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,

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.