his end was near, said that the children of Israel would go out of Egypt; and gave orders about his bones.

By faith Moses was kept secretly by his father and mother for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a fair child; and they had no fear of the king's orders.

Feeling that it was better to undergo pain with the people of God, than for a short time to have a taste of the pleasures of sin;

By faith he kept the Passover, and put the sign of the blood on the houses, so that the angel of destruction might not put their oldest sons to death.

Women had their dead given back to them living; others let themselves be cruelly attacked, having no desire to go free, so that they might have a better life to come;

Because God had kept some better thing for us, so that it was not possible for them to become complete without us.

Give thought to him who has undergone so much of the hate of sinners against himself, so that you may not be tired and feeble of purpose.

It is for your training that you undergo these things; God is acting to you as a father does to his sons; for what son does not have punishment from his father?

But if you have not that punishment of which we all have our part, then you are not true sons, but children of shame.

For they truly gave us punishment for a short time, as it seemed good to them; but he does it for our profit, so that we may become holy as he is.

And make straight roads for your feet, so that the feeble may not be turned out of the way, but may be made strong.

Looking with care to see that no man among you in his behaviour comes short of the grace of God; for fear that some bitter root may come up to be a trouble to you, and that some of you may be made unclean by it;

And that there may not be any evil liver, or any man without respect for God, like Esau, who let his birthright go for a plate of food.

For you have knowledge that even long after, when he was desiring the blessing for his heritage, he was turned away, though he made his request frequently and with weeping; because the past might not be changed.

And to the sound of a horn, and the voice of words, the hearers of which made request that not a word more might be said to them:

And the vision was so overpowering that even Moses said, I am shaking and full of fear.

See that you give ear to his voice which comes to you. For if those whose ears were shut to the voice which came to them on earth did not go free from punishment, what chance have we of going free if we give no attention to him whose voice comes from heaven?

And the words, Still one more, make it clear that there will be a taking away of those things which are shaking, as of things which are made, so that there may be only those things of which no shaking is possible.

If then, we have a kingdom which will never be moved, let us have grace, so that we may give God such worship as is pleasing to him with fear and respect:

So that we say with a good heart, The Lord is my helper; I will have no fear: what is man able to do to me?

For this reason Jesus was put to death outside the walls, so that he might make the people holy by his blood.

Let us then make offerings of praise to God at all times through him, that is to say, the fruit of lips giving witness to his name.

Give ear to those who are rulers over you, and do as they say: for they keep watch over your souls, ready to give an account of them; let them be able to do this with joy and not with grief, because that would be of no profit to you.

Make prayers for us, for we are certain that our hearts are free from the sense of sin, desiring the right way of life in all things.

Now may the God of peace, who made that great keeper of his flock, even our Lord Jesus, come back from the dead through the blood of the eternal agreement,