Hebrews 1-6 (English Standard Version)

Hebrews 1

The Supremacy of God’s Son

 ¹Long ago, at many times and^(A) in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ²but^(B) in these last days^(C) he has spoken to us by^(D) his Son, whom he appointed^(E) the heir of all things,^(F) through whom also he created^(G) the world. ³He is the radiance of the glory of God and^(H) the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.^(I) After making purification for sins,^(J) he sat down^(K) at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴having become as much superior to angels as the name^(L) he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

 ⁵For to which of the angels did God ever say,

   ^(M) "You are my Son,
   today I have begotten you"?

   

   Or again,

   ^(N) "I will be to him a father,
   and he shall be to me a son"?

 ⁶And again, when he brings^(O) the firstborn into the world, he says,

   ^(P) "Let all God’s angels worship him."

 ⁷Of the angels he says,

   ^(Q) "He makes his angels winds,
   and his ministers a flame of fire."

 ⁸But of the Son he says,

   ^(R) "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
   the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
⁹You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;therefore God, your God,^(S) has anointed you
   with^(T) the oil of gladness beyond your companions."

 ¹⁰And,

   ^(U) "You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
   and the heavens are the work of your hands;
¹¹they will perish, but you remain;
   they will all wear out like a garment,
¹²like a robe you will roll them up,
   like a garment they will be changed.^[a]
But you are^(V) the same,
   and your years will have no end."

 ¹³And to which of the angels has he ever said,

   ^(W) "Sit at my right hand
   ^(X) until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"?

 ¹⁴Are they not all ministering spirits^(Y) sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to^(Z) inherit salvation?

Hebrews 2

Warning Against Neglecting Salvation

 ¹Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. ²For since^(AA) the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and^(AB) every transgression or disobedience received a just^(AC) retribution, ^3(AD) how shall we escape if we^(AE) neglect such a great salvation? It was^(AF) declared at first by the Lord, and it was^(AG) attested to us^(AH) by those who heard, ^4(AI) while God also bore witness^(AJ) by signs and wonders and various miracles and by^(AK) gifts of the Holy Spirit^(AL) distributed according to his will.

The Founder of Salvation

 ⁵Now it was not to angels that God subjected the world^(AM) to come, of which we are speaking. ⁶It has been testified somewhere,

   ^(AN) "What is man, that you are mindful of him,
   or the son of man, that you care for him?
⁷You made him for a little while lower than the angels;
   you have crowned him with glory and honor,<sup>[b]

 8</sup>putting everything in subjection under his feet."

   

   Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present,^(AO) we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. ⁹But we see him^(AP) who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus,^(AQ) crowned with glory and honor^(AR) because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might^(AS) taste death^(AT) for everyone.

 ¹⁰For it^(AU) was fitting that he,^(AV) for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons^(AW) to glory, should make the^(AX) founder of their salvation^(AY) perfect through suffering. ¹¹For^(AZ) he who sanctifies and^(BA) those who are sanctified^(BB) all have one source.^[c] That is why he is not ashamed to call them^(BC) brothers,^{[d] 12}saying,

   ^(BD) "I will tell of your name to my brothers;
   in the midst of the^(BE) congregation I will sing your praise."

 ¹³And again,

   ^(BF) "I will put my trust in him."

   

   And again,

   ^(BG) "Behold, I and the children^(BH) God has given me."

 ¹⁴Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise^(BI) partook of the same things, that^(BJ) through death he might^(BK) destroy^(BL) the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵and deliver all those who^(BM) through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. ¹⁶For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he^(BN) helps the offspring of Abraham. ¹⁷Therefore he had^(BO) to be made like his brothers in every respect,^(BP) so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest^(BQ) in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. ¹⁸For because he himself has suffered^(BR) when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 3

Jesus Greater Than Moses

 ¹Therefore, holy brothers,^[e] you who share in^(BS) a heavenly calling, consider Jesus,^(BT) the apostle and high priest of our confession, ²who was faithful to him who appointed him,^(BU) just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s^[f] house. ³For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. ⁴(For every house is built by someone, but^(BV) the builder of all things is God.) ^5(BW) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house^(BX) as a servant,^(BY) to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, ⁶but Christ is faithful over God’s house as^(BZ) a son. And^(CA) we are his house if indeed we^(CB) hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.^[g]

A Rest for the People of God

 ⁷Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,

   ^(CC) "Today, if you hear his voice, ⁸do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
   on the day of testing in the wilderness,
⁹where your fathers put me to the test
   and saw my works for^(CD) forty years.
¹⁰Therefore I was provoked with that generation,and said, 'They always go astray in their heart;
   they have not known my ways.'
^11(CE) As I swore in my wrath,
   'They shall not enter my rest.'"

 ¹²Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from^(CF) the living God. ¹³But^(CG) exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by^(CH) the deceitfulness of sin. ¹⁴For we have come to share in Christ,^(CI) if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. ¹⁵As it is said,

   ^(CJ) "Today, if you hear his voice,do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."

 ¹⁶For^(CK) who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not^(CL) all those who left Egypt led by Moses? ¹⁷And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned,^(CM) whose bodies fell in the wilderness? ¹⁸And to whom did he swear that^(CN) they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? ¹⁹So we see that^(CO) they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

Hebrews 4

 ¹Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem^(CP) to have failed to reach it. ²For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because^(CQ) they were not united by faith with those who listened.^{[h] 3}For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,

   ^(CR) "As I swore in my wrath,'They shall not enter my rest,'"

   

   although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. ⁴For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way:^(CS) "And God rested on the seventh day from all his works." ⁵And again in this passage he said,

   ^(CT) "They shall not enter my rest."

 ⁶Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news^(CU) failed to enter because of disobedience, ⁷again he appoints a certain day, "Today," saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,

   ^(CV) "Today, if you hear his voice,do not harden your hearts."

 ⁸For if Joshua had given them rest, God^[i] would not have spoken of another day later on. ⁹So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, ¹⁰for whoever has entered God’s rest has also^(CW) rested from his works as God did from his.

 ¹¹Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so^(CX) that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. ¹²For^(CY) the word of God is living and^(CZ) active,^(DA) sharper than any^(DB) two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and^(DC) discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³And^(DD) no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are^(DE) naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Jesus the Great High Priest

 ¹⁴Since then we have^(DF) a great high priest^(DG) who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God,^(DH) let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest^(DI) who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been^(DJ) tempted as we are,^(DK) yet without sin. ^16(DL) Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 5

 ¹For every high priest chosen from among men^(DM) is appointed to act on behalf of men^(DN) in relation to God,^(DO) to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. ^2(DP) He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself^(DQ) is beset with weakness. ³Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins^(DR) just as he does for those of the people. ⁴And^(DS) no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God,^(DT) just as Aaron was.

 ⁵So also Christ^(DU) did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,

   ^(DV) "You are my Son,
   today I have begotten you";

 ⁶as he says also in another place,

   ^(DW) "You are a priest forever,
   after the order of Melchizedek."

 ⁷In the days of his flesh,^(DX) Jesus^[j] offered up prayers and supplications,^(DY) with loud cries and tears, to him^(DZ) who was able to save him from death, and^(EA) he was heard because of his reverence. ⁸Although^(EB) he was a son,^(EC) he learned obedience through what he suffered. ⁹And^(ED) being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, ¹⁰being designated by God a high priest^(EE) after the order of Melchizedek.

Warning Against Apostasy

 ¹¹About this we have much to say, and it is^(EF) hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. ¹²For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again^(EG) the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need^(EH) milk, not solid food, ¹³for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is^(EI) a child. ¹⁴But solid food is for^(EJ) the mature, for those who have their powers^(EK) of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 6

 ¹Therefore^(EL) let us leave^(EM) the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance^(EN) from dead works and of faith toward God, ²and of^(EO) instruction about washings,^[k](EP) the laying on of hands,^(EQ) the resurrection of the dead, and^(ER) eternal judgment. ³And this we will do^(ES) if God permits. ⁴For it is impossible, in the case of those^(ET) who have once been enlightened, who have tasted^(EU) the heavenly gift, and^(EV) have shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵and^(EW) have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶and^(EX) then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since^(EY) they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. ⁷For^(EZ) land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. ⁸But^(FA) if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed,^(FB) and its end is to be burned.

 ⁹Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. ¹⁰For^(FC) God is not unjust so as to overlook^(FD) your work and the love that you have shown for his name in^(FE) serving the saints, as you still do. ¹¹And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance^(FF) of hope until the end, ¹²so that you may not be sluggish, but^(FG) imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

The Certainty of God’s Promise

 ¹³For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear,^(FH) he swore by himself, ¹⁴saying,^(FI) "Surely I will bless you and multiply you." ¹⁵And thus Abraham,^[l](FJ) having patiently waited, obtained the promise. ¹⁶For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes^(FK) an oath is final for confirmation. ¹⁷So when God desired to show more convincingly to^(FL) the heirs of the promise^(FM) the unchangeable character of his purpose,^(FN) he guaranteed it with an oath, ¹⁸so that by two unchangeable things, in which^(FO) it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope^(FP) set before us. ¹⁹We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into^(FQ) the inner place behind the curtain, ²⁰where Jesus has gone^(FR) as a forerunner on our behalf,^(FS) having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.