Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

To which of the angels did God say at any time, You are my Son, this day I have given you being? or, I will be his Father, and he will be my Son?

are they not all spirits of service -- for ministration being sent forth because of those about to inherit salvation?

for if the word being spoken through messengers did become stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience did receive a just recompense,

how shall we escape if we have been negligent of so great salvation, which, having had its commencement in being spoken of by the Lord, has been confirmed to us by those who have heard;

But Jesus--who was made a little inferior to the angels in order that through God's grace He might taste death for every human being--we already see wearing a crown of glory and honour because of His having suffered death.

Because it was right for him, for whom and through whom all things have being, in guiding his sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation complete through pain.

For, both he that maketh holy, and they who are being made holy, are, all, of One; For which cause, he is not ashamed to be calling them, brethren,

Therefore, since [these His] children share in flesh and blood [the physical nature of mankind], He Himself in a similar manner also shared in the same [physical nature, but without sin], so that through [experiencing] death He might make powerless (ineffective, impotent) him who 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.

being stedfast to Him who did appoint him, as also Moses in all his house,

And being angry I made an oath, saying, They may not come into my rest.

But be exhorting one another, on each successive day, - while the To-day is being named! lest any from among you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

in its being said, 'To-day, if His voice ye may hear, ye may not harden your hearts, as in the provocation,'

So we see that it was their unbelief that kept them from being admitted to it.

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

For we who have believed are being admitted to that rest, just as He has said: "As in my anger I took oath, they shall not be admitted to my rest," although God's works had been completed at 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 God's word is alive and active and sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates [deep enough] even to divide [a person's] soul [from his] spirit, and his joints [from his] bone marrow [Note: This is figurative language describing the penetrating effect of God's word into a person's spiritual, inner being] and is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of a person's heart.

And no created being is hidden from God's sight, but everything is laid bare and is openly visible to the eyes of God, to whom we must give account.

For every high priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:

being able to exercise forbearance towards the ignorant and erring, since he himself also is clothed with infirmity;

And being feeble, he has to make sin-offerings for himself as well as for the people.

And besides, one does not appropriate for himself the honor [of being high priest], but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.

So Christ also did not claim for Himself the honour of being made High Priest, but was appointed to it by Him who said to Him, "My Son art Thou: I have to-day become Thy Father;"

Who in the days of his flesh having offered both prayers and supplications to him that was able to save him from death, with loud cries and tears, [and being heard and delivered] from fear,??8 although he was a Son, learned obedience from what he suffered,

through being a Son, did learn by the things which he suffered -- the obedience,

And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

being designated by God as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

For certainly enough time has elapsed so that [by now] you ought to be teachers, [but instead] you are in need of having someone teach you again the basic principles of God's message. You have become people who need "milk" and not "solid food." [Note: The fundamental truths of Christianity are here figuratively spoken of as "milk," while the more advanced teaching, such as Christ's priesthood being like Melchizedek's, is called "solid food"].

and of teaching about immersions [Note: The use of the plural word here suggests teaching on the distinctions between Jewish washings and John's and Christian immersion, whether in water or the Holy Spirit. See Acts 19:1-7], and about placing hands on people [Note: This act was practiced in the appointment of church leaders, in healing sick people and to impart supernatural gifts], and about people being raised from the dead and about never ending judgment.

but if it persistently produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

But, my dearly loved ones, even though we talk this way, we are persuaded that you will do better than that [i.e., you will not fall away from God], and will end up being saved.

Then, instead of being lazy, you will imitate those who are inheriting the promises through faith and patience.

And, thus, being patient, he attained unto the promise.

For men swear by a greater Being, and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all controversy.

Wherein God, being minded to show more abundantly unto the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath;

So that by two immutable events, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, having fled for refuge to seize the hope being openly displayed.

where Jesus, our Forerunner, has entered on our behalf, after being made for all time a High Priest of the order of Melchizedek.

This Melchizedek, king of Salem - which being priest of the most high God, met Abraham, as he returned again from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him:

To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, and being made like to the Son of God, doth remain a priest continually.

If then, perfection came through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there for another priest to appear, said to be in the order of Melchizedek and not in the order of Aaron?

For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

For the Lord [See next verse], about whom these things are being said, belonged to another tribe, from which no one has [ever] been appointed to serve at the Altar.

For it is plain that our Lord ad sprung from the tribe of Judah, though of that tribe Moses said nothing about their being priests.

who was not establish'd by virtue of a temporary law, but with the power of being a perpetual priest.

On the one hand, we have the abolition of a previous regulation as being both inefficient and useless

And since it was not without an oath being taken--

(for those Levites who formerly became priests [received their office] without [its being confirmed by the taking of] an oath, but this One [was designated] with an oath through the One who said to Him,

“The Lord has sworn
And will not change His mind or regret it,
‘You (Christ) are a Priest forever’”).

And they have been many priests, on account of being hindered from continuing by death;

Whereupon he is able also to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, being always alive in order to intercede on their behalf.

For such a high priest was indeed appropriate unto us, holy, free from sin, undefiled, having been separated from the sinners, and being higher than the heavens;

He does not need to offer up [animal] sacrifices every day like those head priests did [Note: The head priest here is represented as being in charge of the daily sacrifices offered by the other priests], first for His own sins and then for the people's sins. For He did this once for all time when He offered up Himself [on the cross].

For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak [frail, sinful, dying men], but the word of the oath [of God], which came after [the institution of] the Law, permanently appoints [as priest] a Son who has been made perfect forever.

Now the main point of what is being said is this: We have this kind of high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

every high priest being establish'd to offer gifts and sacrifices: it was necessary that he likewise should make a peculiar offering,

If then indeed he were upon earth, he would not even be a priest, there being those who offer the gifts according to the law,

who unto an example and shadow do serve of the heavenly things, as Moses hath been divinely warned, being about to construct the tabernacle, for 'See (saith He) thou mayest make all things according to the pattern that was shewn to thee in the mount;') --

For, being dissatisfied with His people, God says, "'There are days coming,' says the Lord, 'When I will establish with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new Covenant--

now by stiling the second a new alliance, he has antiquated the first. but to be antiquated and obsolete is next to being abolished.

Now these things being thus ordered, into the first tabernacle the priests enter at all times, accomplishing the services;

The Holy Spirit witnessing by this that the way into the holy place had not at that time been made open, while the first Tent was still in being;

This illustration for today indicates that the gifts and sacrifices being offered could not clear the conscience of a worshiper,

being only (with meats and drinks and divers washings) carnal ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation.

But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

For if the blood of goats and oxen, and the dust from the burning of a young cow, being put on the unclean, make the flesh clean:

How much more will the blood of Christ, who, being without sin, made an offering of himself to God through the Holy Spirit, make your hearts clean from dead works to be servants of the living God?

And for this cause it is through him that a new agreement has come into being, so that after the errors under the first agreement had been taken away by his death, the word of God might have effect for those who were marked out for an eternal heritage.

And a will is only of force in the case of a deceased person, being never of any avail so long as he who made it lives.

not that he may often present himself, as the chief priest enters into the sanctuary once a year with the blood of another [being];

And, as it is ordained for men to die but once (death being followed by judgment),

so Christ, after being once sacrificed to bear the sins of many, will appear again, not to deal with sin but for the saving of those who look out for him.

For the law, being only a poor copy of the future good things, and not the true image of those things, is never able to make the people who come to the altar every year with the same offerings completely clean.

Since, would they not indeed have ceased being offered, on account of the worshippers once purged having no longer any conscience of sins?

After saying the words I have just quoted, "Sacrifices and offerings or whole burnt-offerings and sin-offerings Thou hast not desired or taken pleasure in" --all such being offered in obedience to the Law--

For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

So then, my brothers, being able to go into the holy place without fear, because of the blood of Jesus,

But only a great fear of being judged, and of the fire of wrath which will be the destruction of the haters of God.

The person who has disregarded the law of Moses is put to death without being shown mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

But continually recall to mind the days now past, when on being first enlightened you went through a great conflict and many sufferings.

partly, being made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, becoming partakers with them that were so used.

For you not only showed sympathy with those who were imprisoned, but you even submitted with joy when your property was taken from you, being well aware that you have in your own selves a more valuable possession and one which will remain.

Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].

Through faith we understand that the worlds came into being, and still exist, at the command of God, so that what is seen does not owe its existence to that which is visible.

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

By faith Abraham, being called, obeyed to go out into the place which he was to receive for an inheritance, and went out, not knowing where he was going.

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

By [having] faith, Sarah herself received the ability to have children, even though she was [sterile, being] past the age of child-bearing, since she considered God faithful to His promise. [Note: Some translations consider "Abraham" to be the subject of this highly controversial verse. See Lightfoot, pages 222-225].

And therefore these were fathered from one man, and [he] being as good as dead, as the stars of heaven in number and like the innumerable sand by the shore of the sea.

These people [all] continued to have faith until they died, [even though] they had not obtained [all] the things God had promised, but had [only] seen them and welcomed them from a distance. And they had confessed to being strangers and aliens on earth.

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

By faith Moses, being born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw the child beautiful; and they did not fear the injunction of the king.

because he preferred being mistreated with God's people to enjoying the pleasures of sin for a short time.

He thought that being insulted for the sake of the Messiah was of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

By faith he left Egypt, being unafraid of the wrath of the king; for he endured [steadfastly], as seeing Him who is unseen.