¹² For though ^[a]by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you ^(A)the ^[b](B)elementary principles of the ^(C)actual words of God, and you have come to need ^(D)milk and not solid food. ¹³ For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an ^(E)infant. ¹⁴ But solid food is for ^(F)the mature, who because of practice have their senses ^(G)trained to ^(H)distinguish between good and evil.

The Danger of Falling Away

6 Therefore ^(I)leaving ^(J)the ^[c]elementary teaching about the ^[d]Christ, let us press on to ^[e](K)maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from ^(L)dead works and of faith toward God, ² of ^(M)instruction about ^[f]washings and ^(N)laying on of hands, and about the ^(O)resurrection of the dead and ^(P)eternal judgment. ³ And this we will do, ^(Q)if God permits. ⁴ For it is ^(R)impossible, in the case of those who have once been ^(S)enlightened and have tasted of ^(T)the heavenly gift and have been made ^(U)partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and ^(V)have tasted the good ^(W)word of God and the powers of ^(X)the age to come, ⁶ and then have ^[g]fallen away, to ^(Y)restore them again to repentance, ^[h](Z)since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. ⁷ For ground that drinks the rain which often ^[i]falls on it and produces vegetation useful to those ^(AA)for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; ⁸ but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and ^[j](AB)close to being cursed, and ^[k]it ends up being burned.