16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?(A) 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness?(B) 18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest(C) if not to those who disobeyed?(D) 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.(E)

A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.(F) For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.[a](G) Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,

“So I declared on oath in my anger,
    ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”[b](H)

And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 4:2 Some manuscripts because those who heard did not combine it with faith
  2. Hebrews 4:3 Psalm 95:11; also in verse 5

16 Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand(A) and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! 17 The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country;(B)

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26 “Fellow children of Abraham(A) and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation(B) has been sent. 27 The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus,(C) yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets(D) that are read every Sabbath. 28 Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed.(E) 29 When they had carried out all that was written about him,(F) they took him down from the cross(G) and laid him in a tomb.(H) 30 But God raised him from the dead,(I) 31 and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem.(J) They are now his witnesses(K) to our people.

32 “We tell you the good news:(L) What God promised our ancestors(M)

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