Hebrews 1-6 (New American Standard Bible)

Hebrews 1

God's Final Word in His Son

 ¹God, after He ^(A)spoke long ago to the fathers in ^(B)the prophets in many portions and ^(C)in many ways,

 ^2(D)in these last days ^(E)has spoken to us in ^(F)His Son, whom He appointed ^(G)heir of all things, ^(H)through whom also He made the ^(I)world.

 ³And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact ^(J)representation of His nature, and ^(K)upholds all things by the word of His power When He had made ^(L)purification of sins, He ^(M)sat down at the right hand of the ^(N)Majesty on high,

 ⁴having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent ^(O)name than they.

 ⁵For to which of the angels did He ever say,
         "^(P)YOU ARE MY SON,
         TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU"?
         And again,
         "^(Q)I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM
         AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME"?

 ⁶And when He again ^(R)brings the firstborn into ^(S)the world, He says,
         "^(T)AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM."

 ⁷And of the angels He says,
         "^(U)WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS,
         AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE."

 ⁸But of the Son He says,
         "^(V)YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER,
         AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF ^[a]HIS KINGDOM.
    ⁹"^(W)YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS;
         ^(X)THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ^(Y)ANOINTED YOU
         WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS."

 ¹⁰And,
         "^(Z)YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH,
         AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS;
    ^11(AA)THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN;
         ^(AB)AND THEY ALL WILL BECOME OLD LIKE A GARMENT,
    ^12(AC)AND LIKE A MANTLE YOU WILL ROLL THEM UP;
         LIKE A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED
         BUT YOU ARE ^(AD)THE SAME,
         AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END."

 ¹³But to which of the angels has He ever said,
         "^(AE)SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,
         ^(AF)UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES
         A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET"?

 ¹⁴Are they not all ^(AG)ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will ^(AH)inherit ^(AI)salvation?

Hebrews 2

Give Heed

 ¹For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that ^(AJ)we do not drift away from it.

 ²For if the word ^(AK)spoken through ^(AL)angels proved unalterable, and ^(AM)every transgression and disobedience received a just ^(AN)penalty,

 ^3(AO)how will we escape if we neglect so great a ^(AP)salvation? After it was at the first ^(AQ)spoken through the Lord, it was ^(AR)confirmed to us by those who heard,

 ⁴God also testifying with them, both by ^(AS)signs and wonders and by ^(AT)various miracles and by ^(AU)gifts of the Holy Spirit ^(AV)according to His own will.

Earth Subject to Man

 ⁵For He did not subject to angels ^(AW)the world to come, concerning which we are speaking.

 ⁶But one has testified ^(AX)somewhere, saying,
         "^(AY)WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU REMEMBER HIM?
         OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM?
    ⁷"^(AZ)YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS;
         YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR,
         ^[b]AND HAVE APPOINTED HIM OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS;
    ^8(BA)YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET "
         For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him But now ^(BB)we do not yet see all things subjected to him.

Jesus Briefly Humbled

 ⁹But we do see Him who was ^(BC)made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, ^(BD)because of the suffering of death ^(BE)crowned with glory and honor, so that ^(BF)by the grace of God He might ^(BG)taste death ^(BH)for everyone.

 ¹⁰For ^(BI)it was fitting for Him, ^(BJ)for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to ^(BK)perfect the ^(BL)author of their salvation through sufferings.

 ¹¹For both He who ^(BM)sanctifies and those who ^(BN)are sanctified are all ^(BO)from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them ^(BP)brethren,

 ¹²saying,
         "^(BQ)I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN,
         IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE."

 ¹³And again,
         "^(BR)I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN HIM "
         And again,
         "^(BS)BEHOLD, I AND THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN ME."

 ¹⁴Therefore, since the children share in ^(BT)flesh and blood, ^(BU)He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that ^(BV)through death He might render powerless ^(BW)him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

 ¹⁵and might free those who through ^(BX)fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

 ¹⁶For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.

 ¹⁷Therefore, He had ^(BY)to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might ^(BZ)become a merciful and faithful ^(CA)high priest in ^(CB)things pertaining to God, to ^(CC)make propitiation for the sins of the people.

 ¹⁸For since He Himself was ^(CD)tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

Hebrews 3

Jesus Our High Priest

 ¹Therefore, ^(CE)holy brethren, partakers of a ^(CF)heavenly calling, consider Jesus, ^(CG)the Apostle and ^(CH)High Priest of our ^(CI)confession;

 ²He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as ^(CJ)Moses also was in all His house.

 ^3(CK)For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house.

 ⁴For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.

 ⁵Now ^(CL)Moses was faithful in all His house as ^(CM)a servant, ^(CN)for a testimony of those things ^(CO)which were to be spoken later;

 ⁶but Christ was faithful as ^(CP)a Son over His house--^(CQ)whose house we are, ^(CR)if we hold fast our ^(CS)confidence and the boast of our ^(CT)hope firm until the end.

 ⁷Therefore, just as ^(CU)the Holy Spirit says,
         "^(CV)TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,
    ^8(CW)DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME,
         AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS,
    ^9(CX)WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me BY TESTING Me,
         AND SAW MY WORKS FOR ^(CY)FORTY YEARS.
    ¹⁰"^(CZ)THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION,
         AND SAID, 'THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART,
         AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS';
    ^11(DA)AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH,
         'THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.'"

The Peril of Unbelief

 ^12(DB)Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from ^(DC)the living God.

 ¹³But ^(DD)encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the ^(DE)deceitfulness of sin.

 ¹⁴For we have become partakers of Christ, ^(DF)if we hold fast the beginning of our ^(DG)assurance firm until the end,

 ¹⁵while it is said,
         "^(DH)TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,
         DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME."

 ¹⁶For who ^(DI)provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, ^(DJ)did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?

 ¹⁷And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, ^(DK)whose bodies fell in the wilderness?

 ¹⁸And to whom did He swear ^(DL)that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were ^(DM)disobedient?

 ¹⁹So we see that they were not able to enter because of ^(DN)unbelief.

Hebrews 4

The Believer's Rest

 ¹Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have ^(DO)come short of it.

 ²For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but ^(DP)the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.

 ³For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said,
         "^(DQ)AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH,
         THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST,"
         although His works were finished ^(DR)from the foundation of the world.

 ⁴For He has said ^(DS)somewhere concerning the seventh day: "^(DT)AND GOD ^(DU)RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS";

 ⁵and again in this passage, "^(DV)THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST."

 ⁶Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of ^(DW)disobedience,

 ⁷He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just ^(DX)as has been said before,
         "^(DY)TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,
         DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS."

 ⁸For ^(DZ)if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.

 ⁹So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

 ¹⁰For the one who has entered His rest has himself also ^(EA)rested from his works, as ^(EB)God did from His.

 ¹¹Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same ^(EC)example of ^(ED)disobedience.

 ¹²For ^(EE)the word of God is ^(EF)living and ^(EG)active and sharper than any two-edged ^(EH)sword, and piercing as far as the division of ^(EI)soul and ^(EJ)spirit, of both joints and marrow, and ^(EK)able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

 ¹³And ^(EL)there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are ^(EM)open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

 ¹⁴Therefore, since we have a great ^(EN)high priest who has ^(EO)passed through the heavens, Jesus ^(EP)the Son of God, let us hold fast our ^(EQ)confession.

 ¹⁵For we do not have ^(ER)a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been ^(ES)tempted in all things as we are, yet ^(ET)without sin.

 ¹⁶Therefore let us ^(EU)draw near with ^(EV)confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 5

The Perfect High Priest

 ¹For every high priest ^(EW)taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in ^(EX)things pertaining to God, in order to ^(EY)offer both gifts and sacrifices ^(EZ)for sins;

 ^2(FA)he can deal gently with the ^(FB)ignorant and ^(FC)misguided, since he himself also is ^(FD)beset with weakness;

 ³and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices ^(FE)for sins, ^(FF)as for the people, so also for himself.

 ⁴And ^(FG)no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even ^(FH)as Aaron was.

 ⁵So also Christ ^(FI)did not glorify Himself so as to become a ^(FJ)high priest, but He who ^(FK)said to Him,
         "^(FL)YOU ARE MY SON,
         TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU";

 ⁶just as He says also in another passage,
         "^(FM)YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER
         ACCORDING TO ^(FN)THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK."

 ⁷In the days of His flesh, ^(FO)He offered up both prayers and supplications with ^(FP)loud crying and tears to the One ^(FQ)able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His ^(FR)piety.

 ⁸Although He was ^(FS)a Son, He learned ^(FT)obedience from the things which He suffered.

 ⁹And having been made ^(FU)perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,

 ¹⁰being designated by God as ^(FV)a high priest according to ^(FW)the order of Melchizedek.

 ¹¹Concerning ^[c]him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

 ¹²For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you ^(FX)the ^(FY)elementary principles of the ^(FZ)oracles of God, and you have come to need ^(GA)milk and not solid food.

 ¹³For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an ^(GB)infant.

 ¹⁴But solid food is for ^(GC)the mature, who because of practice have their senses ^(GD)trained to ^(GE)discern good and evil.

Hebrews 6

The Peril of Falling Away

 ¹Therefore ^(GF)leaving ^(GG)the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to ^(GH)maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from ^(GI)dead works and of faith toward God,

 ²of ^(GJ)instruction about washings and ^(GK)laying on of hands, and the ^(GL)resurrection of the dead and ^(GM)eternal judgment.

 ³And this we will do, ^(GN)if God permits.

 ⁴For in the case of those who have once been ^(GO)enlightened and have tasted of ^(GP)the heavenly gift and have been made ^(GQ)partakers of the Holy Spirit,

 ⁵and ^(GR)have tasted the good ^(GS)word of God and the powers of ^(GT)the age to come,

 ⁶and then have fallen away, it is ^(GU)impossible to renew them again to repentance, ^(GV)since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.

 ⁷For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those ^(GW)for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;

 ⁸but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and ^(GX)close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

Better Things for You

 ⁹But, ^(GY)beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.

 ¹⁰For ^(GZ)God is not unjust so as to forget ^(HA)your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ^(HB)ministered and in still ministering to the saints.

 ¹¹And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the ^(HC)full assurance of ^(HD)hope until the end,

 ¹²so that you will not be sluggish, but ^(HE)imitators of those who through ^(HF)faith and patience ^(HG)inherit the promises.

 ¹³For ^(HH)when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He ^(HI)swore by Himself,

 ¹⁴saying, "^(HJ)I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU."

 ¹⁵And so, ^(HK)having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.

 ^16(HL)For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them ^(HM)an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.

 ¹⁷In the same way God, desiring even more to show to ^(HN)the heirs of the promise ^(HO)the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath,

 ¹⁸so that by two unchangeable things in which ^(HP)it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of ^(HQ)the hope set before us.

 ¹⁹This ^(HR)hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which ^(HS)enters within the veil,

 ^20(HT)where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a ^(HU)high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.