The Son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Thus he became so far better than the angels as he has inherited a name superior to theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my son! Today I have fathered you"? And in another place he says, "I will be his father and he will be my son."

You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. So God, your God, has anointed you over your companions with the oil of rejoicing."

Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

For if the message spoken through angels proved to be so firm that every violation or disobedience received its just penalty,

You put all things under his control." For when he put all things under his control, he left nothing outside of his control. At present we do not yet see all things under his control,

but we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God's grace he would experience death on behalf of everyone.

For indeed he who makes holy and those being made holy all have the same origin, and so he is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil),

For surely his concern is not for angels, but he is concerned for Abraham's descendants.

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.

who is faithful to the one who appointed him, as Moses was also in God's house.

Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken.

But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. We are of his house, if in fact we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope we take pride in.

"There your fathers tested me and tried me, and they saw my works for forty years.

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that forsakes the living God.

But exhort one another each day, as long as it is called "Today," that none of you may become hardened by sin's deception.

So we see that they could not enter because of unbelief.

For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, "As I swore in my anger, 'They will never enter my rest!'" And yet God's works were accomplished from the foundation of the world.

So God again ordains a certain day, "Today," speaking through David after so long a time, as in the words quoted before, "O, that today you would listen as he speaks! Do not harden your hearts."

For the one who enters God's rest has also rested from his works, just as God did from his own works.

Thus we must make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by following the same pattern of disobedience.

So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming high priest, but the one who glorified him was God, who said to him, "You are my Son! Today I have fathered you,"

On this topic we have much to say and it is difficult to explain, since you have become sluggish in hearing.

For though you should in fact be teachers by this time, you need someone to teach you the beginning elements of God's utterances. You have gone back to needing milk, not solid food.

For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints.

so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises.

And so by persevering, Abraham inherited the promise.

In the same way God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise that his purpose was unchangeable, and so he intervened with an oath,

so that we who have found refuge in him may find strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us through two unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie.

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

For he was still in his ancestor Abraham's loins when Melchizedek met him.

So if perfection had in fact been possible through the Levitical priesthood -- for on that basis the people received the law -- what further need would there have been for another priest to arise, said to be in the order of Melchizedek and not in Aaron's order?

but Jesus did so with a sworn affirmation by the one who said to him, "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest forever'" --

So he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. So this one too had to have something to offer.

The place where they serve is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary, just as Moses was warned by God as he was about to complete the tabernacle. For he says, "See that you make everything according to the design shown to you on the mountain."

It contained the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered entirely with gold. In this ark were the golden urn containing the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.

So with these things prepared like this, the priests enter continually into the outer tent as they perform their duties.

and he entered once for all into the most holy place not by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood, and so he himself secured eternal redemption.

And so he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance he has promised, since he died to set them free from the violations committed under the first covenant.

So even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood.

So it was necessary for the sketches of the things in heaven to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves required better sacrifices than these.

For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands -- the representation of the true sanctuary -- but into heaven itself, and he appears now in God's presence for us.

so also, after Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, to those who eagerly await him he will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to bring salvation.

For otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have been purified once for all and so have no further consciousness of sin?

So when he came into the world, he said, "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me.

not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near.

but only a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire that will consume God's enemies.

So do not throw away your confidence, because it has great reward.

For you need endurance in order to do God's will and so receive what is promised.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.

For by it the people of old received God's commendation.

By faith we understand that the worlds were set in order at God's command, so that the visible has its origin in the invisible.

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death, and he was not to be found because God took him up. For before his removal he had been commended as having pleased God.

So in fact children were fathered by one man -- and this one as good as dead -- like the number of stars in the sky and like the innumerable grains of sand on the seashore.

These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth.

By faith, when Moses was born, his parents hid him for three months, because they saw the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king's edict.

By faith, when he grew up, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,

choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to enjoy sin's fleeting pleasure.

By faith he left Egypt without fearing the king's anger, for he persevered as though he could see the one who is invisible.

By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the one who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.

By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if on dry ground, but when the Egyptians tried it, they were swallowed up.

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets.

For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us,

Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up.

And have you forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons? "My son, do not scorn the Lord's discipline or give up when he corrects you.

For they disciplined us for a little while as seemed good to them, but he does so for our benefit, that we may share his holiness.

and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but be healed.

Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, for without it no one will see the Lord.

See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God, that no one be like a bitter root springing up and causing trouble, and through him many become defiled.

And see to it that no one becomes an immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.

In fact, the scene was so terrifying that Moses said, "I shudder with fear."

and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks of something better than Abel's does.

Now this phrase "once more" indicates the removal of what is shaken, that is, of created things, so that what is unshaken may remain.

So since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us give thanks, and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe.

So we can say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

Remember your leaders, who spoke God's message to you; reflect on the outcome of their lives and imitate their faith.

You should know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he comes soon, he will be with me when I see you.