Hebrews 5-6

New American Standard Bible 1995

The Perfect High Priest

5 For every high priest ^(A)taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men 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)beset with weakness; ³ and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices ^(I)for sins, ^(J)as for the people, so also for himself. ⁴ And ^(K)no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even ^(L)as Aaron was.

⁵ So also Christ ^(M)did not glorify Himself so as to become a ^(N)high priest, but He who ^(O)said to Him,

⁶ just as He says also in another passage,

^7 [c]In the days of His flesh, ^[d](S)He offered up both prayers and supplications 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)piety. ⁸ Although He was ^(W)a Son, He learned ^(X)obedience from the things which He suffered. ⁹ And having been made ^(Y)perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, ¹⁰ being designated by God as ^(Z)a high priest according to ^(AA)the order of Melchizedek.

¹¹ Concerning ^[g]him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. ¹² For though ^[h]by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you ^(AB)the ^[i](AC)elementary principles of the ^(AD)oracles of God, and you have come to need ^(AE)milk and not solid food. ¹³ For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to 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)discern good and evil.

The Peril of Falling Away

6 Therefore ^(AJ)leaving ^(AK)the ^[j]elementary teaching about the ^[k]Christ, let us press on to ^[l](AL)maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from ^(AM)dead works and of faith toward God, ² of ^(AN)instruction about washings and ^(AO)laying on of hands, and the ^(AP)resurrection of the dead and ^(AQ)eternal judgment. ³ And this we will do, ^(AR)if God permits. ⁴ For in the case of those who have once been ^(AS)enlightened and have tasted of ^(AT)the heavenly gift and have been made ^(AU)partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and ^(AV)have tasted the good ^(AW)word of God and the powers of ^(AX)the age to come, ⁶ and then have fallen away, it is ^(AY)impossible to renew them again to repentance, ^[m](AZ)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 ^[n]falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those ^(BA)for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; ⁸ but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and ^(BB)close ^[o]to being cursed, and ^[p]it ends up being burned.

Better Things for You

⁹ But, ^(BC)beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that ^[q]accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. ¹⁰ For ^(BD)God is not unjust so as to forget ^(BE)your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ^(BF)ministered and in still ministering to the ^[r]saints. ¹¹ And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence ^[s]so as to realize the ^(BG)full assurance of ^(BH)hope until the end, ¹² so that you will not be sluggish, but ^(BI)imitators of those who through ^(BJ)faith and patience ^(BK)inherit the promises.

¹³ For ^(BL)when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He ^(BM)swore by Himself, ¹⁴ saying, “^(BN)I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.” ¹⁵ And so, ^(BO)having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. ^16 (BP)For men swear by ^[t]one greater than themselves, and with them ^(BQ)an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. ^17 [u]In the same way God, desiring even more to show to ^(BR)the heirs of the promise ^(BS)the unchangeableness of His purpose, ^[v]interposed with an oath, ¹⁸ so that by two unchangeable things in which ^(BT)it is impossible for God to lie, we who have ^[w]taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of ^(BU)the hope set before us. ^19 [x]This ^(BV)hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which ^(BW)enters ^[y]within the veil, ^20 (BX)where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a ^(BY)high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.