None of this happened without an oath. For others became priests without an oath,

And the others who became priests were numerous, because death prevented them from continuing in office,

but He, on the other hand, because He Himself lives on forever, enjoys the only priesthood that has no successors in office.

who has no day by day need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices, first of all for his own [personal] sins and then for those of the people, because He [met all the requirements and] did this once for all when He offered up Himself [as a willing sacrifice].

If he had been on earth he would not have been a priest at all, because there are other priests who make the offerings ordered by the law;

These things being thus disposed, the priests went at all times into the first part of the tabernacle, to officiate the divine service. but into the other part,

So, on the one hand, the copies of the original things in heaven had to be purified with such sacrifices; but on the other hand, the original things themselves in heaven with better sacrifices than these.

Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;

On the other hand, through these sacrifices there is given a real reminder of their sins,

Every other priest stands officiating day after day and over and over again offering the same sacrifices, although they are unable to take away our sins.

And let us examine each other for provocation of love and good works.

not abandoning {our meeting together}, as [is] the habit of some, but encouraging [each other], and by so much more as you see the day drawing near.

For if we sin wilfully, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains any other sacrifice for sins,

sometimes by being made a spectacle, publicly exposed to insults and distress, and sometimes by becoming companions with those who were so treated.

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.

for they. that make such a declaration, show plainly that they seek some other country.

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

and others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

but if you were exempted from that discipline which others are subject to, then are you bastards, and not sons.

But go on doing good and giving to others, because God is well-pleased with such offerings.

Many of you, my brothers, should avoid becoming teachers, because you know that we teachers are going to be judged with stricter judgment than other people.

But if you have bitter envy in your heart and the desire to get the better of others, have no pride in this, talking falsely against what is true.

For where envy is, and the desire to get the better of others, there is no order, but every sort of evil-doing.

But the wisdom which is from heaven is first holy, then gentle, readily giving way in argument, full of peace and mercy and good works, not doubting, not seeming other than it is.

And the seed whose fruit is righteousness (spiritual maturity) is sown in peace by those who make peace [by actively encouraging goodwill between individuals].

You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your lust goes unfulfilled; so you murder. You are envious and cannot obtain [the object of your envy]; so you fight and battle. You do not have because you do not ask [it of God].

But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].”

Speak not against each other, brothers. He who speaks against a brother and judges his brother, speaks against law and judges law. But if thou judge law, thou are not a doer of law, but a judge.

There is one lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy, but thou, who are thou who judge the other man?

Your gold and silver have tarnished and their tarnish will be a testimony against you [i.e., you have hoarded your wealth instead of using it to benefit others], and they will devour your flesh as fire [i.e., your riches will ultimately consume you]. You have hoarded up your riches in these last days.

Do not grumble, brothers, against each other, so that ye not be judged. Behold, the judge stands before the doors.

But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath: but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; that ye fall not under judgment.

Confess ye the trespasses to each other, and pray for each other so that ye may be healed. A working supplication of a righteous man is very powerful.

On the one hand, he was foreknown before the creation of the world, but on the other hand, he was revealed at the end of time for your sake.

Men who have purified your souls in obedience of the truth through the Spirit for non-hypocritical brotherly love. Ye should love each other fervently from a pure heart,

other unto rulers, as unto them that are sent of him, for the punishment of evil doers: but for the laud of them that well do.

What credit can you claim when, after doing wrong, you take your punishment for it patiently? But, on the other hand, if, after doing right, you take your sufferings patiently, that does win the approval of God.

Whose apparel shall not be outward with broided hair, and hanging on of gold, other in putting on of gorgeous apparel:

Finally, all of you be like-minded [united in spirit], sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted [courteous and compassionate toward each other as members of one household], and humble in spirit;

not repaying evil for evil or insult for insult, but on the other hand blessing [others], because for this [reason] you were called, so that you could inherit a blessing.

He has [now] gone to heaven, and is [seated] at the right side of God, where the angels and [other] authorities and powers have been subjected to Him.

And, because you do not run to the same extremes of profligacy as others, they are astonished, and malign you.

Above all, have fervent and unfailing love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins [it overlooks unkindness and unselfishly seeks the best for others].

stranger-loving toward each other without complaints.

Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God.

If anyone has anything to say, let it be as the words of God; if anyone has the desire to be the servant of others, let him do it in the strength which is given by God; so that in all things God may have the glory through Jesus Christ, whose are the glory and the power for ever.

For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a meddler in other men's matters:

Likewise younger men should be subordinate to the elder men. And all being subordinate to each other, clothe yourselves with humility, because God sets himself against the haughty, but gives grace to the lowly.

Withstand him, firm in your faith; knowing that your brethren in other parts of the world are passing through just the same experiences.

Salute each other by a kiss of love. Peace to you, to all those in Christ Jesus. Truly.

for if you are possess'd of these virtues and improve therein, they will prevent the knowledge you have of our Lord Jesus Christ from being useless to others, and unprofitable to yourselves.

and spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;

and if God also condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by reducing them to ashes, thereby condemning them to catastrophic destruction, and making them an example to other ungodly people in the future;

Since all this is so, the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from temptation, and on the other hand how to keep the unrighteous under punishment in readiness for the Day of Judgement,

[This fate will come upon] those people especially who corrupt themselves with physical desires and despise being ruled by others. They are daring, self-willed, and are not afraid to speak against glorious beings [i.e., angels],

But these men, like beasts without reason, whose natural use is to be taken and put to death, crying out against things of which they have no knowledge, will undergo that same destruction which they are designing for others;

They suffer wrong themselves for doing wrong to other people. They consider it [especially] pleasurable to carry on their drunken revellings, [even] during the daytime. They become blots and blemishes [i.e., like spoiled food] in your fellowship meal, as they revel in their deceitful behavior.

Their eyes are filled with sexual lust, and they are never satisfied when it comes to sinning. They entice unstable people and have hearts trained to be greedy [i.e., they continually desire the possessions of others]. [In this condition] they are under God's curse.

whilst they promise others liberty, they themselves are slaves to their corrupt passions. for he that is vanquished, is a slave to the conqueror.

In them is verified the truth of the proverb, "A dog turns back to what he has vomited"; and of that other proverb, "A sow that has washed herself goes back to wallow in the mire."

as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from every sin.

My brethren, I don't prescribe you any new commandment, but the antient precept which you had from the beginning: and that is no other than the word which was originally delivered.

On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

Whoever continues to love his brother is always in the light, and he is no hindrance to others.

Because this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love each other.

not [hate each other] the way Cain did, who belonged to the evil one [i.e., Satan], when he murdered his brother [Abel]. And why did he murder him? It was because his [own] actions were evil and his brother's were righteous [See Heb. 11:4].

But, if our hearts condemn us [for not demonstrating God's love for others], surely God, who is greater than our hearts [will also condemn us], because He knows all things.

and we can be assured of receiving from God whatever we ask Him for, because we are obeying His commands [i.e., especially the one about loving others] and are practicing what is pleasing to Him.

And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love each other, just as he gave command.

Beloved, we should love each other. Because love is of God, and every man who loves has been begotten of God, and knows God.

The person who does not love [others] does not know God [as Savior], for [the very nature of] God is love.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also are obligated to love each other.

No man has ever seen God. If we love each other, God abides in us, and his love is in us, having been fully perfected.

And we have known [with certainty] and have believed [with assurance] that God has truly loved us. God's [very nature] is love and the person who [continually] loves [Him and others] lives in [fellowship with] God [continually], and God [continually] lives in that person's heart.

We love [God and others] because God has first loved us.

[This is being written by] the elder to the lady chosen [by God], and to her children [Note: The terms "lady" and "children" here refer to a congregation and the Christians who belong to it. See I Peter 5:13; II John 13], whom I love in the truth. [Note: Perhaps this phrase means "whom I truly love"]. And I am not the only one [to love you], but all those [other congregations] who know the truth [of God], also love you.

Unearned favor, mercy and peace will be with us from God, the Father, and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, in truth and love [i.e., truth and love will accompany the other blessings].

And now I beseech thee, lady, not as writing a new commandment to thee, but what we had from the beginning, that we would love each other.

Though I have many other things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink, but I hope to come visit you and speak face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

I wish, my beloved, you may be as prosperous with regard to your health and other circumstances, as in what concerns your soul.

My loved one, you are doing a good work in being kind to those brothers who come from other places;

So, if I come [to visit you], I will remind you of what he is doing, [such as] using wicked words to talk nonsense against us [apostles]. And, not being satisfied with that, he [also] refuses to welcome the [other] brothers, and prevents [other] people from doing so [i.e., from welcoming these brothers], and even kicks them out of the church [for trying to].

As, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, having in like manner to these given themselves over to fornication, and gone away after other kind of flesh, lie exposed as an example, a penalty of age-abiding fire, undergoing.

To these men, as to others, Enoch, the seventh in descent from Adam, declared-- 'See! the Lord has come with his hosts of holy ones around him,

These persons are grumblers, ever complaining about their lot. They live to satisfy their evil passions, their lips boast arrogant things, and they flatter others for personal gain.

And on some have compassion, making a difference; others save with fear,

and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, and hate the filthy vesture of the flesh.

Unto you I say, and unto others of them of Thyatira, as many as have not this learning, and which have not known the deepness of Satan, as they say; I will put upon you none other burden,

So because you are not one thing or the other, I will have no more to do with you.

Twenty-four [other] thrones surrounded the throne; and seated on these thrones were twenty-four elders dressed in white clothing, with crowns of gold on their heads.

And each of the four living beings had six wings [and] were covered with eyes all around them and [even] within them. And day and night they never stop saying, [Note: Some translations have "singing" here and at other places below], "Holy, holy, holy [is] the Lord God Almighty, who was [in the past] and who is [in the present] and who will come [in the future]."

And another horse came forth, fiery red. And it was given to him (to him who sits on it) to take peace from the earth, so that they would kill each other. And a great sword was given to him.

And there was given to every one a white robe, and they were ordered to take their rest for a little time, till the number was complete of the other servants, their brothers, who would be put to death, even as they had been.

And I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe, for them that dwell on the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, who are yet to sound.

The first woe is past. See! Two other woes are yet to come.

And they had no regret for putting men to death, or for their use of secret arts, or for the evil desires of the flesh, or for taking the property of others.

And those who dwell upon the earth rejoice over them, and will celebrate, and will give gifts to each other, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

Then there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; on the other side fought the dragon with his angels: but these were defeated,

This made the Dragon furiously angry with the woman, and he went elsewhere to make war upon her other children--those who keep God's commandments and hold fast to the testimony of Jesus.