Exhortations to Godliness

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus^(A)— ²⁰ he has inaugurated^[a] for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh^(B))— ²¹ and since we have a great high priest over the house of God,^{(C) 22} let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.^{(D) 23} Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.^{(E) 24} And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other,^(F) and all the more as you see the day approaching.

Warning against Deliberate Sin

²⁶ For if we deliberately go on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,^{(G) 27} but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries.^{(H) 28} Anyone who disregarded the law of Moses died without mercy, based on the testimony of two or three witnesses.^{(I) 29} How much worse punishment do you think one will deserve who has trampled on the Son of God, who has regarded as profane^[b] the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?^{(J) 30} For we know the one who has said,

and again,

³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.^(L)

³² Remember the earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings.^{(M) 33} Sometimes you were publicly exposed to taunts and afflictions, and at other times you were companions of those who were treated that way.^{(N) 34} For you sympathized with the prisoners^[f] and accepted with joy the confiscation of your possessions, because you know that you yourselves have a better and enduring possession.^{[g](O) 35} So don’t throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.^{(P) 36} For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised.^(Q)

³⁹ But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.

²² “Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: It is not for your sake that I will act,^(A) house of Israel, but for my holy name,^(B) which you profaned among the nations where you went. ²³ I will honor the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am the Lord—this is the declaration of the Lord God—when I demonstrate my holiness through you in their sight.^(C)

²⁴ “‘For I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and will bring you into your own land.^{(D) 25} I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean.^(E) I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.^{(F) 26} I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;^(G) I will remove your heart of stone^[a] and give you a heart of flesh.^{(H) 27} I will place my Spirit within you^(I) and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.^{(J) 28} You will live in the land that I gave your ancestors;^(K) you will be my people, and I will be your God.^(L)

⁵⁰ But Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit.^{(A) 51} Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary^(B) was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, and the rocks were split. ⁵² The tombs were also opened^(C) and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. ⁵³ And they came out of the tombs after his resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.

⁵⁴ When the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” ^(D)