But we see Jesus who has been made a little something less than the heavenly agents, who, because of the suffering of death, has been crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God he would taste of death for every man.

For it was becoming in him - For the sake of whom are the all things, and by means of whom are the all things, - when, many sons, unto glory, he would lead, The Princely Leader of their salvation, through sufferings, to make perfect.

Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s household, as a testimony to what would be said in the future.

Wherefore, - according as saith the Holy Spirit - To-day, if, unto his voice ye would hearken, do not

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

So in my anger I swore a solemn oath that they would never enter my rest."

So long as it is said - To-day, if, unto his voice, ye would hearken, do not harden your hearts, - as in the embitterment.

And to whom did he swear [they would] not enter into his rest, except those who were disobedient?

For we who believe [that is, we who personally trust and confidently rely on God] enter that rest [so we have His inner peace now because we are confident in our salvation, and assured of His power], just as He has said,

“As I swore [an oath] in My wrath,
They shall not enter My rest,”

[this He said] although His works were completed from the foundation of the world [waiting for all who would believe].

Again, he marketh out a certain day, To-day, in David, saying - after so long a time as this, - according as it hath been said before: - To-day, if, unto his voice, ye would hearken, do not harden your hearts.

For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken about another day after these things.

Concerning Him we have much to say, and much that it would be difficult to make clear to you, since you have become so dull of apprehension.

And though by this time it would be right for you to be teachers, you still have need of someone to give you teaching about the first simple rules of God's revelation; you have become like babies who have need of milk, and not of solid food.

if those, I say, fell away, it would be impossible to bring them again to repentance; they would be crucifying the Son of God over again for themselves, and exposing him to open contempt.

And we desire that every one of you would shew the same diligence to acquire the full assurance of hope even unto the end:

that ye would not be sluggish, but imitators of them who through faith and patience are inheriting the promises.

Since God wanted to show conclusively to those who would inherit the promise [i.e., Abraham and all of his spiritual descendants], how unchangeable His purpose was, He confirmed it with an oath.

so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.

Now if perfection had been reached through the Levitical priesthood -- for on it as a basis even the law was enacted for the people-- what further need would there have been of appointing a different priest, with the rank of Melchizedek, instead of designating one with the rank of Aaron?

For certainly if he were on earth, he would not even be a priest, there being the priests who offer the gifts according to the law,

For if that first covenant had been faultless, then would no place have been sought for a second.

Not like the one that I made with their forefathers, On the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out from the land of Egypt, For they would not abide by their agreement with me, So I paid no attention to them,' says the Lord.

since, with foods and drinks and various [ceremonial] washings, they are only outward regulations imposed until the time when everything would be made right [i.e., under the New Agreement].

nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own.

since it would be necessary for him to suffer often, from the foundation of the world. But now once, at the end of the ages, he was made known for an annulment of sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Else would they not have ceased to be offered? because the worshippers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

For you had pity on those who were in prison, and had joy in the loss of your property, in the knowledge that you still had a better property and one which you would keep for ever.

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.

But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, and he went out without understanding where he was going.

Faith made even Sarah herself able to have a child, although she was past the time of life for it, because she thought, that he who had made the promise would keep it.

And if indeed they had been mindful of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.

By faith, Abraham, when tested, offered up Isaac, and, the only-begotten, would he have offered up, who the promises had accepted, -

By faith Joseph, when his end was near, said that the children of Israel would go out of Egypt; and gave orders about his bones.

Faith led Moses' parents to hide him for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child and they would not respect the edict of the king.

By faith he performed the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who was destroying the firstborn would not touch them.

And what shall I say further? For the time would fail me telling about Gideon, also Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets,

Women by a resurrection received their dead again; others endured tortures, because they would not accept release, that they might rise to a better life.

God having foreseen something superior concerning us, so that without us they would not be made fully perfect.

Think of the opposition that he encountered from those sinners against themselves, if you would not grow weary and faint-hearted.

Looking carefully lest any man fall short, away from the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness sprouting up would cause trouble, and by this many may be defiled,

For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Take care not to refuse to listen to him who is speaking. For if they could not escape because they would not listen to him who warned them here on earth, how much less can we, who reject him who is from heaven!

But he would yet once show the removal of the things shaken, as having been created, in order that the things unshaken may remain.

So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His contempt [the disgrace and shame that He had to suffer].

Give ear to those who are rulers over you, and do as they say: for they keep watch over your souls, ready to give an account of them; let them be able to do this with joy and not with grief, because that would be of no profit to you.