God, who in ancient days spoke to our ancestors in the prophets, at many different times and by various methods,

in these last days has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds.

who being the effulgence of his glory, and the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

For to whom of the angels said He at any time, "You are My Son; I this day have begotten you?" And again, "I will be to him a Father; and He shall be to me a Son?"

Of the angels he says, "Who makes his angels winds, and his servants a flame of fire."

Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of exultation above those who partake with thee."

But of which of the angels has he said at any time, Take your seat at my right hand till I put all those who are against you under your feet?

Are not they all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?which at the first having been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard;

[and besides this evidence] God also testifying with them [confirming the message of salvation], both by signs and wonders and by various miracles [carried out by Jesus and the apostles] and by [granting to believers the] gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

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?

But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone.

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

For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers,

Again, "I will put my trust in him." Again, "Behold, here I am with the children whom God has given me."

Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

For assuredly it is not angels, nay, it is the offspring of Abraham, whom he is ever taking by the hand.

For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

WHEREFORE, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, contemplate the apostle and high-priest whom ye confess, Jesus Christ;

who was faithful to him who appointed him, as also was Moses in all his house.

For he has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who built the house has more honor than the house.

For every house is built by someone; but he who built all things is God.

Moses was faithful in all God's household as a servant who was to testify to what would be said later,

but Christ is faithful as a Son over His [Father’s] house. And we are His house if we hold fast our confidence and sense of triumph in our hope [in Christ].

whom our fathers tempted in proving me, and saw my works forty years.

For who, when they heard, rebelled? No, did not all those who came out of Egypt by Moses?

With whom was he displeased forty years? Was not it with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?

To whom did he swear that they would not enter into his rest, but to those who were disobedient?

For indeed we have had good news preached to us, even as they also did, but the word they heard did not profit them, because they were not united by faith with those who heard.

For we who have believed do enter into that rest, even as he has said, "As I swore in my wrath, they will not enter into my rest;" although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Seeing therefore it remains that some should enter therein, and they to whom the good news was before preached failed to enter in because of disobedience,

For he who has entered into his rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from his.

Because of this, let us have a strong desire to come into that rest, and let no one go after the example of those who went against God's orders.

There is no creature that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Having then a great high priest, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold tightly to our confession.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.

Every high priest who is taken from among men is given his position to take care of the interests of men in those things which have to do with God, so that he may make offerings for sins.

The high priest can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, because he himself is also surrounded with weakness.

And no man assumes to himself this honour, but he who is called of God, even as Aaron was.

So also Christ did not glorify himself to be made a high priest, but it was he who said to him, "You are my Son. Today I have become your father."

And He says in another place [Psa. 110:4], "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." [Note: This is the first mention of this mysterious Old Testament priest who, throughout this book, is represented as a type of Christ].

In the days of his flesh, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.

Having been made perfect, he became to all of those who obey him the author of eternal salvation,

Concerning whom we have much to discourse, and of difficult interpretation to explain, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

For though ye ought for the time to be teachers of others, ye have again need that some one teach you the leading principles of the oracles of God; and are become as those who need milk, and not solid food.

For everyone who lives on milk is not experienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby.

But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

And we will do so [i.e., go on to more advanced teaching] if God allows us to. For it is impossible to get people who have [completely] fallen away [from God] to repent again, because they [continue to] crucify for themselves God's Son all over again, and hold Him up to contempt.

For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,

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

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.

For the earth which imbibes the rain which often falls upon it, and bringeth forth herbage suitable for those by whom it is cultured, receiveth a blessing from God;

For God is not unrighteous to forget your work, and the labor of love that ye showed toward his name, having served the sanctified, and who are serving.

that you won't be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherited the promises.

For when God made His promise to Abraham, He took an oath by Himself, since He had no one greater by whom He could take it,

For men indeed swear by one who is greater, and the oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.

Therefore, God in his desire to make it perfectly clear to those to whom he made his promise, that his purpose was unalterable, bound himself with an oath,

that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us.

Where a forerunner in our behalf hath entered, even Jesus, who, according to the rank of Melchizedek, hath become, a high-priest unto times age-abiding.

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace;

Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the best spoils.

They indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest's office have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the Law, that is, of their brothers, though these have come out of the body of Abraham,

but he whose genealogy is not counted from them has accepted tithes from Abraham, and has blessed him who has the promises.

Yet it is beyond all dispute that the lesser person is always blessed by the greater one.

Here people who die receive tithes, but there one receives tithes of whom it is testified that he lives.

We can say that through Abraham even Levi, who receives tithes, has paid tithes,

Now if it was possible for things to be made complete through the priests of the house of Levi (for the law was given to the people in connection with them), what need was there for another priest who was of the order of Melchizedek and not of the order of Aaron?

For he of whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar.

And this is even more clear if a second priest has come up who is like Melchizedek,

who has been made, not after the law of a fleshly commandment, but after the power of an endless life:

And as he was not [constituted] without swearing,??21 for they were made priests without swearing, but he with swearing by him who says to him, The Lord swore, and he will not change, You are a priest forever;??22 by so much is Jesus the pledge of a better covenant.

(for they indeed were made priests without an oath; but he with an oath, by him who said unto him, "The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:")

And they indeed are many who were made priests, because by death they were prevented from abiding [in their office]:

Therefore he is also able to save completely those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them.

It was right for us to have such a high priest, one who is holy and without evil, doing no wrong, having no part with sinners, and made higher than the heavens:

who does not need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself.

For the Law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath which came after the Law appoints a Son forever who has been perfected.

Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this. We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tent set up by the Lord and not by any human.

Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, seeing there are priests who offer the gifts according to the Law;

who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses was warned by God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for he said, "See, you shall make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain."

which figurative representation [continues] unto the present time, according to which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which cannot, with respect to conscience, make him perfect who performs the services,

For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh:

how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

For this reason he is the mediator of a New Covenant, since a death has occurred for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, that those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

For where a last will and testament is, there must of necessity be the death of him who made it.

For a will is in force where there has been death, for it is never in force while he who made it lives.

Nor does he go in to offer himself over and over again, like the high priest who enters the sanctuary year after year, taking with him blood that is not his own,

so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, without sin, to those who are eagerly waiting for him for salvation.

For the Law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near.

else they would have discontinued to make the offering, because they who performed the service being once made clean, would have had no more sense of sins on their conscience.

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

For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

and having an high priest, who is established over the house of God,

let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering; for he who promised is faithful.

(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].

A man who disregards the Law of Moses dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses.