For otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the ones who worship, having been purified once and for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?

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

For by the one offering He has perfected forever and completely cleansed those who are being sanctified [bringing each believer to spiritual completion and maturity].

and since we have a great and wonderful Priest [Who rules] over the house of God,

Let us hold fast the confession of the hope unwavering, (for he is faithful who has promised;)

(for He is faithful who hath promised) and let us observe each other to the incitement of love and good works:

but a kind of awful and terrifying expectation of [divine] judgment and the fury of a fire and burning wrath which will consume the adversaries [those who put themselves in opposition to God].

any one who did set at nought a law of Moses, apart from mercies, by two or three witnesses, doth die,

Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

for we have known Him who is saying, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will recompense, saith the Lord;' and again, 'The Lord shall judge His people;' --

on the one hand, when ye were made a spectacle both in reproaches and afflictions; and on the other, when ye became partakers with those who were passing through them.

For you showed sympathy and deep concern for those who were imprisoned, and you joyfully accepted the [unjust] seizure of your belongings and the confiscation of your property, conscious of the fact that you have a better possession and a lasting one [prepared for you in heaven].

for yet a very very little, He who is coming will come, and will not tarry;

And he whom I accept as righteous will find life through his faith. But if a man draws back, my heart can take no pleasure in him."

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, because of which he was reported to be righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through it, he who died still speaks.

By faith Enoch was taken away without experiencing death. He could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he won approval as one who pleased God.

But without faith it is impossible to please him. For he that draws near to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them who seek him out.

By faith [with confidence in God and His word] Noah, being warned by God about events not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his family. By this [act of obedience] he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which comes by faith.

'Twas by faith that he who was named Abraham, showed his obedience in travelling to a foreign country, which he was afterwards to inherit; and began his journey without knowing where he was going.

By faith he was a wanderer in the land of the agreement, as in a strange land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who had a part with him in the same heritage:

Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

wherefore, also from one were begotten -- and that of one who had become dead -- as the stars of the heaven in multitude, and as sand that is by the sea-shore -- the innumerable.

All these died in faith, not having taken the promises, but who saw and greeted them from afar, and who confessed that they were foreigners and sojourners on the earth.

For they who say such things shew clearly that they seek their country.

By faith Abraham, when tried, offered up Isaac, and he who had received to himself the promises offered up his only begotten son,

Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

He considered the reproach of the Christ [that is, the rebuke he would suffer for his faithful obedience to God] to be greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt; for he looked ahead to the reward [promised by God].

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

by faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, that He who is destroying the first-born might not touch them.

by faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with those who disbelieved, having received the spies with peace.

And what more shall I say? Time would fail me to tell of Gideon, of Barak and Samson and Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets ??33 men who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouth of lions,

Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, whose weakness was turned to strength, who became mighty in war, and put foreign armies to flight.

They were stoned to death, they were tortured to death, they were sawed in two, they were killed with the sword. Clothed in the skins of sheep or goats, they were driven from place to place, destitute, persecuted, misused??38 men of whom the world was not worthy wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and holes in the ground.

(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

And none of these who became martyrs through faith received the promise,

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider well him who endured so great contradiction from sinners against himself, that ye be not weary, fainting in your minds.

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

Moreover, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we submitted and respected them [for training us]; shall we not much more willingly submit to the Father of spirits, and live [by learning from His discipline]?

For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems sad and painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness [right standing with God and a lifestyle and attitude that seeks conformity to God’s will and purpose].

watching lest there be any one who lacks the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it;

Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

and to the noise of a trumpet, and to the sound of words which those who heard begged [that] not [another] word be spoken to them.

But you [Christians] have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. [Note: These terms describe people who have entered a spiritual relationship with God as part of the church]. [You have come] to a praise gathering of innumerable angels [Note: Christians are here pictured as assembled in worship of God, along with angels],

to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

And to Jesus by whom the new agreement has been made between God and man, and to the sign of the blood which says better things than Abel's blood.

See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

Therefore, let us, who have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken, be thankful, and so offer acceptable worship to God, with awe and reverence.

Remember those who are in prison, as if you were their fellow prisoner, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body [and subject to physical suffering].

Let marriage be kept honorable in every way, and the marriage bed undefiled. For God will judge those who commit sexual sins, especially those who commit adultery.

Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

Be not carried away with various and strange doctrines; for it is good that the heart be confirmed with grace, not meats; those who have walked in which have not been profited by them.

We have an altar of which they have no right to eat who serve the tabernacle;

for of whom the blood of the living ones is brought for sin into the holies by the chief priest, the bodies of these are burned without the camp.

Obey your [spiritual] leaders and submit to them [recognizing their authority over you], for they are keeping watch over your souls and continually guarding your spiritual welfare as those who will give an account [of their stewardship of you]. Let them do this with joy and not with grief and groans, for this would be of no benefit to you.

Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, even our Lord Jesus,

Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you.

Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who are from Italy greet you.

James, of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ a servant, to the Twelve Tribes who are in the dispersion: Hail!

But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

and let him ask in faith, nothing doubting, for he who is doubting hath been like a wave of the sea, driven by wind and tossed,

Such a man must not expect to get anything from the Lord??8 an irresolute person like him, who is uncertain about everything he does.

And let the brother who is low rejoice in his exaltation,

but the one who is rich should boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field.

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for, having been proved, he shall receive the crown of life, which He has promised to them that love him.

No one who is being tempted should say, "I am being tempted by God," for God {cannot be tempted} by evil, and he himself tempts no one.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

who hath of his own will begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.

Keep on being obedient to the word, and not merely being hearers who deceive themselves.

For if anyone only listens to the word without obeying it, he is like a man who looks very carefully at his natural face in a mirror;

who beheld himself, and went away, and immediately forgot what manner of man he was.

and he who did look into the perfect law -- that of liberty, and did continue there, this one -- not a forgetful hearer becoming, but a doer of work -- this one shall be happy in his doing.

The religion which is holy and free from evil in the eyes of our God and Father is this: to take care of children who have no fathers and of widows who are in trouble, and to keep oneself untouched by the world.

My brethren, you must not make distinctions between one man and another while you are striving to maintain faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our glory.

For if a man comes into your meeting place wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in,

and ye look upon him who wears the splendid apparel, and say, Do thou sit here well, and say to the poor, Do thou stand there, or sit here under my footstool:

Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters: has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and [as believers to be] heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

But you [in contrast] have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress and exploit you, and personally drag you into the courts of law?

Do they not blaspheme the precious name [of Christ] by which you are called?

A man who has kept the Law as a whole, but has failed to keep some one command, has become guilty of violating all.

For he who said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also, Thou shalt not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become transgressor of the law.

Speak and act [consistently] as people who are going to be judged by the law of liberty [that moral law that frees obedient Christians from the bondage of sin].

For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; but [to the one who has shown mercy] mercy triumphs [victoriously] over judgment.

And in the same way, was not the righteousness of Rahab, the loose woman, judged by her works, when she took into her house those who were sent and let them go out by another way?

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more severely than others.

for we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a mature man who is also able to control his whole body.

And again ships, though they are so great and are moved by violent winds, are turned by a very small guiding-blade, at the impulse of the man who is using it.

but who could ever tame the tongue? arm'd with deadly poison, the mischief scorns restraint.

Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God:

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

And the seed whose fruit is righteousness (spiritual maturity) is sown in peace by those who make peace [by actively encouraging goodwill between individuals].

O you who are false to God, do you not see that the friends of this world are not God's friends? Every man desiring to be a friend of this world makes himself a hater of God.

Or do you think that the Scripture says to no purpose that the [human] spirit which He has made to dwell in us lusts with envy?

But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].”

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you who are half-hearted towards God.