Prayer for Protection from the Wicked.

For the music director; for ^[a]flute accompaniment. A Psalm of David.

¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But now God has ^(A)arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, ^(B)just as He desired. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ But now ^(C)there are many parts, but one body. ²¹ And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again, the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² On the contrary, ^[a]it is much truer that the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; ²³ and those parts of the body which we ^[b]consider less honorable, ^[c]on these we bestow greater honor, and our less presentable parts become much more presentable, ²⁴ whereas our more presentable parts have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked, ²⁵ so that there may be no ^[d]division in the body, but that the parts may have the same care for one another. ²⁶ And if one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if a part is ^[e]honored, all the parts rejoice with it.

²⁷ Now you are ^(D)Christ’s body, and ^(E)individually parts of it.

Jesus, the Example

12 Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s ^(A)rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s ^(B)run with ^(C)endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking only at Jesus, the ^[a](D)originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him ^(E)endured the cross, ^(F)despising the shame, and has ^(G)sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

³ For ^(H)consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary ^[b](I)and lose heart.

A Father’s Discipline

^4 (J)You have not yet resisted ^[c](K)to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; ⁵ and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,

⁷ It is for discipline that you endure; ^(P)God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? ⁸ But if you are without discipline, ^(Q)of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. ⁹ Furthermore, we had ^[d]earthly fathers to discipline us, and we ^(R)respected them; shall we not much more be subject to ^(S)the Father of ^[e]spirits, and ^(T)live? ¹⁰ For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, ^(U)so that we may share His holiness. ^11 (V)For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the ^(W)peaceful fruit of righteousness.

¹² Therefore, ^[f](X)strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, ¹³ and ^(Y)make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is impaired may not be dislocated, but rather ^(Z)be healed.

^14 (AA)Pursue peace with all people, and the ^(AB)holiness without which no one will ^(AC)see the Lord. ¹⁵ See to it that no one ^(AD)comes short of the grace of God; that no ^(AE)root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many become ^(AF)defiled; ¹⁶ that there be no ^(AG)sexually immoral or ^(AH)godless person like Esau, ^(AI)who sold his own birthright for a single meal. ¹⁷ For you know that even afterward, ^(AJ)when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

Contrast of Sinai and Zion

^18 (AK)For you have not come to ^(AL)a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, ¹⁹ and to the ^(AM)blast of a trumpet and the ^(AN)sound of words, which sound was such that those who heard ^(AO)begged that no further word be spoken to them. ²⁰ For they could not ^[g]cope with the command, “^(AP)If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” ²¹ And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “^(AQ)I am terrified and trembling.” ²² But ^(AR)you have come to Mount Zion and to ^(AS)the city of ^(AT)the living God, ^(AU)the heavenly Jerusalem, and to ^(AV)myriads of ^[h]angels, ²³ to the general assembly and ^(AW)church of the firstborn who ^(AX)are enrolled in heaven, and to God, ^(AY)the Judge of all, and to the ^(AZ)spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴ and to Jesus, the ^(BA)mediator of a new covenant, and to the ^(BB)sprinkled blood, which speaks better than ^(BC)the blood of Abel.

The Unshaken Kingdom

^25 (BD)See to it that you do not refuse Him who is ^(BE)speaking. For ^(BF)if those did not escape when they ^(BG)refused him who ^(BH)warned them on earth, ^[i]much less will we escape who turn away from Him who ^(BI)warns us from heaven. ²⁶ And ^(BJ)His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “^(BK)Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” ²⁷ This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes ^(BL)the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸ Therefore, since we receive a ^(BM)kingdom which cannot be shaken, let’s ^[j]show gratitude, by which we may ^(BN)offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; ²⁹ for ^(BO)our God is a consuming fire.

God’s Final Word in His Son

1 God, after He ^(A)spoke long ago to the fathers in ^(B)the prophets in many portions and ^(C)in many ways, ^2 [a](D)in these last days ^(E)has spoken to us ^[b]in His ^(F)Son, whom He appointed ^(G)heir of all things, ^(H)through whom He also made the ^[c](I)world. ^3 [d]And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact ^(J)representation of His nature, and ^[e](K)upholds all things by ^[f]the word of His power. When He had made ^(L)purification of sins, He ^(M)sat down at the right hand of the ^(N)Majesty on high, ⁴ having become so much better than the angels, to the extent that He has inherited a more excellent ^(O)name than they.

⁵ For to which of the angels did He ever say,

And again,

⁶ And ^[g]when He again ^(R)brings the firstborn into ^[h](S)the world, He says,

⁷ And regarding the angels He says,

⁸ But regarding the Son He says,

¹⁰ And,

¹³ But to which of the angels has He ever said,

¹⁴ Are they not all ^(AG)ministering spirits, sent out to provide service for the sake of those who will ^(AH)inherit ^(AI)salvation?

Pay Attention

2 For this reason we must pay much closer attention to ^[k]what we have heard, so that ^(AJ)we do not drift away from it. ² For if the word ^(AK)spoken through ^(AL)angels proved ^[l]unalterable, and ^(AM)every violation and act of disobedience received a just ^[m](AN)punishment, ^3 (AO)how will we escape if we neglect so great a ^(AP)salvation? ^[n]After it was at first ^(AQ)spoken through the Lord, it was ^(AR)confirmed to us by those who heard, ⁴ God also testifying with them, both by ^(AS)signs and wonders, and by ^(AT)various ^[o]miracles and by ^[p](AU)gifts of the Holy Spirit ^(AV)according to His own will.

Earth Subject to Man

⁵ For He did not subject to angels ^[q](AW)the world to come, about which we are speaking. ⁶ But someone has testified ^(AX)somewhere, saying,

For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now ^(BB)we do not yet see all things subjected to him.

Jesus Briefly Humbled

⁹ But we do see Him who was ^(BC)made ^[t]for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, ^(BD)because of His suffering death ^(BE)crowned with glory and honor, so that ^(BF)by the grace of God He might ^(BG)taste death ^(BH)for everyone.

¹⁰ For ^(BI)it was fitting for Him, ^(BJ)for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to ^(BK)perfect the ^[u](BL)originator of their salvation through sufferings. ¹¹ For both He who ^(BM)sanctifies and those who ^(BN)are ^[v]sanctified are all ^(BO)from one Father; for this reason He is not ashamed to call them ^(BP)brothers and sisters, ¹² saying,

¹³ And again,

And again,

¹⁴ Therefore, since the children share in ^[w](BT)flesh and blood, ^(BU)He Himself likewise also partook of the same, so that ^(BV)through death He might destroy ^(BW)the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and free those who through ^(BX)fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. ¹⁶ For clearly He does not ^[x]give help to angels, but He gives help to the ^[y]descendants of Abraham. ¹⁷ Therefore, in all things He ^[z]had ^(BY)to be made like His brothers so that He might ^(BZ)become a merciful and faithful ^(CA)high priest in ^(CB)things pertaining to God, to ^(CC)make ^[aa]propitiation for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ For since He Himself was ^[ab](CD)tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are ^[ac]tempted.

¹⁶ “For God so ^(A)loved the world, that He ^(B)gave His ^(C)only Son, so that everyone who ^(D)believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God ^(E)did not send the Son into the world ^(F)to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. ^18 (G)The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of ^(H)the only Son of God.

Peter (Cephas) Opposed by Paul

¹¹ But when ^(A)Cephas came to ^(B)Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he ^[a]stood condemned. ¹² For prior to the coming of some men from ^[b](C)James, he used to ^(D)eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and separate himself, ^(E)fearing those from the circumcision. ¹³ The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even ^(F)Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴ But when I saw that they ^(G)were not ^[c]straightforward about ^(H)the truth of the gospel, I said to ^(I)Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, ^(J)live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?^[d]