but in these latter days He has spoken to us through a Son, whom He had appointed lawful owner of everything, and through whom He had made the worlds.

Are not the angels all attending spirits sent forth to serve for the sake of those who are going to be unceasing possessors of salvation?

how can we escape, if we pay no attention at all to a salvation that is so great? This is so because it was first proclaimed by the Lord Himself, and then it was proved to us to be valid by the very men who heard Him themselves,

but we do see Jesus, who was made inferior to the angels for a little while, crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by God's favor He might experience death for every human being.

For it was appropriate for Him, who is the Final Goal and the First Cause of the universe, in bringing many children to glory, to make the Leader in their salvation perfect through the process of sufferings.

For both He who is purifying them and those who are being purified all spring from one Father; so He is not ashamed to call them brothers,

Since then the children mentioned share our mortal nature, He too took on Himself a full share of the same, in order that He by His death might put a stop to the power of him who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

and set at liberty those who all their lifetime had been subject to slavery because of their dread of death.

Therefore, my Christian brothers, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the Messenger and High Priest whom we profess to follow,

to see how faithful He was to God who appointed Him, just as Moses was in all the house of God.

For just as the man who builds a house has greater glory than the house, by just so much is Jesus judged to be worthy of greater glory than Moses.

For who was it that heard and yet provoked Him? Was it not all who came out of Egypt led by Moses?

With whom was He disgusted forty years? Was it not with those who had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the desert?

To whom did He take oath that they should not be admitted to His rest, if it was not to those who disobeyed Him?

For we have had the good news told to us as well as they, but the message heard did them no good, because they were not by faith made one with those who heeded it.

For we who have believed are being admitted to that rest, just as He has said: "As in my anger I took oath, they shall not be admitted to my rest," although God's works had been completed at the creation of the world.

Since then it still remains that some are being admitted to it and that those who first had the good news told to them were not admitted because of disobedience,

No creature of His can escape God's sight, but everything is bare and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we have to give account.

Since then we have in Jesus, the Son of God, a great High Priest who has gone right up to heaven itself, let us continue to keep a firm hold on our profession of faith in Him.

For we do not have a High Priest who is incapable of sympathizing with us in our weaknesses, but we have One who was tempted in every respect as we are, and yet without committing any sin.

For every high priest who is taken from men is appointed to officiate on behalf of men in matters relating to God, that is, to offer gifts and sin-offerings.

So Christ too did not take upon Himself the glory of being appointed High Priest, but it was God who said: "You are my Son; I have today become your Father,"

For during His human life He offered up prayers and entreaties, crying aloud with tears to Him who was always able to save Him out of death, and because of His beautiful spirit of worship His prayer was heard.

and because He was perfectly qualified for it He became the author of endless salvation for all who obey Him,

For everyone who uses milk alone is inexperienced in the message of right-doing; he is only an infant.

But solid food belongs to full-grown men who on account of constant use have their faculties trained to distinguish good and evil.

For it is impossible for those who have once for all been enlightened and have experienced the gift from heaven, who have been made sharers of the Holy Spirit

so that you may not grow careless, but may follow the example of those who through their faith and patient endurance are now possessors of the blessings promised.

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,

so that by these two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to prove false, we who have taken refuge with Him may have encouragement strong enough to make us seize upon the hope that lies ahead of us.

For this man Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was coming back from the defeat of the kings, and put his blessing on him,

to whom Abraham contributed a tenth of all his spoils, who first of all, in accordance with the meaning of his name, is king of righteousness, and then king of Salem, which means king of peace;

And those of the descendants of Levi who accept the priesthood are authorized by the law to collect a tenth from the people; that is, from their own brothers, though they have sprung from Abraham.

But in this case, the man whose ancestry is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham, and put his blessing on the man who had the promises from God.

In the one case, mortal men collect the tenth, in the other, one who, as the witness states, lives on.

And I might almost say, Levi too, who now collects the tenth, through Abraham paid the tenth,

For He of whom this is said became a member of a different tribe no member of which ever officiated at the altar.

who is appointed not on the basis of a physical qualification but on the basis of a power flowing from a life that cannot end.

Therefore, because He Himself lives always to intercede for them always, He is able to save completely any and all who come to God through Him.

who does not need, as did the Levitical priests, to offer sacrifices, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; this latter is just what He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

For the law appoints imperfect men as high priests, but the assertion about the taking of an oath, which was spoken after the time of the law, appoints a Son who is perfectly qualified to be High Priest forever.

Now the main point in what I am saying is this: We have such a High Priest as this, one who has taken His seat at the right hand of God's majestic throne in heaven

However, if He were still on earth, He would not be a priest at all, because there are those who officiate in accordance with the law in offering the gifts;

For if the blood of bulls and goats and a heifer's ashes sprinkling those who are ceremonially unclean purifies them with physical cleansing,

how much more surely will the blood of Christ, who with an eternal Spirit gave Himself a spotless offering to God, purify your consciences from works that mean mere death, to serve the ever living God?

And this is why He is the Mediator of a new covenant, in order that, after He had suffered death for securing redemption from the offenses committed under the first covenant, those who had been invited to share it might obtain the eternal inheritance promised them.

For when a will is made, it is necessary that the death of him who makes it be proved.

For a will is valid only after a man is dead, since it has no force whatever while the one who made it is alive.

so Christ was offered once for all to take away the sins of many, but again He will appear, without having anything to do with sin, to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him to bring them final salvation.

For since the law cast only a shadow of the blessings to come and did not possess the reality itself of those blessings, the priests with the same sacrifices that are perpetually offered year after year cannot make perfect those who come to worship.

Otherwise, would they not have ceased offering them, because those who offered them, having once been purified, would have had no further consciousness of sins?

For by that one sacrifice He has made perfect for all time those who are consecrated to Him.

let us, without ever wavering, keep on holding to the hope that we profess, for He is to be trusted who has made the promise,

Anyone who breaks the law of Moses pays the death penalty without any show of pity, on the evidence of two or three witnesses only.

How much severer punishment do you suppose that one deserves who tramples the Son of God underfoot, and counts as a common thing the blood of the covenant by which he was consecrated, and has insulted the Spirit that grants God's unmerited favor?

For we know who it was that said, "Vengeance belongs to me, I will pay back!" and again, "The Lord will be His people's judge."

partly by being exposed as a public spectacle to insults and violent sufferings, and partly by showing yourselves ready to share with those who were living in this condition.

For you showed sympathy with those who were in prison and cheerfully submitted to the violent seizure of your property, for you knew that you had in yourselves and in heaven one that was lasting.

but without faith it is impossible to please Him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that there is a God and that He gives rewards to all who earnestly try to find Him.

By faith he made his temporary home in the land that God had promised him, although a land inhabited by others, living merely in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were to share the promise with him.

By faith Sarah received strength to become pregnant, and actually gave birth to a child, although she was past the time of life for it, because she thought that He who made her the promise was to be trusted.

For people who make such a profession as this show that they are in search of a country of their own.

By faith Abraham, when he was put to the test, offered Isaac as a sacrifice; that is, he who had received the promise was starting to offer as a sacrifice his only son,

of whom it had been said, "Through Isaac your offspring must be traced."

By faith he left Egypt, because he was not afraid of the king's anger, for he persevered as though he were actually seeing Him who is unseen.

By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who disobeyed God, because she had welcomed the scouts as friends.

who by their faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, received new promises, shut the mouths of lions,

men of whom the world was not worthy, though wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and holes in the ground.

keeping our eyes on Jesus, the perfect leader and example of faith, who, instead of the joy which lay before Him, endured the cross with no regard for its shame, and since has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Yes, to keep from growing weary and fainthearted, just think of the examples set by Him who has endured so great opposition aimed at Him by sinful men!

For He disciplines everyone He loves, and chastises every son whom He heartily receives."

You must submit to discipline. God is dealing with you as His sons. For who is the son that his father never disciplines?

Furthermore, we had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we used to treat them with respect; how much more cheerfully should we submit to the Father of our spirits, and live!

Now for the time being no discipline seems to be pleasant; it is painful; later on, however, to those who are trained by it, it yields the fruit of peace which grows from upright character.

some immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.

to the festal gathering and assembly of God's firstborn sons enrolled as citizens in heaven, to a Judge who is the God of all, to the spirits of upright men who have attained perfection,

See to it that you do not refuse to listen to Him who is speaking to you. For if they did not escape, because they refused to listen to him who warned them here on earth, how much less can we, if we reject Him who is from heaven?

Continue to remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them, and those who are being ill-treated, since you, too, are liable to similar physical punishment.

Marriage must be held in honor by all, and the marriage relations kept sacred. Persons who are sexually vicious and immoral God will punish.

You must not forget your former leaders, for it was they who brought you the message of God. Consider how they closed their lives; imitate their faith.

Continue to obey and to be submissive to your leaders, for they are ever watching in defense of your souls, as men who will have to give account of their trust. Treat them in this way, so that they may work with joy and not with grief.

May God, who gives us peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, who through the blood by which He ratified the everlasting covenant, is now the Great Shepherd of the sheep,