¹³ For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, ¹⁴ saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.”Genesis 22:17 ¹⁵ Thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise. ¹⁶ For men indeed swear by a greater one, and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation. ¹⁷ In this way God, being determined to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath, ¹⁸ that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us. ¹⁹ This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil; ²⁰ where as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.