I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well).

For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.

“Therefore I was angry with this generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they did not know My ways’;

and again in this passage, “They shall not enter My rest.”

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

And this we will do, if God permits.

But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil,

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils.

In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on.

And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek,

who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer.

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
After those days, says the Lord:
I will put My laws into their minds,
And I will write them on their hearts.
And I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.

For there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread; this is called the holy place.

The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing,

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;

For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.”

And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,

By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

“This is the covenant that I will make with them
After those days, says the Lord:
I will put My laws upon their heart,
And on their mind I will write them,”
He then says,

This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

And I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you the sooner.

But I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.

This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;

But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.

This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.

Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,

As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries,

But the word of the Lord endures forever.”
And this is the word which was preached to you.

For this is contained in Scripture:
“Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone,
And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,
“The stone which the builders rejected,
This became the very corner stone,”

and,
“A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”;
for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.

For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.

For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.

For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,

For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands;

In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you;

For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.

but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.

Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,

for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder,

For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”—

and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,

promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.

This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder,

Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,

For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water,

But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.

Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,

This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.

but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.

Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.

This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;

We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him

This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.

The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;

and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.

And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son.

And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this.

And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;

I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.