Hebrews 3:7-19

Contemporary English Version

A Rest for God's People

⁷^(A) It is just as the Holy Spirit says,

“If you hear God's voice today,
⁸    don't be stubborn!
Don't rebel like those people
who were tested
    in the desert.
* ⁹^[a] For forty years your ancestors
tested God and saw
    the things he did.

¹⁰“Then God got tired of them
    and said,
‘You people never
    show good sense,
and you don't understand
    what I want you to do.’
¹¹God became angry
    and told the people,
‘You will never enter
    my place of rest!’ ”

¹²My friends, watch out! Don't let evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn from the living God. ¹³You must encourage one another each day. And you must keep on while there is still a time that can be called “today.” If you don't, then sin may fool some of you and make you stubborn. ¹⁴We were sure about Christ when we first became his people. So let's hold tightly to our faith until the end. ¹⁵^(B) The Scriptures say,

“If you hear his voice today,
don't be stubborn
like those who rebelled.”

¹⁶^(C) Who were those people that heard God's voice and rebelled? Weren't they the same ones that came out of Egypt with Moses? ¹⁷Who were the people that made God angry for 40 years? Weren't they the ones that sinned and died in the desert? ¹⁸And who did God say would never enter his place of rest? Weren't they the ones that disobeyed him? ¹⁹We see that those people did not enter the place of rest because they did not have faith.

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