Hebrews 5-8

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.

Melchizedek’s Priesthood Like Christ’s

7 For this ^(BZ)Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the ^(CA)Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, ² to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. ³ Without father, without mother, ^(CB)without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like ^(CC)the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.

⁴ Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the ^(CD)patriarch, ^(CE)gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. ⁵ And those indeed of ^(CF)the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment ^[z]in the Law to collect ^[aa]a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these ^[ab]are descended from Abraham. ⁶ But the one ^(CG)whose genealogy is not traced from them ^(CH)collected ^[ac]a tenth from Abraham and ^[ad](CI)blessed the one who ^(CJ)had the promises. ⁷ But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. ⁸ In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, ^(CK)of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. ⁹ And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, ¹⁰ for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

^11 (CL)Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it ^(CM)the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise ^(CN)according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? ¹² For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. ¹³ For ^(CO)the one concerning whom ^(CP)these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. ¹⁴ For it is evident that our Lord ^[ae]was ^(CQ)descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. ¹⁵ And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, ¹⁶ who has become such not on the basis of a law of ^[af](CR)physical requirement, but according to the power of ^(CS)an indestructible life. ¹⁷ For it is attested of Him,

¹⁸ For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment ^(CU)because of its weakness and uselessness ¹⁹ (for ^(CV)the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better ^(CW)hope, through which we ^(CX)draw near to God. ²⁰ And inasmuch as it was not without an oath ²¹ (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him,

²² so much the more also Jesus has become the ^(DB)guarantee of ^(DC)a better covenant.

^23 [ag]The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, ²⁴ but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues ^(DD)forever, holds His priesthood permanently. ²⁵ Therefore He is able also to ^(DE)save ^[ah]forever those who ^(DF)draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to ^(DG)make intercession for them.

²⁶ For it was fitting for us to have such a ^(DH)high priest, ^(DI)holy, ^(DJ)innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and ^(DK)exalted above the heavens; ²⁷ who does not need daily, like those high priests, to ^(DL)offer up sacrifices, ^(DM)first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did ^(DN)once for all when He ^(DO)offered up Himself. ²⁸ For the Law appoints men as high priests ^(DP)who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints ^(DQ)a Son, ^(DR)made perfect forever.

A Better Ministry

8 Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a ^(DS)high priest, who has taken His seat at ^(DT)the right hand of the throne of the ^(DU)Majesty in the heavens, ² a ^(DV)minister ^[ai]in the sanctuary and ^[aj]in the ^(DW)true ^[ak]tabernacle, which the Lord ^(DX)pitched, not man. ³ For every ^(DY)high priest is appointed ^(DZ)to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. ⁴ Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who ^(EA)offer the gifts according to the Law; ⁵ who serve ^(EB)a copy and ^(EC)shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses ^[al]was ^(ED)warned by God when he was about to erect the ^[am]tabernacle; for, “^(EE)See,” He says, “that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.” ⁶ But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the ^(EF)mediator of ^(EG)a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.

A New Covenant

⁷ For ^(EH)if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. ⁸ For finding fault with them, He says,

^13 [aq]When He said, “^(ER)A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. ^(ES)But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ^[ar]ready to disappear.