Our Compassionate High Priest

¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great ^(A)High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, ^(B)let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For ^(C)we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but ^(D)was in all points tempted as we are, ^(E)yet without sin. ^16 (F)Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Qualifications for High Priesthood

5 For every high priest taken from among men ^(G)is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. ² He can ^[a]have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to ^(H)weakness. ³ Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for ^(I)himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. ⁴ And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as ^(J)Aaron was.

A Priest Forever

^5 (K)So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:

⁶ As He also says in another place:

⁷ who, in the days of His flesh, when He had ^(N)offered up prayers and supplications, ^(O)with vehement cries and tears to Him ^(P)who was able to save Him from death, and was heard ^(Q)because of His godly fear, ⁸ though He was a Son, yet He learned ^(R)obedience by the things which He suffered. ⁹ And ^(S)having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, ¹⁰ called by God as High Priest ^(T)“according to the order of Melchizedek,” ¹¹ of whom ^(U)we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become ^(V)dull of hearing.

Spiritual Immaturity

¹² For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the ^[b]oracles of God; and you have come to need ^(W)milk and not solid food. ¹³ For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is ^(X)a babe. ¹⁴ But solid food belongs to those who are ^[c]of full age, that is, those who by reason of ^[d]use have their senses exercised ^(Y)to discern both good and evil.

The Peril of Not Progressing

6 Therefore, ^(Z)leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to ^[e]perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from ^(AA)dead works and of faith toward God, ^2 (AB)of the doctrine of baptisms, ^(AC)of laying on of hands, ^(AD)of resurrection of the dead, ^(AE)and of eternal judgment. ³ And this ^[f]we will do if God permits.

⁴ For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted ^(AF)the heavenly gift, and ^(AG)have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ^6 [g]if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, ^(AH)since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

⁷ For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, ^(AI)receives blessing from God; ^8 (AJ)but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

A Better Estimate

⁹ But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. ¹⁰ For ^(AK)God is not unjust to forget ^(AL)your work and ^[h]labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ^(AM)ministered to the saints, and do minister. ¹¹ And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence ^(AN)to the full assurance of hope until the end, ¹² that you do not become ^[i]sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience ^(AO)inherit the promises.

Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons

49 And Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may ^(A)tell you what shall befall you ^(B)in the last days:

²⁸ All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing.

Jacob’s Death and Burial

²⁹ Then he charged them and said to them: “I ^(AO)am to be gathered to my people; ^(AP)bury me with my fathers ^(AQ)in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, ³⁰ in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, ^(AR)which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place. ^31 (AS)There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, ^(AT)there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah. ³² The field and the cave that is there were purchased from the sons of Heth.” ³³ And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

Burial of Jacob

50 Then Joseph ^(AU)fell on his father’s face and ^(AV)wept over him, and kissed him. ² And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to ^(AW)embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. ³ Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians ^(AX)mourned^[h] for him seventy days.

⁴ Now when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to ^(AY)the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying, ^5 (AZ)‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying; in my grave ^(BA)which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come back.’ ”

⁶ And Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”

⁷ So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, ⁸ as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. ⁹ And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering.

¹⁰ Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they ^(BB)mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. ^(BC)He observed seven days of mourning for his father. ¹¹ And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called ^[i]Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.

¹² So his sons did for him just as he had commanded them. ¹³ For ^(BD)his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre, which Abraham ^(BE)bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place. ¹⁴ And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father.

Joseph Reassures His Brothers

¹⁵ When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, ^(BF)they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may ^[j]actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.” ¹⁶ So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying, ¹⁷ ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: “I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; ^(BG)for they did evil to you.” ’ Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of ^(BH)the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

¹⁸ Then his brothers also went and ^(BI)fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”

¹⁹ Joseph said to them, ^(BJ)“Do not be afraid, ^(BK)for am I in the place of God? ^20 (BL)But as for you, you meant evil against me; but ^(BM)God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. ²¹ Now therefore, do not be afraid; ^(BN)I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke ^[k]kindly to them.

Death of Joseph^(BO)

²² So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father’s household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. ²³ Joseph saw Ephraim’s children ^(BP)to the third generation. ^(BQ)The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, ^(BR)were also brought up on Joseph’s knees.

²⁴ And Joseph said to his brethren, “I am dying; but ^(BS)God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land ^(BT)of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” ²⁵ Then ^(BU)Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely ^[l]visit you, and ^(BV)you shall carry up my ^(BW)bones from here.” ²⁶ So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Prayer for Wisdom and Forgiveness

To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.