God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

and when again He may bring in the first-born to the world, He saith, 'And let them bow before him -- all messengers of God;'

But God said [this] about the angels [Psa. 104:4 LXX], "He [i.e., God] makes His angels to be [like] winds and His servants [like] flames of fire." [Note: The idea is probably that angels obediently serve God's purpose similar to the way wind and lightening do].

But God says [this] about the Son [Psa. 97:7], "Your throne [i.e. kingdom], O God [Note: This term here is applied to Jesus], will last forever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter [i.e., the standard for ruling] of your kingdom.

and - Thou, by way of beginning, Lord, the earth, didst found, and, the works of thy hands, are the heavens, -

They, shall perish, but, thou, abidest still, and, all, as a mantle, shall be worn out,

And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

But to which of the heavenly agents has he ever said, Sit thou by my right hand until I place thine enemies a footstool of thy feet?

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

For this reason [that is, because of God’s final revelation in His Son Jesus and because of Jesus’ superiority to the angels] we must pay much closer attention than ever to the things that we have heard, so that we do not [in any way] drift away from truth.

For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will.

For it was not for angels that he destined the control of that world to be, that we are speaking of.

and this is attested by a certain writer, who says, "what is man that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that thou visitest him?

putting all things under his feet. Now by putting all things under him, the writer meant to leave nothing out of his control. But, as it is, we do not yet see all things controlled by man;

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

For, both he that maketh holy, and they who are being made holy, are, all, of One; For which cause, he is not ashamed to be calling them, brethren,

saying, 'I will declare Thy name to my brethren, in the midst of an assembly I will sing praise to Thee;' and again, 'I will be trusting on Him;'

And again [He says],

“My trust and confident hope will be placed in Him.”

And again,

“Here I am, I and the children whom God has given Me.”

Therefore, since [these His] children share in flesh and blood [the physical nature of mankind], He Himself in a similar manner also shared in the same [physical nature, but without sin], so that through [experiencing] death He might make powerless (ineffective, impotent) him who had the power of death—that is, the devil—

and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death.

For he does not indeed take hold of angels by the hand, but he takes hold of the seed of Abraham.

Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

It is as he suffered by his temptations that he is able to help the tempted.

Therefore, holy brethren, sharers with others in a heavenly invitation, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest whose followers we profess to be.

For he hath been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by so much as he that built the house hath more honor than the house.

For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

but Christ [was faithful] as a son over his house, whose house we are, if we hold fast to our confidence and the hope we can be proud of.

Be not hard of heart, as when you made me angry, on the day of testing in the waste land,

Where your fathers tried me by proving me, And saw my works forty years.

As I swore in My anger, they shall not be admitted to My rest" --

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

As it is said, Today if you will let his voice come to your ears, be not hard of heart, as when you made him angry.

For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

But, with whom, was be sore vexed forty years? Was it not with them who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the desert?

And to whom did He swear [an oath] that they would not enter His rest, but to those who disobeyed [those who would not listen to His word]?

And so we see that it was owing to lack of faith that they could not be admitted.

Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still remains and is freely offered today, let us fear, in case any one of you may seem to come short of reaching it or think he has come too late.

For indeed we have had good tidings preached unto us, even as also they: but the word of hearing did not profit them, because it was not united by faith with them that heard.

We who have believed are soon to be admitted to the true rest; as He has said, "As I swore in My anger, they shall not be admitted to My rest," although God's works had been going on ever since the creation of the world.

and He has also declared, "They shall not be admitted to My rest."

Since, then, it is still true that some will be admitted to that rest, and that because of disobedience those who formerly had Good News proclaimed to them were not admitted,

again he ordains a certain day, today, speaking by David after so long a time, just as had been said before, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts."

For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not after this be speaking of another day.

So there must still be a promised Sabbath of Rest for God's people.

May we be diligent, then, to enter into that rest, that no one in the same example of the unbelief may fall,

And there is, no created thing, can be secreted before him, but, all things, are naked and exposed to his eyes: - as to whom is, our discourse.

Having then a great high priest, who has made his way through the heavens, even Jesus the Son of God, let us be strong in our faith.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

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.

For, every high-priest who from among men is taken, on behalf of men, is appointed, as to the things pertaining unto God, that he may be offering bothgifts and sacrifices for sins, -

able to be gentle to those ignorant and going astray, since himself also is compassed with infirmity;

And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.

And no one takes the honour to himself but as called by God, even as Aaron also.

So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.

Who, in the days of his flesh, having offered up, both supplications and entreaties unto him that was able to save him out of death, with mighty outcries and tears, and been hearkened to by reason of his devoutness,

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

And by being perfected in this way, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,

addressed by God as high priest according to the order of Melchisedec.

Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

By people who live on milk I mean those who are imperfectly acquainted with the teaching concerning righteousness.

But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Therefore let us get past the elementary stage in the teachings about the Christ, advancing on to maturity and perfection and spiritual completeness, [doing this] without laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

[These are people] who were once enlightened [by the Gospel message], who had experienced the gift from heaven [i.e., forgiveness, never ending life, etc. See Rom. 6:23], who had partaken of the Holy Spirit [See Acts 2:38],

And have tasted God's utterance to be, sweet, mighty works also of a coming age,

And then let themselves be turned away, it is not possible for their hearts to be made new a second time; because they themselves put the Son of God on the cross again, openly shaming him.

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:

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

For God [is] not unjust, [so as] to forget your work and the love which you demonstrated for his name [by] having served the saints, and continuing to serve [them].

But we covet that, each one of you, be shewing forth the same diligence, unto the full assurance of the hope throughout:

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

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

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

And so, [by] persevering, he obtained the promise.

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

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

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:

For Melchizedek, the king of Salem, a priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham on his return from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him ??2 who had a tenth part of everything assigned him by Abraham ??this Melchizedek is primarily a king of righteousness (that is the meaning of his name); then, besides that, king of Salem (which means, king of peace).

To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

Without [any record of] father or mother, nor ancestral line, without [any record of] beginning of days (birth) nor ending of life (death), but having been made like the Son of God, he remains a priest without interruption and without successor.

But see how great he must be, if Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe of his plunder.

And those of the descendants of Levi who receive the priesthood are authorized by the Law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brethren, though these have sprung from Abraham.

and he who was not reckoned by genealogy of them, received tithes from Abraham, and him having the promises he hath blessed,

But beyond all gainsaying, the inferior is blessed by the better.

Furthermore, here [in the Levitical priesthood] tithes are received by men who are subject to death; but in that case [concerning Melchizedek], they are received by one of whom it is testified that he lives on [perpetually].

and, so to speak, through Abraham, Levi also, who received tithes, has been made to pay tithes.

If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must be a change of law as well.

And, yet more abundantly evident it is - that, according to the likeness of Melchizedek, there is to be raised up, a different priest.

and hold His office not in obedience to any temporary Law, but by virtue of an indestructible Life.

For, a setting aside, doth, indeed, take place, of a foregoing commandment, by reason of its own weakness and unprofitableness, -