Many were the forms and fashions in which God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets,

thou wilt roll them up like a mantle and they win be changed, but thou art the same, and thy years will never fail.'

Therefore I grew exasperated with that generation, I said, 'They are always astray in their heart': They would not learn my ways;

And to whom did he swear that they would never enter his Rest? To whom but those who disobeyed?

Thus if Joshua had given them Rest, God would not speak later about another day.

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

Were he on earth, he would not be a priest at all, for there are priests already to offer the gifts prescribed by Law

For if the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second.

on the day I took them by the hand to lead out of Egypt's land; for they would not hold to my covenant, so I let them alone, saith the Lord.

Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, like the high priest entering the holy place every year with blood that was not his own: ??26 for in that case he would have had to suffer repeatedly, ever since the world was founded. Nay, once for all, at the end of the world, he has appeared with his self-sacrifice to abolish sin.

Otherwise, they would surely have ceased to be offered; for the worshippers, once cleansed, would no longer be conscious of sins!

It was for this that the men of old won their record.

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed his call to go forth to a place which he would receive as an inheritance; he went forth, although he did not know where he was to go.

If they thought of the land they have left behind, they would have time to go back,

And what more shall I say? Time would fail me to tell of Gideon, of Barak and Samson and Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets ??33 men who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouth of lions,

God had something better in store for us; he would not have them perfected apart from us.

Obey your leaders, submit to them; for they are alive to the interests of your souls, as men who will have to account for their trust. Let their work be a joy to them and not a grief ??which would be a loss to yourselves.