For to which of the angels did the Father ever say,

“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten (fathered) You [established You as a Son, with kingly dignity]”?

And again [did He ever say to the angels],

“I shall be a Father to Him
And He shall be a Son to Me”?

You have been a lover of righteousness and a hater of evil; and so God, your God, has put the oil of joy on your head more than on the heads of those who are with you.

And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:

They will come to their end; but you are for ever; they will become old as a robe;

and like a robe you will roll them up, and like a garment they will be changed; but you are the same, and your years will not run out."

But of which of the angels has he said at any time, Take your seat at my right hand till I put all those who are against you under your feet?

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

how shall *we* escape if we are indifferent to a salvation as great as that now offered to us? This, after having first of all been announced by the Lord Himself, had its truth made sure to us by those who heard Him,

It was not to angels that God subjected the [inhabited] world of the future [when Christ reigns], about which we are speaking.

But one has [solemnly] testified somewhere [in Scripture], saying,

“What is man, that You are mindful of him,
Or the son of man, that You graciously care for him?

You made him a little bit lower than the angels [i.e., a little less exalted]. [Note: Although these Psalms passages referred to mankind, they are here applied to Jesus. See verse 9]. You crowned him with splendor and honor {{some ancient manuscripts add "and placed him as ruler over what you made"}}.

thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet." now since he has put all in subjection to him, he left nothing that is not subjected to him. however we do not see as yet that all things are put under him.

But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while [by taking on the limitations of humanity], crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering of death, so that by the grace of God [extended to sinners] He might experience death for [the sins of] everyone.

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

and again, "As for Me, I will be one whose trust reposes in God;" and again, "Here am I, and here are the children God has given Me."

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Wherefore, christian brethren, you who are called to an heavenly inheritance, consider the apostle and high priest of the faith we profess, even Christ Jesus;

Besides, while Moses was faithful in every department of God's house as an attendant ??by way of witness to the coming revelation ??6 Christ is faithful as a Son over God's house. Now we are this house of God, if we will only keep confident and proud of our hope.

But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

“Therefore I was angered with this generation,
And I said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they did not know My ways [nor become progressively better and more intimately acquainted with them]’;

For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

for we also are having good news proclaimed, even as they, but the word heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard,

We who have believed are soon to be admitted to the true rest; as He has said, "As I swore in My anger, they shall not be admitted to My rest," although God's works had been going on ever since the creation of the world.

Since then it still remains that some are being admitted to it and that those who first had the good news told to them were not admitted because of disobedience,

For all who are admitted to God's Rest rest after their work, just as God did after his.

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

So too Christ did not glorify Himself so as to be made a high priest, but He [was exalted and appointed by the One] who said to Him,

“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten (fathered) You [declared Your authority and rule over the nations]”;

just as He also says in another place,

“You are a priest [appointed] forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.”

And when he had been made complete, he became the giver of eternal salvation to all those who are under his orders;

Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

By people who live on milk I mean those who are imperfectly acquainted with the teaching concerning righteousness.

But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

of teaching about washings (ritual purifications), the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. [These are all important matters in which you should have been proficient long ago.]

[These are people] who were once enlightened [by the Gospel message], who had experienced the gift from heaven [i.e., forgiveness, never ending life, etc. See Rom. 6:23], who had partaken of the Holy Spirit [See Acts 2:38],

and have realized how good the word of God is and how mighty are the powers of the coming Age, and then fell away--

and then have fallen away—it is impossible to bring them back again to repentance, since they again nail the Son of God on the cross [for as far as they are concerned, they are treating the death of Christ as if they were not saved by it], and are holding Him up again to public disgrace.

For land which absorbs the rain that often falls on it, and bears plants that are useful to those for whom it is tilled, receives a blessing from God;

but that which bringeth forth thorns and briars, is rejected and near to a curse, (whose end is burning) so are they.

But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

For, not unrighteous, is God, to be forgetful of your work and of the love which ye have shewn forth for his name, in that ye have ministered unto the saints, and are ministering,

but we desire that every one of you may shew the same concern, continuing to discharge the condition upon which your hopes are founded: that ye be not unactive,

that ye may not become slothful, but followers of those who through faith and patient endurance are inheriting the promises.

which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast. Which hope also entereth in, into those things which are within the veil,

And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

Furthermore, here [in the Levitical priesthood] tithes are received by men who are subject to death; but in that case [concerning Melchizedek], they are received by one of whom it is testified that he lives on [perpetually].

Now if the crowning blessing was attainable by means of the Levitical priesthood--for as resting on this foundation the people received the Law, to which they are still subject-- what further need was there for a Priest of a different kind to be raised up belonging to the order of Melchizedek instead of being said to belong to the order of Aaron?

Because if the priests are changed, it is necessary to make a change in the law.

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

For it is attested [by God] of Him,

“You (Christ) are a Priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.”

And inasmuch as it is not apart from oath, (for those indeed apart from oath are become priests,

(for they are become priests without the swearing of an oath, but he with the swearing of an oath, by him who said, as to him, The Lord has sworn, and will not repent of it, Thou art priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedec;)

And they indeed have been made priests many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing:

Hence also he is able to continue saving to the uttermost those who are ever drawing near to God through him, seeing that he is ever living to intercede for them.

For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak, but the promise of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son, who has been perfected forever.

Now in the things which we are saying the chief point is this : We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

Now every high priest is given authority to take to God the things which are given and to make offerings; so that it is necessary for this man, like them, to have something for an offering.

For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:

Who, indeed, are rendering divine service, with a glimpse and shadow, of the heavenly things; even as Moses hath received intimation, when about to complete the tent, - For see! saith he - Thou shalt make all things according to the model which hath been pointed out to thee in the mount.

But, as it is, the priestly service to which Christ has been appointed is as much better than the old as the agreement established by him and the promises on which it is based are superior to the former ones.

For in finding fault with them he says, "Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when I will complete a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,

and over it cherubim of the glory, overshadowing the mercy-seat, concerning which we are not now to speak particularly.

Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle performing the divine worship,

which is a figure for the time present; according to which are offered both gifts and sacrifices that cannot, as touching the conscience, make the worshipper perfect,

They are physical regulations and only deal with food, drink, and various washings imposed until the time of restoration.

But when Christ appeared as a High Priest of the good things to come [that is, true spiritual worship], He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not a part of this [material] creation.

For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow sprinkled on those who are defiled sanctify [them] for the ritual purity of the flesh,

And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

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

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

For this cause it was necessary to make the copies of the things in heaven clean with these offerings; but the things themselves are made clean with better offerings than these.

For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

And because by God's law death comes to men once, and after that they are judged;

so Christ, having been offered once and once for all to bear [as a burden] the sins of many, will appear a second time [when he returns to earth], not to deal with sin, but to bring salvation to those who are eagerly and confidently waiting for Him.

For the law, possessing a shadow of the good [things] that are about to come, not the form of things itself, [is] never able {year by year} by means of the same sacrifices which they offer without interruption to make perfect those who draw near.

But in those sacrifices sins are recalled to memory year after year.

Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;

and then there is added-- 'See, I have come to do thy will.' The former sacrifices are set aside to be replaced by the latter.

By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

and every priest, indeed, hath stood daily serving, and the same sacrifices many times offering, that are never able to take away sins.

from now on waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet.

For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

And, when these are forgiven, there is no further need of an offering for sin.

not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near.

Call to remembrance the days that are passed in the which, after ye had received light, ye endured a great fight in adversities,

but you will need endurance if you are to carry out God's will and receive the blessing he has promised.

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the sign that the things not seen are true.

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

now without faith it is impossible to please him; for he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he ever rewards those who are seeking.

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

Therefore indeed they were born of one, and those things of one having died, as the stars of heaven for multitude, and as the sands which are by the sea, which are innumerable.

In faith died all these, not having received the promises, but from afar having seen them, and having been persuaded, and having saluted them, and having confessed that strangers and sojourners they are upon the earth,

For they that say such things make it manifest that they are seeking after a country of their own.

But, now, after a better one, are they reaching, that is, a heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to be invoked as, their God, - for he hath prepared for them, a city.

For he counted 'the reproaches that are heaped upon the Christ' of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, looking forward, as he did, to the reward awaiting him.