with no father or mother, and no record of ancestry: having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made a type of the Son of God--this man Melchizedek remains a priest for ever.

Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

But this man, who was not of their family, took the tenth from Abraham, and gave a blessing to him to whom God had given his undertaking.

And no man denieth but that which is less, receiveth blessing of him which is greater.

And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

And, so to speak, Levi also, the man who receives tithes, has paid tithes through Abraham,

For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.

for the law made no man perfect, but this was effected by introducing a better hope, which brings us nearer to the divine presence.

for these men hold office without any oath having been taken, but He holds it attested by an oath from Him who said to Him, "The Lord has sworn and will not recall His words, Thou art a Priest for ever" --

But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

Moreover we needed just such a High Priest as this--holy, guileless, undefiled, far removed from sinful men and exalted above the heavens;

For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

Now the main point of what we have to say is this: we have such a High Priest, [the Christ] who is seated [in the place of honor] at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty (God) in heaven,

A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.

Now if he were on earth, he would not even be a priest, because other men offer the gifts prescribed by the Law.

(men who serve a mere outline and shadow of the heavenly ??as Moses was instructed, when he was about to execute the building of the tabernacle: see, God said, that you make everything on the pattern shown you upon the mountain).

But now his position as priest is higher. because through him God has made a better agreement with man, based on the giving of better things.

And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

for this [first or outer tabernacle] is a symbol [that is, an archetype or paradigm] for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which are incapable of perfecting the conscience and renewing the [inner self of the] worshiper.

He went once for all into the Holy Place [the Holy of Holies of heaven, into the presence of God], and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, having obtained and secured eternal redemption [that is, the salvation of all who personally believe in Him as Savior].

how much more surely will the blood of Christ, who with an eternal Spirit gave Himself a spotless offering to God, purify your consciences from works that mean mere death, to serve the ever living God?

Because where there is a testament, there has to be the death of the man who made it.

For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

For not into a Holy place built by men's hands--a mere copy of the reality--did Christ enter, but He entered Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

So Christ, having at his first coming taken on himself the sins of men, will be seen a second time, without sin, by those who are waiting for him, for their salvation.

But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

A man that hath set at nought Moses law dieth without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses:

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 known Him who is saying, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will recompense, saith the Lord;' and again, 'The Lord shall judge His people;' --

partly while all men wondered and gazed at you for the shame and tribulation that was done unto you, and partly while ye became companions of them which so passed their time.

Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

We are not the men to shrink back and be lost, but to have faith and so to win our souls.

For by this [kind of] faith the men of old gained [divine] approval.

By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith.

But where there is no faith it is impossible truly to please Him; for the man who draws near to God must believe that there is a God and that He proves Himself a rewarder of those who earnestly try to find Him.

So from one man, though he was [physically] as good as dead, were born as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand on the seashore.

for men who acknowledge this make it manifest that they are seeking elsewhere a country of their own.

But in reality they were aspiring for a better country, I mean, a heavenly one. This is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

and had been told that it is through Isaac that your offspring shall be reckoned ??19 for he considered that God was able even to raise men from the dead. Hence he did get him back, by what was a parable of the resurrection.

For he reckoned that God is even able to raise a man up from among the dead, and, figuratively speaking, it was from among the dead that he received Isaac again.

By faith Moses, when he became a man, had no desire to be named the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

And what more shall I say? Time would fail me to tell of Gideon, of Barak and Samson and Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets ??33 men who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouth of lions,

men who, as the result of faith, conquered whole kingdoms, brought about true justice, obtained promises from God, stopped lions' mouths,

Women received their dead—they were raised to life again. Some men were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection,

They were stoned to death, they were tortured to death, they were sawed in two, they were killed with the sword. Clothed in the skins of sheep or goats, they were driven from place to place, destitute, persecuted, misused??38 men of whom the world was not worthy wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and holes in the ground.

(people of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and [living in] caves and holes in the ground.

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.

for the Lord disciplines the man he loves, and scourges every son he receives.

For those men indeed for a few days chastened us according to that which seemed good to them, but he for that which is advantageous, in order to be partakers of his holiness.

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

And that there may not be any evil liver, or any man without respect for God, like Esau, who let his birthright go for a plate of food.

To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

And to Jesus by whom the new agreement has been made between God and man, and to the sign of the blood which says better things than Abel's blood.

See that you reject not him that speaks: for if they es caped not who rejected that earthly man who gave the oracles, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that is from heaven,

Do not neglect to show hospitality; for, through being hospitable, men have all unawares entertained angels.

Let married life be honoured among all of you and not made unclean; for men untrue in married life will be judged by God.

Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee.

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

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.

Obey your [spiritual] leaders and submit to them [recognizing their authority over you], for they are keeping watch over your souls and continually guarding your spiritual welfare as those who will give an account [of their stewardship of you]. Let them do this with joy and not with grief and groans, for this would be of no benefit to you.

Pray for me, for I am sure I have a clear conscience, and I mean in every way to live an upright life.

I appeal to you, brothers, to bear with this appeal of mine. It is but a short letter.

Salute all those who lead you, and all the sanctified. The men from Italy salute you.

Grace be with you all.??men.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

But let him ask with confidence, never doubting; for the man who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven hither and thither at the mercy of the wind--

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

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

but a rich man should rejoice in being brought low, for like flowers among the herbage rich men will pass away.

For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

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.

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

My brethren, you must not make distinctions between one man and another while you are striving to maintain faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our glory.

For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

and ye have regard to him that weareth the fine clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and ye say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool;

But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

If, however, you are keeping the Law as supreme, in obedience to the Commandment which says "You are to love your fellow man just as you love yourself," you are acting rightly.

But if you are making distinctions between one man and another, you are guilty of sin, and are convicted by the Law as offenders.

A man who has kept the Law as a whole, but has failed to keep some one command, has become guilty of violating all.

For he who said, Do not be untrue in married life, is the same who said, Put no man to death. Now if you are not untrue in married life, but you put a man to death, the law is broken.

So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty.

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

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

and some man of you would say to them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and fed, but ye would not give them the things necessary for the body, what is the benefit?

Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

You believe that God is one; you do well [to believe that]. The demons also believe [that], and shudder and bristle [in awe-filled terror—they have seen His wrath]!

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

it was then, that those words of scripture were accomplished, "Abraham believed God, and he was regarded for it as a man of virtue, and was the favourite of God."