A Serious Warning Against Falling Away

1 Let us pass on then to what is mature, leaving elementary Christian doctrine behind, instead of laying the foundation over again with repentance from dead works, with faith in God,

1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

1 Therefore (A)leaving (B)the (a)elementary teaching about the (b)Christ, let us press on to (c)(C)maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from (D)dead works and of faith toward God,

1 Therefore, leaving the elementary message about the Messiah, let us go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God,(A)

1 Therefore, leaving behind the elementary teachings about the Messiah, let us continue to be carried along to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead actions, faith toward God,

2 with instruction about ablutions and the laying on of hands, about the resurrection of the dead and eternal punishment.

2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

2 of (E)instruction about washings and (F)laying on of hands, and the (G)resurrection of the dead and (H)eternal judgment.

2 teaching about ritual washings,(a) laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.(B)

2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

3 With God's permission, we will take this step.

3 And this will we do, if God permit.

3 And this we will do, (I)if God permits.

3 And we will do this if God permits.

3 And this we will do, if God permits.

4 For in the case of people who have been once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly Gift, who participated in the holy Spirit,

4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

4 For in the case of those who have once been (J)enlightened and have tasted of (K)the heavenly gift and have been made (L)partakers of the Holy Spirit,

4 For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, became companions with the Holy Spirit,(C)

4 For it is impossible to keep on restoring to repentance time and again people who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have become partners with the Holy Spirit,

5 who tasted the goodness of God's word and the powers of the world to come, and then fell away ??6 it is impossible to make them repent afresh, since they crucify the Son of God in their own persons and hold him up to obloquy.

5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

5 and (M)have tasted the good (N)word of God and the powers of (O)the age to come,

5 tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age,

5 who have tasted the goodness of God's word and the powers of the coming age,

6 For land which absorbs the rain that often falls on it, and bears plants that are useful to those for whom it is tilled, receives a blessing from God;

6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

6 and then have fallen away, it is (P)impossible to renew them again to repentance, (d)(Q)since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.

6 and who have fallen away, because,(b) to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding Him up to contempt.(D)

6 and who have fallen away, as long as they continue to crucify the Son of God to their own detriment by exposing him to public ridicule.

7 whereas, if it produces thorns and thistles, it is reprobate and on the verge of being cursed ??its fate is to be burned.

7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:

7 For ground that drinks the rain which often (e)falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those (R)for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;

7 For ground that has drunk the rain that has often fallen on it and that produces vegetation useful to those it is cultivated for receives a blessing from God.

7 For when the ground soaks up rain that often falls on it and continues producing vegetation useful to those for whom it is cultivated, it receives a blessing from God.

God Will Not Forget You

8 Though I say this, beloved, I feel sure you will take the better course that means salvation.

8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and (S)close (f)to being cursed, and (g)it ends up being burned.

8 But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and will be burned at the end.(E)

8 However, if it continues to produce thorns and thistles, it is worthless and in danger of being cursed, and in the end will be burned.

9 God is not unfair; he will not forget what you have done, or the love you have shown for his sake in ministering, as you still do, to the saints.

9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

9 But, (T)beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that (h)accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.

9 Even though we are speaking this way, dear friends, in your case we are confident of the better things connected with salvation.

9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case, things that point to salvation.

10 It is my heart's desire that each of you would prove equally keen upon realizing your full hope to the very end,

10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

10 For (U)God is not unjust so as to forget (V)your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having (W)ministered and in still ministering to the (i)saints.

10 For God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love(c) you showed for His name when you served the saints—and you continue to serve them.(F)

10 For God is not so unjust as to forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have ministered to the saints and continue to minister to them.

11 so that instead of being slack you may imitate those who inherit the promises by their stedfast faith.

11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence (j)so as to realize the (X)full assurance of (Y)hope until the end,

11 Now we want each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the final realization of your hope,

11 But we want each of you to continue to be diligent to the very end, in order to give full assurance to your hope.

The Reliability Of God's Promise

12 For in making a promise to Abraham God swore by himself (since he could swear by none greater),

12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

12 so that you will not be sluggish, but (Z)imitators of those who through (AA)faith and patience (AB)inherit the promises.

12 so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance.(G)

12 Then, instead of being lazy, you will imitate those who are inheriting the promises through faith and patience.

13 I will indeed bless you and multiply you.

13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

13 For (AC)when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He (AD)swore by Himself,

13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself:

13 For when God made his promise to Abraham, he swore an oath by himself, since he had no one greater to swear by.

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

14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

14 saying, “(AE)I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.”

14 I will indeed bless you,and I will greatly multiply you.(H)(d)

14 He said, "I will certainly bless you and give you many descendants."

15 For as men swear by a greater than themselves, and as an oath means to them a guarantee that ends any dispute,

15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

15 And so, (AF)having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.

15 And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham(e) obtained the promise.

15 And so he obtained what he had been promised, because he patiently waited for it.

16 God, in his desire to afford the heirs of the Promise a special proof of the solid character of his purpose, interposed with an oath;

16 For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.

16 (AG)For men swear by (k)one greater than themselves, and with them (AH)an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.

16 For men swear by something greater than themselves, and for them a confirming oath ends every dispute.

16 For people swear by someone greater than themselves, and an oath given as confirmation puts an end to all argument.

17 so that by these two solid facts (the Promise and the Oath), where it is impossible for God to be false, we refugees might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us,

17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:

17 (l)In the same way God, desiring even more to show to (AI)the heirs of the promise (AJ)the unchangeableness of His purpose, (m)interposed with an oath,

17 Because God wanted to show His unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath,(I)

17 In the same way, when God wanted to make the unchangeable character of his purpose perfectly clear to the heirs of his promise, he guaranteed it with an oath,

18 anchoring the soul to it safe and sure, as it enters the inner Presence behind the veil.

18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

18 so that by two unchangeable things in which (AK)it is impossible for God to lie, we who have (n)taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of (AL)the hope set before us.

18 so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us.(J)

18 so that by these two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to prove false, we who have taken refuge in him might be encouraged to seize the hope set before us.

19 There Jesus entered for us in advance, when he became high priest for ever with the rank of Melchizedek.

19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

19 (o)This (AM)hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which (AN)enters (p)within the veil,

19 We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.(K)

19 That hope, firm and secure like an anchor for our souls, reaches behind the curtain

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