but in these days at the end he has spoken to us by a Son ??a Son whom he appointed heir of the universe, as it was by him that he created the world.

how shall we escape the penalty for neglecting a salvation which was originally proclaimed by the Lord himself and guaranteed to us by those who heard him,

For the world to come, of which I am speaking, was not put under the control of angels.

what we do see is Jesus who was put lower than the angels for a little while to suffer death, and who has been crowned with glory and honour that by God's grace he might taste death for everyone.

In bringing many sons to glory, it was befitting that He for whom and by whom the universe exists, should perfect the Pioneer of their salvation by suffering.

he is faithful to Him who appointed him. For while Moses also was faithful in every department of God's house,

Besides, while Moses was faithful in every department of God's house as an attendant ??by way of witness to the coming revelation ??6 Christ is faithful as a Son over God's house. Now we are this house of God, if we will only keep confident and proud of our hope.

Who heard and yet provoked him? Was it not all who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses?

And with whom was he exasperated for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the desert?

Thus we see it was owing to unbelief that they could not enter.

For we have had the good news as well as they; only, the message they heard was of no use to them, because it did not meet with faith in the hearers.

Also, it is an office which no one elects to take for himself; he is called to it by God, just as Aaron was.

Similarly Christ was not raised to the glory of the high priesthood by himself but by Him who declared to him, Thou art my son, to-day have I become thy father.

In the days of his flesh, with bitter cries and tears, he offered prayers and supplications to Him who was able to save him from death; and he was heard, because of his godly fear.

Thus, Son though he was, he learned by all he suffered how to obey,

Thus it was that Abraham by his stedfastness obtained what he had been promised.

for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

Further, if the Levitical priesthood had been the means of reaching perfection (for it was on the basis of that priesthood that the Law was enacted for the People), why was it still necessary for another sort of priest to emerge with the rank of Melchizedek, instead of simply with the rank of Aaron

A better Hope, because it was not promised apart from an oath.

Such was the high priest for us, saintly, innocent, unstained, lifted high above the heavens, far from all contact with the sinful,

(men who serve a mere outline and shadow of the heavenly ??as Moses was instructed, when he was about to execute the building of the tabernacle: see, God said, that you make everything on the pattern shown you upon the mountain).

A tent was set up, the outer tent, containing the lampstand, the table, and the loaves of the Presence; this is called the Holy place.

But behind the second veil was the tent called the Holy of Holies,

By this the holy Spirit means that the way into the Holiest Presence was not disclosed so long as the first tent

(which foreshadowed the present age) was still standing, with its offerings of gifts and sacrifices which cannot possibly make the conscience of the worshipper perfect,

But when Christ arrived as the high priest of the bliss that was to be, he passed through the greater and more perfect tent which no hands had made (no part, that is to say, of the present order),

Hence even the first covenant of God's will was not inaugurated apart from blood;

Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, like the high priest entering the holy place every year with blood that was not his own: ??26 for in that case he would have had to suffer repeatedly, ever since the world was founded. Nay, once for all, at the end of the world, he has appeared with his self-sacrifice to abolish sin.

How much heavier, do you suppose, will be the punishment assigned to him who has spurned the Son of God, who has profaned the covenant-blood with which he was sanctified, who has insulted the Spirit of grace?

It was for this that the men of old won their record.

It is by faith we understand that the world was fashioned by the word of God, and thus the visible was made out of the invisible.

It was by faith that Abel offered God a richer sacrifice than Cain did, and thus won from God the record of being 'just,' on the score of what he gave; he died, but by his faith he is speaking to us still.

It was by faith that Enoch was taken to heaven, so that he never died (he was not overtaken by death, for God had taken him away). For before he was taken to heaven, his record was that he had satisfied God;

It was by faith that Noah, after being told by God what was still unseen, reverently constructed an ark to save his household; thus he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that follows faith.

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed his call to go forth to a place which he would receive as an inheritance; he went forth, although he did not know where he was to go.

It was by faith that he sojourned in the promised land, as in a foreign country, residing in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob who were co-heirs with him of the same promise;

he was waiting for the City with its fixed foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

It was by faith that even Sara got strength to conceive, bearing a son when she was past the age for it ??because she considered she could rely on Him who gave the promise.

Thus a single man, though he was physically impotent, had issue in number like the stars in heaven, countless as the sand on the seashore.

It was by faith, when Abraham was put to the test, that he sacrificed Isaac, he was ready to sacrifice his only son, although he had received the promises

and had been told that it is through Isaac that your offspring shall be reckoned ??19 for he considered that God was able even to raise men from the dead. Hence he did get him back, by what was a parable of the resurrection.

It was by faith that Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in connexion with the future.

It was by faith that, when Jacob was dying, he blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bending in prayer over the head of his staff.

It was by faith that Joseph at his end thought about the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders about his own bones.

It was by faith that Moses was hidden for three months after birth by his parents, because they saw the child was beautiful, and had no fear of the royal decree.

It was by faith that Moses refused, when he had grown up, to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

It was by faith that he left Egypt, not from any fear of the king's wrath; like one who saw the King Invisible, he never flinched.

It was by faith that he celebrated the passover and performed the sprinkling by blood, so that the destroying angel might not touch Israel's first-born.

It was by faith that they crossed the Red Sea like dry land ??and when the Egyptians attempted it they were drowned.

It was by faith that the walls of Jericho collapsed, after being surrounded for only seven days.

It was by faith that Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, as she had welcomed the scouts peaceably.

(men of whom the world was not worthy), wanderers in the desert and among the hills, in caves and gullies.

For while their discipline was only for a time, and inflicted at their pleasure, he disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his own holiness.

You know how later on, when he wanted to obtain his inheritance of blessing, he was set aside; he got no chance to repent, though he tried for it with tears.

(for they could not bear the command, If even a beast touches the mountain, it must be stoned) ??21 indeed, so awful was the sight that Moses said, I am terrified and aghast.