Hebrews 5-6
New American Standard Bible
The Perfect High Priest
5 For every high priest (A)taken from among men is appointed on behalf of people in (B)things pertaining to God, in order to (C)offer both gifts and sacrifices (D)for sins; 2 [a](E)he can deal gently with the (F)ignorant and (G)misguided, since he himself also is [b](H)clothed in weakness; 3 and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices (I)for sins for himself, (J)as well as for the people. 4 And (K)no one takes the honor for himself, but receives it when he is called by God, just (L)as Aaron also was.
5 So too Christ (M)did not glorify Himself in becoming a (N)high priest, but it was He who (O)said to Him,
“(P)You are My Son,
Today I have fathered You”;
6 just as He also says in another passage,
7 In the days of [c]His humanity, [d](S)He offered up both prayers and pleas with (T)loud crying and tears to the One (U)able to save Him [e]from death, and He [f]was heard because of His (V)devout behavior. 8 Although He was (W)a Son, He learned (X)obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been (Y)perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him, 10 being designated by God as (Z)High Priest according to (AA)the order of Melchizedek.
11 Concerning [g]him we have much to say, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become [h]poor listeners. 12 For though [i]by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you (AB)the [j](AC)elementary principles of the (AD)actual words of God, and you have come to need (AE)milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an (AF)infant. 14 But solid food is for (AG)the mature, who because of practice have their senses (AH)trained to (AI)distinguish between good and evil.
The Danger of Falling Away
6 Therefore (AJ)leaving (AK)the [k]elementary teaching about the [l]Christ, let us press on to [m](AL)maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from (AM)dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of (AN)instruction about [n]washings and (AO)laying on of hands, and about the (AP)resurrection of the dead and (AQ)eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do, (AR)if God permits. 4 For it is (AS)impossible, in the case of those who have once been (AT)enlightened and have tasted of (AU)the heavenly gift and have been made (AV)partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and (AW)have tasted the good (AX)word of God and the powers of (AY)the age to come, 6 and then have [o]fallen away, to (AZ)restore them again to repentance, [p](BA)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 [q]falls on it and produces vegetation useful to those (BB)for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; 8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and [r](BC)close to being cursed, and [s]it ends up being burned.
Better Things for You
9 But, (BD)beloved, we are convinced of better things regarding you, and things that [t]accompany salvation, even though we are speaking in this way. 10 For (BE)God is not unjust so as to forget (BF)your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, by having (BG)served and by still serving the [u]saints. 11 And we desire that each one of you demonstrate the same diligence [v]so as to realize the (BH)full assurance of (BI)hope until the end, 12 so that you will not be sluggish, but (BJ)imitators of those who through (BK)faith and endurance (BL)inherit the promises.
13 For (BM)when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear an oath by no one greater, He (BN)swore by Himself, 14 saying, “(BO)indeed I will greatly bless you and I will greatly multiply you.” 15 And so, (BP)having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. 16 (BQ)For people swear an oath by [w]one greater than themselves, and with them (BR)an oath serving as confirmation is an end of every dispute. 17 [x]In the same way God, desiring even more to demonstrate to (BS)the heirs of the promise [y](BT)the fact that His purpose is unchangeable, [z]confirmed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things in which (BU)it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to hold firmly to (BV)the hope set before us. 19 [aa]This (BW)hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which (BX)enters [ab]within the veil, 20 (BY)where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a (BZ)high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 5:2 Lit being able to
- Hebrews 5:2 I.e., weak by nature
- Hebrews 5:7 Lit His flesh
- Hebrews 5:7 Lit who having offered up
- Hebrews 5:7 Or out of
- Hebrews 5:7 Lit having been heard
- Hebrews 5:11 Lit whom; or which
- Hebrews 5:11 Lit sluggish in hearing
- Hebrews 5:12 Lit because of the time
- Hebrews 5:12 Lit elements of the beginning
- Hebrews 6:1 Lit word of the beginning
- Hebrews 6:1 I.e., Messiah
- Hebrews 6:1 Or perfection
- Hebrews 6:2 Or baptisms
- Hebrews 6:6 Or committed apostasy; i.e., renounced the faith
- Hebrews 6:6 Or while
- Hebrews 6:7 Lit comes
- Hebrews 6:8 Lit near to a curse
- Hebrews 6:8 Lit whose end is for burning
- Hebrews 6:9 Or belong to
- Hebrews 6:10 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Hebrews 6:11 Lit to the full
- Hebrews 6:16 Or Him who is greater
- Hebrews 6:17 Lit In which
- Hebrews 6:17 Lit the unchangeableness of His
- Hebrews 6:17 Or mediated
- Hebrews 6:19 Lit Which hope we have
- Hebrews 6:19 Or inside
Hebrews 5-6
New King James Version
Qualifications for High Priesthood
5 For every high priest taken from among men (A)is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can [a]have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to (B)weakness. 3 Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for (C)himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. 4 And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as (D)Aaron was.
A Priest Forever
5 (E)So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:
(F)“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.”
6 As He also says in another place:
(G)“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek”;
7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had (H)offered up prayers and supplications, (I)with vehement cries and tears to Him (J)who was able to save Him from death, and was heard (K)because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned (L)obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And (M)having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 called by God as High Priest (N)“according to the order of Melchizedek,” 11 of whom (O)we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become (P)dull of hearing.
Spiritual Immaturity
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the [b]oracles of God; and you have come to need (Q)milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is (R)a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are [c]of full age, that is, those who by reason of [d]use have their senses exercised (S)to discern both good and evil.
The Peril of Not Progressing
6 Therefore, (T)leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to [e]perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from (U)dead works and of faith toward God, 2 (V)of the doctrine of baptisms, (W)of laying on of hands, (X)of resurrection of the dead, (Y)and of eternal judgment. 3 And this [f]we will do if God permits.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted (Z)the heavenly gift, and (AA)have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 [g]if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, (AB)since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, (AC)receives blessing from God; 8 (AD)but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.
A Better Estimate
9 But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. 10 For (AE)God is not unjust to forget (AF)your work and [h]labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have (AG)ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence (AH)to the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 that you do not become [i]sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience (AI)inherit the promises.
God’s Infallible Purpose in Christ
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, (AJ)He swore by Himself, 14 saying, (AK)“Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the (AL)promise. 16 For men indeed swear by the greater, and (AM)an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. 17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to (AN)the heirs of promise (AO)the [j]immutability of His counsel, [k]confirmed it by an oath, 18 that by two [l]immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to (AP)lie, we [m]might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope (AQ)set before us.
19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, (AR)and which enters the Presence behind the veil, 20 (AS)where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, (AT)having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 5:2 deal gently with
- Hebrews 5:12 sayings, Scriptures
- Hebrews 5:14 mature
- Hebrews 5:14 practice
- Hebrews 6:1 maturity
- Hebrews 6:3 M let us do
- Hebrews 6:6 Or and have fallen away
- Hebrews 6:10 NU omits labor of
- Hebrews 6:12 lazy
- Hebrews 6:17 unchangeableness of His purpose
- Hebrews 6:17 guaranteed
- Hebrews 6:18 unchangeable
- Hebrews 6:18 M omits might
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
