⁴ For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us,^(A) so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

⁶ But Christ is faithful as the Son^(A) over God’s house. And we are his house,^(B) if indeed we hold firmly^(C) to our confidence and the hope^(D) in which we glory.

Warning Against Unbelief

⁷ So, as the Holy Spirit says:^(E)

¹² See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.^(K)

¹⁵ They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam^(A) son of Bezer,^[a] who loved the wages of wickedness. ¹⁶ But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.^(B)

¹² Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one^(A) and murdered his brother.^(B) And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.^(C)