Chapter 1
1 Having spoken in the past to our ancestors through the Prophets at many times and in various ways,
2 In these last days God has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the world.
3 This Son, who is the radiance of his glory, the exact representation of his being, and who sustains all things by his powerful word, after having purified us from our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in the highest heaven,
4, all the more so as the angelsthat the name he possesses is more excellent than theirs.
5 To which of the angels did God ever say, »You are my Son; today I have begotten you»? Or again, »I will be his Father, and he will be my Son«?«
6 And when he again brings the Firstborn into the world, he says: “Let all the angels God's people worship him!
7 Moreover, while it is said of the angels, "He who makes his angels winds, and his servants a flame of fire,",
8 He said to the Son, »Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; the scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of righteousness.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above all your companions.«
10 And again: »It is you, Lord, who in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment;
12 You will roll them up like a garment, and they will be changed; but you remain the same, and your years will not end.«
13 And to which of the angels did he ever say, »Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet«?«
14 Are they not all spirits in service of God, sent as servants for the good of those who are to receive the inheritance of salvation?
Chapter 2
1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to the things we have heard, lest we be led astray.
2 For if the message spoken by angels has already taken effect, and every transgression and disobedience has received its just punishment,
3 How can we escape if we neglect so salutary a message, which, first announced by the Lord, has surely been handed down to us by those who heard it from him?,
4 God confirming their testimony by signs, wonders, and all kinds of miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, distributed according to his will?
5 For it is not to angels that God has subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking.
6 Someone has also written somewhere this testimony: »What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you care for him?”
7 You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor, [you established him over the works of your hands],
8 You have put everything under his feet.» Indeed, in subjecting everything to him, God left nothing outside his dominion. Yet at present we do not see everything subjected to him.
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for a little while, crowned with glory and honor because of the death he suffered, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
10 Indeed, it was truly fitting for him for whom and through whom all things exist, that when he had to bring many sons to glory, he should raise up through sufferings to the highest degree of perfection the head who guided them to salvation.
11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all of one. Therefore Jesus Christ is not ashamed to call them brothers, when he says:
12 »I will declare your name to my brothers; I will praise you in the midst of the assembly.«
13 And again: »I will put my trust in him.» And again: »Here I am, and the children God has given me.«
14 Since the »children» shared in flesh and blood, he too shared in the same, so that by his death he might break the power of him who has the dominion of death, that is, the devil.,
15 and to deliver those whom the fear of death held captive all their lives under bondage.
16 For indeed it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's offspring.
17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every way, so that he might be a merciful high priest and do faithfully what is required before God to atone for the sins of the people;
18 For it is because he himself suffered, and was tempted, that he is able to help those who are tempted.
Chapter 3
1 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession.,
2 who is faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all his house.»
3 For he surpasses Moses in dignity, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.
4 — For every house is built by someone, and the one who built everything is God.
5 While Moses was »faithful in all God’s house,« as a servant, to bear witness to what he had to say,
6 Christ was faithful as a son, over his own house, and we are his house, provided we hold fast our open confession of faith and our glorious hope to the end.
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: »Today, if you hear his voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts, as happened at the place called Contradiction, on the day of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your fathers challenged me to test me; however, they had seen my works for forty years!
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation, and I said, “Their hearts always go astray; they have not known my ways.”.
11 So I swore in my anger: »They shall not enter my rest.”
12 Take care, my brothers, that there is not found in any of you an evil and faithless heart, which causes him to abandon the living God.
13 On the contrary, exhort one another daily, as long as this time which is called »Today,» so that none of you may be hardened, deceived by sin.
14 For we have entered into Christ’s partnership, if indeed we hold fast to the end the beginning of our being in him,
15 While we are still being told, »Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the past.” place called The Contradiction.«
16 Who, indeed, were those who, after "hearing the voice of God," rebelled? But were they not all those who had come out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses?
17 And against whom was God angry for forty years? Was it not against those who had sinned, and whose corpses were scattered in the wilderness?
18 "And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, if not to those who had disobeyed?"
19 Indeed, we see that they were unable to enter because of their disobedience.
Chapter 4
1 Therefore, let us be afraid, while the promise "of entering his rest" still stands, that none of you should come to be disappointed.
2 For the joyful message came to us as well as to them; but the message which was spoken to them did not profit them, because it was not allied with faith among those who heard it.
3 On the contrary, we who believe will enter that rest, just as he has said: »So I swore in my anger, »They shall not enter my rest!’” He says this, even though his works have been finished since the beginning of the world.
4 For somewhere it is said concerning the seventh day: "And God rested from all his works on the seventh day";
5 and here again: "They shall not enter my rest!"»
6 Since some are to enter, and those who first received the promise did not enter because of their disobedience,
7 God again sets a day which he calls »today,« saying through David so long afterward, as we have seen above: »Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.«
8 For if Joshua Had they been brought into "rest", David would not have spoken after that of another day.
9 So there remains a day of rest reserved for the people of God.
10 For he who enters "into God's rest" also rests from his works, just as God rested from his.
11 Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may perish by following their example of disobedience.
12 For the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it unravels the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
13 For nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
14 Therefore, since we have in Jesus, the Son of God, an excellent high priest who has entered the heavens, let us hold fast our confession.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses; but he, being like us, has been subjected to all our weaknesses, yet without sin.
16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Chapter 5
1 For every high priest is chosen from among men to act on behalf of men in regard to the worship of God, to offer oblations and sacrifices for sins.
2 He is able to show mercy to those who sin through ignorance and error, since he himself is surrounded by weakness.
3 And it is because of this weakness that he must offer sacrifices for sins, both for himself and for the people.
4 And no one arrogates this dignity to himself; one must be called to it by God, like Aaron.
5 Thus Christ did not exalt himself to the glory of the high priesthood, but he received it of the one who said to him, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you";
6 As he says in another place: »You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.«
7 During the days of his flesh, he offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence,
8 learned, being a Son, through his own sufferings, what it is to obey;
9 And now that it has reached its end, it saves forever all who obey it,
10 God having declared him »high priest in the order of Melchizedek.«
11 On this subject, we would have much to say, and things difficult to explain to you, because you have become slow to understand.
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s oracles all over again. You need milk instead of solid food.
13 Anyone who is still on milk is not capable of perfect speech, because he is an infant.
14 But solid food is for the mature, for those whose senses are trained by habit to distinguish good from evil.
Chapter 6
1 Therefore, let us leave aside the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to the mature teaching, not laying again the basic principles of renouncing acts that lead to death, of faith in God,
2 of the doctrine of ablutions, the laying on of hands, of the resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment.
3 That is what we will do, God willing.
4 For it is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,
5 who tasted it gentleness of the word of God and the wonders of the world to come,
6 and who have fallen away, to renew them a second time by bringing them to repentance, they who for their part crucify the Son of God again and deliver him to ignominy.
7 When a land, watered by the rain that often falls upon it, produces a plant useful to those for whom it is cultivated, it has a share in the blessing of God;
8 But if it produces only thorns and thistles, it is judged to be of poor quality, close to being cursed, and in the end it is set on fire.
9 However, beloved, although we speak thus, we have a better opinion of you and one more favorable to your salvation.
10 For God is not unjust to forget your deeds and charity that you have shown for his name's sake, you who have served the saints and continue to do so.
11 We desire that each of you show the same diligence to the end, so that your hopes may be fulfilled,
12 so that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and perseverance enter into the promised inheritance.
13 In the promise he made to Abraham, since God could not swear by anyone greater than himself, he swore by himself,
14 and said, »Yes, I will bless you and multiply you.«
15 And so it was that this patriarch, having waited patiently, came into possession of the promise.
16 For men swear by him who is greater than they are, and the oath serves as a guarantee and settles all their disputes.
17 Therefore, God, desiring to show more clearly to the heirs of the promise the unchanging stability of his plan, introduced the oath,
18 so that, by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to deceive us, we who have sought in him a refuge, powerfully encouraged to hold fast to the hope that is offered to us.
19 We keep it as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, this hope which penetrates even beyond the veil,
20 in the sanctuary where Jesus has entered on our behalf as a forerunner, a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.»
Chapter 7
1 This Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham on his return from the defeat of the kings, blessed him,
2 and to whom Abraham gave a tenth of everything the loot, — who is first, according to the meaning of his name, king of justice, then king of Salem, that is to say, king of peace,
3 — who is without father, without mother, without genealogy, who has neither beginning of days nor end of life, — and who has thus become like the Son of God: this Melchizedek remains a priest forever.
4 Consider how great is this man to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tithe of the best of what was there.
5 Those of the sons of Levi who obtain the priesthood have, according to the Law, the command to collect the tithe from the people, that is to say from their brothers, who nevertheless also came from the blood of Abraham;
6 And he, who was not of their race, collected a tithe from Abraham, and blessed him who had the promises.
7 Now, without dispute, it is the inferior who is blessed by the superior.
8 Moreover, here those who receive tithes are men who die; but there it is a man of whom it is attested that he is alive.
9 And Levi himself, who receives the tithe, paid it, so to speak, in the person of Abraham;
10 for he was still in his ancestor when Melchizedek went to meet him.
11 If then perfection could have been achieved through the Levitical priesthood, — for it was under him that the people received the law, — what necessity was there for another priest to arise, “according to the order of Melchizedek”, and not according to the order of Aaron?
12 For since the priesthood has been changed, it is necessary that the law also should be changed.
13 Indeed, the one of whom these words are spoken belongs to another tribe, none of whose members served at the altar:
14 For it is well known that our Lord came from Judah, a tribe to which Moses never attributed the priesthood.
15 This becomes even more evident if another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek,
16 instituted, not according to the prescriptions of a carnal law, but according to the power of a life that does not end,
17 According to this testimony: »You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.«
18 Thus, the first ordinance was repealed because of its impotence and uselessness,
19 — for the law made nothing perfect, but it became the introduction to a better hope, through which we have access to God.
20 And since this was not done without an oath, — for while the others were appointed priests without an oath,
21 This one was sworn to by the one who said to him, »The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.«
22 Jesus is therefore the guarantor of a higher covenant.
23 Moreover, they themselves form a long line of priests, because death prevented them from being so forever;
24 But he, because he remains forever, has a priesthood that does not pass on.
25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
26 For such is the high priest we need, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens;
27 who does not need, like the chief priests, to offer sacrifices every day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people, because he did this once for all when he offered himself.
28 For the Law appoints as high priests men who are subject to weakness; but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints the Son who has been made perfect forever.
Chapter 8
1 That being said, the main point is that we now have a high priest who has sat down at the right hand of the throne of majesty divine in the heavens,
2 as minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which was set up by the Lord, and not by a man.
3 For every high priest is appointed to offer oblations and sacrifices; therefore it is necessary that he also should have something to offer.
4 If he were on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there are already priests on earth who offer the sacrifices according to the Law, —
5 who celebrate a worship that is only a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely warned when he had to build the tabernacle: »See,« said the Lord, “you shall make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”
6 But our high priest has received a ministry all the more elevated, as he is mediator of a higher covenant founded on better promises.
7 Indeed, if the first covenant had been without fault, there would have been no need to substitute a second one for it.
8 For it is indeed a rebuke that God expresses when he says to them: »Behold, says the Lord, the days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;
9 not a covenant like the one I made with their fathers, on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. Because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, I also abandoned them, says the Lord.
10 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
11 None of them will teach their neighbor anymore, nor will they teach their brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
12 I will forgive their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.«
13 — By saying: » An alliance "New," God declared the first one obsolete; but what has become obsolete, what is obsolete, is about to disappear.
Chapter 9
1 The first covenant also had its regulations relating to worship, and an earthly sanctuary.
2 Indeed, a tabernacle was built, with a front part called the holy place, where were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of the Presence.
3 Behind the second veil was the part of the tabernacle called the Holy of Holies,
4 having a golden altar for incense and the ark of the covenant completely overlaid with gold. In the ark were a golden urn containing the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.
5 Above were cherubim of glory, overshadowing the mercy seat. But this is not the place to discuss this subject in detail.
6 Now, these things being thus arranged, the priests enter at all times into the front part of the tabernacle, when they perform the service of worship;
7 The high priest alone, only once a year, enters into the second part, but with blood which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people.
8 The Holy Spirit shows by this that the way to the Holy of Holies has not yet been opened, as long as the first tabernacle remains.
9 This is a figure which relates to the present time; it means that the oblations and sacrifices offered cannot bring to perfection, from the point of view of conscience, the one who renders this worship.
10 Because with the regulations relating as to food, drink and various ablutions, these are only carnal ordinances, imposed only until a time of reformation.
11 But when Christ appeared as high priest of the good things to come, he did so in a more excellent and perfect tabernacle, not made with human hands, that is to say, not belonging to this creation,
12 And it was not with the blood of goats and bulls, but with his own blood, that he entered once for all into the Most Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption.
13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are defiled, sanctify so as to purify the flesh,
14 How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our consciences from dead works to serve the living God?
15 And for this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, his death having taken place forgiveness of the transgressions committed under the first covenant, those who were called receive the eternal inheritance that was promised to them.
16 For where there is a will, it is necessary that the death of the testator should take place;
17 because a will only has effect in the event of death, being without force while the testator is alive.
18 That is why even the first covenant was not inaugurated without bloodshed.
19 Moses, after proclaiming all the commandments according to the tenor of the Law before all the people, took the blood of bulls and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled it on the Book itself and on all the people,
20 saying, »This is the blood of the covenant that God has made with you.«
21 In the same way, he sprinkled the tabernacle and all the utensils of worship with the blood.
22 And according to the Law, almost everything is purified with blood; and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
23 Since the images of the things which are in heaven had to be purified in this way, it was therefore necessary that the heavenly things themselves should be inaugurated with sacrifices greater than these.
24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands, an image of the true one, but he entered in heaven itself, so that he may henceforth stand for us before the face of God.
25 And it is not to offer himself up again and again, as the high priest enters the sanctuary every year with blood that is not his own:
26 Otherwise he would have had to suffer many times since the foundation of the world; but he appeared once in the last ages to abolish sin by the sacrifice of himself.
27 And as it is decreed that men die once, after which comes judgment,
28 So Christ, having been offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to give salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Chapter 10
1 For the Law, having only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the image of the things themselves, can never, by these same sacrifices which are offered without interruption each year, perfectly sanctify those who approach it.
2 Otherwise, they would not have ceased to be offered; for those who offer this worship, once purified by faith, would no longer have any consciousness of their sins.
3 Whereas, by these sacrifices, the memory of sins is recalled each year;
4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Therefore Christ said, when he came into the world: »Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;
6 You did not approve of burnt offerings or sin offerings.
7 Then I said, «Here I am (for it is written of me in the scroll of the book), I have come, O God, to do your will.”
8 After beginning by saying, »You did not desire nor were pleased with offerings, burnt offerings, or sin offerings,«—all things offered according to the Law,
9 He then adds: »Here I am, I have come to do your will.» He thus sets aside the first point to establish the second.
10 It is by this will that we have been sanctified through the offering of his body, Jesus Christ, once for all.
11 And while every priest presents himself daily to perform his ministry, and offers many times the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins,
12 But he, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, sat down at the right hand of God forever.»
13 now waiting for his enemies to become the footstool for his feet.»
14 For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
15 This is also what the Holy Spirit testifies to us; for, after saying:
16 »This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,« the Lord adds: »I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them in their minds;
17 and I will remember their sins and their iniquities no more.«
18 Now where sins are forgiven, there is no longer any offering for sin.
19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,
20 by the new and living way, which he inaugurated, for us through the veil, that is, through his flesh,
21 and since we have a high priest established over the house of God,
22 Let us draw near with a sincere heart, in the full assurance that faith brings, with a purified heart stains of a guilty conscience, and the body washed in pure water.
23 Let us hold fast our confession of hope without wavering, for he who made the promise is faithful.
24 Let us keep an eye on one another to encourage one another to charity and to good works.
25 Let us not neglect meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left;
27 Now all that remains is to await a terrible judgment and the jealous fire that will devour the rebels.
28 Anyone who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy, on the testimony of two or three witnesses;
29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him, the one who said, »Vengeance is mine! I will repay!» and again, »The Lord will judge his people.«
31 It is terrifying to fall into the hands of the living God!
32 Remember those early days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great struggle of suffering,
33 sometimes exposed as if on display to opprobrium and tribulation, sometimes taking part in the sufferings of those who were thus treated.
34 Indeed, you have sympathized with the prisoners, and you have gladly accepted the plundering of your property, knowing that you have a better wealth which will last forever.
35 Therefore do not give up your confidence; it has a great reward.
36 For perseverance is necessary for you so that, after you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.
37 Yet a little while, a very short time, and he who is to come will come; he will not delay.
38 And my righteous one will live by faith; but if he shrinks back, my soul will not delight in him.«
39 For we are not of those who shrink back to their destruction, but of those who keep the faith to save their souls.
Chapter 11
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
2 It was because they possessed it that the ancients obtained a good testimony.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that the things seen were not made out of what was visible.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain’s; by faith he was commended as righteous, God commending his gifts; and by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
5 By faith Enoch was taken away without experiencing death: »He was not found, because God had taken him away»; for before he was taken away he had received this testimony »that it had pleased God.«
6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, because whoever would come to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
7 By faith Noah, being warned by God of things not yet seen, in reverent fear built an ark to save his family; by this he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is by faith.
8 It was by faith that Abraham, obeying the call of God, He set out for a country he was to receive as an inheritance, and began his journey without knowing where he was going.
9 It was by faith that he sojourned in the promised land, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.
10 For he was waiting for the city at solids foundations, of which God is the architect and builder.
11 By faith Sarah herself, even though she was past the age of conception, received power because she believed in loyalty from the One who had made the promise.
12 That is why, from one man, already as if dead, came forth a posterity as numerous as the stars in the sky, and as the countless grains of sand that are on the seashore.
13 It was in faith that these patriarchs all died, not having received the fulfillment of the promises; but having seen him and greeted him from afar, confessing that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.»
14 Those who speak in this way clearly show that they are looking for a homeland.
15 And indeed, if they had meant by that the one from which they had come, they would have had the means to return there.
16 But their aspirations are directed toward a better country, the country of heaven. That is why God is not ashamed to call himself "their God," for he has prepared a city for them.
17 It was by faith that Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac as a sacrifice. Thus he who had received the promises,
18 And to whom it had been said, "Through Isaac your offspring will be born," offered this only son,
19 believing that God is powerful enough to raise even the dead; therefore he recovered him as in figure.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed down, leaning on the top of his scepter.
22 By faith Joseph, near the end of his life, spoke about the exodus of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning those left behind.
23 By faith Moses, after his birth, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, renounced being called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
25 preferring to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin:
26 He considered the reproach of Christ as greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt; for he had his eyes fixed on the reward.
27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; for he persevered, as though he saw him who is invisible.
28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the one who destroys the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as though it were dry land, while the Egyptians who tried to cross were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been encircled for seven days.
31 It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute did not perish with the rebels, because she had given the spies a sure hospitality.
32 And what more shall I say? Time would fail me if I wanted to speak also of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets:
33 By faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained the fulfillment of the promises, shut the mouths of lions,
34 extinguished the violence of the fire, escaped the edge of the sword, triumphed over disease, displayed their valor to the war, put to flight by the enemy armies;
35 through them women received back their resurrected dead. Some perished in torture, refusing deliverance in order to obtain a better resurrection;
36 others suffered mocking and flogging; moreover, chains and dungeons;
37 They were stoned, sawn in two, tested; they died by the edge of the sword; they wandered about, clothed in sheep and goat skins, destitute, persecuted, mistreated,
38 — they of whom the world was not worthy; — they wandered in deserts and mountains, in caves and in the holes of the earth.
39 However, all those who were commended through their faith did not receive what was promised.
40 because God has made us in a better condition so that only together with us would they not attain perfection happiness.
Chapter 12
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that weighs us down and the sin that entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.,
2 eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who, instead of the joy that was before him, despising the shame, suffered the cross, and "sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.".
3 Consider him who endured such great opposition from sinners, so that you will not be overcome by discouragement.
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
5 And you have forgotten God's exhortation, which says to you as to sons: »My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you;
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens every son he accepts as his own.«
7 You are being tested for your instruction; God is treating you as sons; for what son is not disciplined by his father?
8 If you are exempt from the punishment in which all share, then you are illegitimate children and not children of true son.
9 Furthermore, since our earthly fathers disciplined us and we respected them, how much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live?
10 As for them, they were only punishing us for a short time according to their own will; but God does it as much as it is useful to make us capable of sharing in his holiness.
11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of peace and righteousness for those who have been trained by it.
12 » Lift up your feeble hands and weak knees;
13 Direct your steps in the straight way, so that what is lame may not deviate, but rather be strengthened.
14 Search peace with all, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
15 See to it that no one fails in the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and that the multitude is not thereby infected.
16 Let there be no fornicator among you, nor a profaner like Esau, who for a single meal sold his birthright.
17 You know that later, when he wanted to receive the blessing, he was rejected, even though he sought it with tears; for he could not bring his father to change feelings.
18 You have not come to a mountain that a hand can touch, nor to a blazing fire, nor to a cloud, nor to darkness, nor to a storm,
19 nor the blare of the trumpet, nor a voice so resounding, that those who heard it begged that no further talk be given to them;
20 because they could not tolerate this prohibition: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it will be stoned."»
21 And this sight was so terrible that Moses said, »I am terrified and trembling!»
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in joyful assembly,
23 to the assembly of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven, to the God and Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
24 of Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and of the sprinkled blood which speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.
25 Beware of resisting the one who speaks; for if these have not escaped to punishment, Those who refused to listen to him who proclaimed his oracles on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject him when he speaks to us from heaven?
26 He, whose voice then shook the earth, but who now has made this promise: »Once again I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.«
27 These words, »Once again,« indicate the change of the things that are about to be shaken as having been accomplished, so that those that are not to be shaken may remain. forever.
28 Therefore, since we are coming into possession of a kingdom that will not be shaken, let us hold fast to grace, and through it let us worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
29 For our God is also a consuming fire.
Chapter 13
1 Continue in brotherly love.
2. Don't forget thehospitality ; some, by practicing it, have unknowingly sheltered angels.
3 Remember those in prison as if you were prisoners yourselves; and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were in the body.
4 Let marriage be honored by all, and the marriage bed undefiled, for God will condemn the sexually immoral and adulterous.
5 Let your conduct be free from greed, being content with what you have; for God himself has said, »I will never leave you nor forsake you»;
6 so that we may confidently say, »The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?«
7 Remember those who lead you, who have spoken the word of God to you; and consider the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith.
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today; he will be the same forever.
9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings, for it is better to strengthen your heart by grace than by foods, which are of no benefit to those who partake of them.
10 We have an altar from which those who remain to serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.
11 For the animals whose blood, an atonement for sin, is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest, their bodies are burned outside the camp.
12 That is why Jesus also, to sanctify the people by his blood, suffered outside the gate.
13 So let us go out of the camp to him, bearing his reproach.
14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the one that is to come.
15 Therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that praise his name.
16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
17 Obey those who lead you, and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who must give an account, so that they may do it with joy and not with groaning; for that would not be to your advantage.
18 Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a clear conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves well in all things.
19 I earnestly implore you to do so, so that I may be returned to you sooner.
20 May the God of peace, — who brought back from the dead him who, by the blood of an eternal covenant, is became the great Shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, —
21 May he equip you with everything good for doing his will, working in you what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever! Amen!
22 I ask you, brothers, to accept this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.
23 Be aware that our brother Timothy has been released; if he comes soon enough, I will come to see you with him.
24 Greet all your leaders and all the saints. The brothers in Italy send you greetings.
Grace be with you all! Amen!
