that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us;

to whom also Abraham gave a tenth share of all the spoil: being, as the interpretation of his name imports, first, King of righteousness, and then also King of Salem, that is, King of peace:

For they indeed of the sons of Levi, who are admitted to priesthood, have an order to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though also sprung from the loins of Abraham.

And here indeed dying men receive the tithes, but there he hath a testimony borne to him that he liveth.

If therefore there was perfection by the Levitical priesthood (for under that the people had the law given to them), what farther need was there that another priest should arise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

For it is evident that our Lord sprang from Judah; to which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning the priesthood;

and it is yet more abundantly evident, that there should arise another priest after the likeness of Melchisedec,

but this person, because he abideth for ever, hath a priesthood that passeth not over to another.

For every high-priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is necessary that this person also have somewhat to offer.

who perform the service after the figure and shadow of things in the heavens, as Moses was divinely instructed, when he was about to finish the tabernacle. "For see," saith God, "that thou make all things according to the model shewed thee on the mount."

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

not according to that covenant which I made with their fathers, in the day when I laid hold upon their hand to lead them up out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I took no longer care of them, saith the Lord.

the Holy Ghost thus signifying, that the way into the holies was not yet made manifest, whilst the first tabernacle held its station;

But Christ becoming the high-priest of future good things, through a better and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is, not of this creation;

how much more shall the blood of Christ, who, by the eternal Spirit, offered up himself in sacrifice without blemish to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works, that we may perform divine service to the living God?

And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that, death being suffered for the redemption of transgressions committed against the first testament, they who are called might receive the promise of an eternal inheritance.

Wherefore also that first testament was not consecrated without blood.

There was a necessity therefore that the representations of the things in heaven should be purified by these; but the celestial things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

and not that he should often offer up himself in sacrifice, as the high-priest enters every year into the holies with blood not his own,

(for in that case he must have suffered often since the foundation of the world:) but now once for all at the consummation of the ages hath he been manifested for the abolishing sin by the sacrifice of himself.

For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin.

Having said before that sacrifice, and oblation, and whole burnt-offerings and sin-offerings thou hast not chosen, nor takest pleasure in, (which are offered according to the law,)

he then added, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He abolishes the first that he may establish the second.

Having therefore, brethren, entire liberty of entrance into the holies by the blood of Jesus??20 a way, which he hath consecrated for us, newly opened, and giving life, through the vail, that is, his flesh;

For ye have been fellow-sufferers with my bonds, and received with joy the plundering of your properties, knowing in yourselves that you have in the heavens a better substance, and permanent.

For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye may receive the promise.

For yet a little, very little while, and he that is coming will come, and will not delay.

By faith we understand that the worlds were exactly formed by the word of God, so that the visible objects were not made out of things which now appear.

By faith Abel offered unto God a sacrifice of more excellence than Cain, by which he received a testimony that he was a righteous man, God bearing witness upon his gifts: and by this, though dead, he still speaketh.

But without faith it is impossible to be acceptable; for he must believe, who cometh unto God, that he exists, and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.

By faith also that very Sarah, who was barren, received ability for the conception of seed, and past the usual time of life brought forth a child, because she accounted that he who promised it, would be true to his promise.

All these died in faith, not having received the promises, but beholding them at a great distance, though believing and embracing them, and confessing that they were strangers and sojourners in the land.

Now they who speak thus, shew evidently that they are in earnest search of their native country.

And if indeed they had fixed their minds on that from whence they had gone forth, they might have had opportunity to go back to it again.

But now their longing desires are after a better country, that is, the heavenly one: wherefore God is not ashamed of them to be called their God: for he hath prepared a city for them.

unto whom it had been said, "That by Isaac shall there be a seed bearing thy name:"

reasoning that God was able to raise him up again, even from the dead; from whence also figuratively he had received him.

By faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, that the destroyer of the first-born might not touch them.

Women received by a resurrection their dead: but others were tortured, not accepting a release; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

God having provided for us something better, that without us they should not attain to perfection.

THEREFORE also seeing we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight, and that most easily besetting sin, let us run with patience the race lying before us,

Consider then attentively him that endured from sinners such opposition against himself, that ye be not wearied out, fainting in your souls.

For they indeed for a few days as seemed proper to themselves corrected us; but he for our own advantage, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

Wherefore stretch out again the hands that hang down, and the paralytic knees;

and make strait paths for your feet, that what is halting may not be turned out of the way; but that it may rather be healed.

For ye know, that when afterwards he wished to inherit the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place for a change of [his father's] mind, though he sought it earnestly with tears.

For ye have not approached the mountain that could only be groped for, and that burned with fire, and the thick cloud, and the darkness, and the tempest,

and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words, which they who heard, earnestly begged that the discourse might not be directed to them:

and so terrible was the appearance, that Moses said, I am exceedingly afraid and trembling:

and to Jesus the mediator of the new testament, and to the blood of sprinkling, which speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Beware that ye reject not him that speaketh: for if they escaped not, who rejected him, that upon earth spake by divine influence, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him who speaks from heaven:

Now this word yet once more manifests the removal of the things shaken, as of things formed, that the things not shaken may endure.

Wherefore receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, may we hold fast the grace, by which we can offer to God acceptably divine service, with reverence and pious awe:

So that we may with confidence say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.

For we have not here an abiding city, but we earnestly seek that which is to come.

By him therefore let us offer a sacrifice of praise perpetually to God, that is the fruit of our lips confessing his name.

Obey your presidents, and be subject to them: for they are vigilant for your souls, as being to render an account, that they may do it with joy, and not groaning: for that would be disadvantageous for you.

Pray for us: for we have confidence that we maintain a good conscience, in all things desirous to conduct ourselves with propriety.??19 But I entreat you the rather to do this, that I may the more speedily be restored to you.

make you fit for every good work to do his will, producing in you that which is acceptable in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory unto the everlasting ages. Amen.

Know that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you.

knowing that the proof of your faith produceth patience.

But let patience have its work perfected, that ye may be perfect and complete, deficient in nothing.

For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing from the Lord.

Of his own choice he produced us by the word of truth, that we might be a sort of first fruit of his creatures.??19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.

For if any man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man that looks at his natural face in a glass;

But he that looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and perseveres, this man not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, he shall be blessed in his practice.

Do they not blaspheme that honourable name by which ye are called?

For he that said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also, Thou shalt not commit murder. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, yet dost commit murder, thou art a transgressor of the law.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble.

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith consummated.

Observe therefore that by works a man is justified, and not by faith merely.

MY brethren, be not many teachers, knowing that we shall receive a severer judgment.

Behold, we put bits into the horses' mouths, that they may obey us, and we turn about their whole body.

And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: in such manner is the tongue placed among our members, that it defileth all the body, and setteth on fire the circle of nature; and is set on fire of hell.

Ye adulterers and adultresses, know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity against God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is set down an enemy to God.

Think ye that the scripture saith without meaning, The spirit which dwelleth in you strongly urges to envy?

Traduce not one another, brethren. He that traduceth his brother, and judgeth his brother, traduceth the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but as judge.

There is one lawgiver, who can save or destroy: who art thou that judgest another man?

Come now, ye that talk, To-day or to-morrow we will go to such a town, and do business there during one year, and traffic, and make great profits:

Instead of your saying, If the Lord pleases, and we are alive, then we will do this or that thing.

But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, nor by earth, nor by any other oath: but let your yea be yea, and your no, no; that ye fall not under condemnation.

Confess your offences one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed. The energetic prayer of a righteous man is mightily prevalent.

Elias was a man of like feelings with us, and he prayed fervently that it should not rain; and there fell no rain on the earth during three years and six months.

let him know, that he that converteth a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.

elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by sanctification of the Spirit, that they might be brought to the obedience, and sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ: grace unto you and peace be multiplied.

that the test of your faith (much more precious than that of gold, which is of a perishing nature, though proved by fire) may be found unto praise and honour and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ:

To whom it was revealed, that not for themselves, but for us were their ministrations employed in the things which are now declared unto you by those who have preached the gospel unto you by the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; on which things the angels bending forwards eagerly desire to gaze.

knowing that ye have not been redeemed out of your vain manner of life, derived traditionally from your fathers, by the corruptible things, silver and gold,

who by him believe in God, that raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

as new-born babes desire earnestly the unadulterated milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people acquired by purchase; that ye should publish abroad the excellencies of him, who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

having your conduct ornamental among the Gentiles: that, whereas they malign you as wicked doers, they may, being eye-witnesses of your good works, glorify God in the day when he visits them.

For such is the will of God, that by well doing ye hold under restraint the ignorance of foolish men:

For hereunto have ye been called, because Christ also hath suffered for you, leaving you a pattern, that ye should follow his steps;

who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead unto sins, might live unto righteousness; "by whose stripes, [even] his, ye were healed."

LIKEWISE, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, even if some obey not the word, by their wives' conduct without the word, they may be won over;

Whose adorning let it not be that exterior one of braided locks, and golden trimmings, and dresses put on with nicety;