but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

And the Holy Spirit is a witness for us: for after he had said,

for after He had said, "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and on their minds will I inscribe them;

let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.

For if we do evil on purpose after we have had the knowledge of what is true, there is no more offering for sins,

But will not the man by whom the Son of God has been crushed under foot, and the blood of the agreement with which he was washed clean has been taken as an unholy thing, and who has had no respect for the Spirit of grace, be judged bad enough for a very much worse punishment?

For we have had experience of him who says, Punishment is mine, I will give reward. And again, The Lord will be judge of his people.

But give thought to the days after you had seen the light, when you went through a great war of troubles;

some of you being expos'd to publick obloquy and persecution: whilst others had their share of affliction in seeing such treatment.

For ye both had compassion on them that were in bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of you possessions, knowing that ye have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one.

For therein the elders had witness borne to them.

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had witness borne to him that he was righteous, God bearing witness in respect of his gifts: and through it he being dead yet speaketh.

By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God translated him: for he hath had witness borne to him that before his translation he had been well-pleasing unto God:

By faith Noah, being moved by the fear of God, made ready an ark for the salvation of his family, because God had given him news of things which were not seen at the time; and through it the world was judged by him, and he got for his heritage the righteousness which is by faith.

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 he had in view the city, whose foundations are sure, the architect and founder being God.

By faith even Sarah herself received power to conceive seed when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised:

Wherefore, even from one, were born, and, as to these things, one who had become dead, - like the stars of the heaven, for multitude, and as the sand that is by the lip of the sea, that cannot be numbered.

All these came to their end in faith, not having had the heritage; but having seen it with delight far away, they gave witness that they were wanderers and not of the earth.

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

they desired therefore a better, that is, an heavenly country: so that God is very justly stiled their God: for he had appointed a city for them.

By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac: yea, he that had gladly received the promises was offering up his only begotten'son ;

of whom it had been said, "Through Isaac your offspring must be traced."

concluding that God was able to raise him even from the dead; from whence indeed he had in a manner received him.

By faith Moses was kept secretly by his father and mother for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a fair child; and they had no fear of the king's orders.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as a son of Pharaoh's daughter,

Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

By faith he forsook Egypt, and feared not the fierceness of the king. For he endured, even as he had seen him which is invisible.

By [having] faith, he established the Passover Festival [Note: This festival was first celebrated in Egypt by the fleeing Israelites, then observed annually in commemoration of that event], and had [lambs'] blood sprinkled [on the door jambs] to prevent the one who destroyed the firstborn children from touching them. [See Ex. 12:23].

By faith they went through the Red Sea as if it had been dry land, though the Egyptians were overcome by the water when they made an attempt to do the same.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been compassed about for seven days.

By faith Rahab, the loose woman, was not put to death with those who had gone against God's orders, because she had taken into her house in peace those sent to see the land.

Put out the power of fire, got safely away from the edge of the sword, were made strong when they had been feeble, became full of power in war, and put to flight the armies of the nations.

Women had their dead given back to them living; others let themselves be cruelly attacked, having no desire to go free, so that they might have a better life to come;

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

They were stoned [to death], they were sawn in two, they were lured with tempting offers [to renounce their faith], they were put to death by the sword; they went about wrapped in the skins of sheep and goats, utterly destitute, oppressed, cruelly treated

And these all, having had witness borne to them through their faith, received not the promise,

Because God had kept some better thing for us, so that it was not possible for them to become complete without us.

Weigh well the example of him who had to endure such opposition from 'men who were sinning against themselves,' so that you should not grow weary or faint-hearted.

You have not had to shed blood yet in the struggle against sin.

And if you are left without discipline, of which every true son has had a share, that shows that you are bastards, and not true sons.

Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

For you know that later on, when he wanted [to regain title to] his inheritance of the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance [there was no way to repair what he had done, no chance to recall the choice he had made], even though he sought for it with [bitter] tears.

For they were not able to abide that which was spoken. If a beast had touched the mountain, it must have been stoned, or thrust through with a dart:

See that ye refuse not him that speaks. For if those did not escape who had refused him who uttered the oracles on earth, much more we who turn away from him who does so from heaven:

Now this expression "yet once more" signifieth the removing of the things that are shaken, as of things which had been appointed only for a season, that those which cannot be shaken may remain.

Take care to keep open house: because in this way some have had angels as their guests, without being conscious of it.

Remember those who are in bonds, as if you yourselves had been bound, and those who suffer affliction, since you yourselves are in the body.

Let marriage be had in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

Remember them that had the rule over you, men that spake unto you the word of God; and considering the issue of their life, imitate their faith.

Be not carried about with divers and strange learning. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, and not with meats, which have not profited them that have had their pastime in them.

than the sacrificers had to eat of the flesh of those beasts, which were burnt without the camp, and whose blood the highpriest carried into the sanctuary.

Of his purpose he gave us being, by his true word, so that we might be, in a sense, the first-fruits of all the things which he had made.

for he that violates but one precept of the whole law, is as obnoxious to punishment, as if he had broke thro' all the rest.

For the man who has had no mercy will be judged without mercy, but mercy takes pride in overcoming judging.

Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

Thou seest that, his faith, had been working together with his works, and by his works did his faith become full-grown, -

And the holy Writings were put into effect which said, And Abraham had faith in God and it was put to his account as righteousness; and he was named the friend of God.

Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

Be patient, then, Brothers, till the Coming of the Lord. Even the farmer has to wait for the precious fruit of the earth, watching over it patiently, till it has had the spring and summer rains.

And if their prayer is [offered] by faith, [God] will heal the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up [from his sickbed]. And if he had sinned, he will be forgiven for them [Note: This may imply that the man's sickness was the result of some sin. In any event, his forgiveness would follow his repentance].

You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials

To them it was revealed that they were serving not themselves but you, when they foretold the very things which have now been openly declared to you by those who, having been taught by the Holy Spirit which had been sent from Heaven, brought you the Good News. Angels long to stoop and look into these things.

As obedient children, do not pattern your lives after the evil desires you formerly had when you were ignorant,

knowing, as you do, that it was not with a ransom of perishable wealth, such as silver or gold, that you were set free from your frivolous habits of life which had been handed down to you from your forefathers,

Because you have had a new birth, not from the seed of man, but from eternal seed, through the word of a living and unchanging God.

If you have had a taste of the grace of the Lord:

who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Because, like sheep, you had gone out of the way; but now you have come back to him who keeps watch over your souls.

who in old times had been disobedient, when God's longsuffering was waiting in the days of Noah, while an ark was building, in which a few persons??ight in number??ere saved by water.)

who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.

Therefore, since Christ has suffered physically, you people should fortify yourselves with the same attitude He had. For the person who has suffered physically [i.e., in standing for Christ] has quit sinning.

This is the purpose that the Gospel was preached to those who have died physically [for the faith]: It was so that, even though they had been judged physically [i.e., by suffering death at the hands of men], they could still live spiritually in the presence of God.

Do not think it strange, beloved, that a fiery ordeal has come to test you, as though some surprising thing had befallen you.

be shepherds of the flock of God that is among you, not as though you had to but of your own free will, not from the motive of personal profit but freely,

For we were not following cunningly devised fables, when we told you of the power and presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eye-witnesses of his Majesty.

For Jesus had received honor and glory from God, the Father, when [God's] voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory saying, "This is my dearly loved Son, and I am very pleased with Him."

knowing this first, that the scope of no prophecy of scripture is had from its own particular interpretation,

For these words did not ever come through the impulse of men: but the prophets had them from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.

And through greedy desires and deceptive words they will exploit you [for evil purposes]. But the judgment that they have had coming for a long time, will not delay, but will eventually awaken [i.e., arrive] to bring destruction upon them.

for since God did not spare the angels, who had sinned, but having precipitated them to hell, confin'd them to chains of darkness, where they are reserv'd for judgment:

and if He rescued the righteous man Lot, who had become very disturbed by unrestrained wickedness [of the people there in Sodom].

With eyes full of adultery, they cannot get enough of sin. They seduce unsteady souls and have had their hearts expertly trained in greed. They are doomed to a curse.

leaving the straight way, they have wandered off, following in the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the reward of iniquity; and had the conviction of his own conscience:

But he had a rebuke of his own lawbreaking. A mute donkey, uttering in a man's voice, restrained the madness of the prophet.

for overswellings of vanity speaking, they do entice in desires of the flesh -- lasciviousnesses, those who had truly escaped from those conducting themselves in error,

For if, after they had escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled and vanquished by them, their last state is worse than the first;

For it would have been better for them to have had no knowledge of the way of righteousness, than to go back again from the holy law which was given to them, after having knowledge of it.

It has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire.

For they willfully ignore the fact that long ago the heavens existed and the earth that had been formed by God's command out of water and through water,

And as he said in all his letters, which had to do with these things; in which are some hard sayings, so that, like the rest of the holy Writings, they are twisted by those who are uncertain and without knowledge, to the destruction of their souls.

Beloved, no new commandment write I unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning: the old commandment is the word which ye heard.

I am writing to you, fathers,
because you have come to know
the One who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have had victory over the evil one.

I have written to you, children,
because you have come to know the Father.
I have written to you, fathers,
because you have come to know
the One who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men,
because you are strong,
God’s word remains in you,
and you have had victory over the evil one.

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out , that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us.

Think what love the Father has had for us, in letting us be called God's children, for that is what we are. This is why the world does not know what we are??ecause it has never come to know him.

No one who abides in Him [who remains united in fellowship with Him—deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin. No one who habitually sins has seen Him or known Him.

And every spirit which does not say this is not from God: this is the spirit of Antichrist, of which you have had word; and it is in the world even now.

He who is destitute of love has never had any knowledge of God; because God is love.

And this is love, not that we had love for God, but that he had love for us, and sent his Son to be an offering for our sins.