The Rest That God Promised

4 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest is still open, let us take care that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it.^{(A) 2} For indeed the good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them because they were not united by faith with those who listened.^{[a](B) 3} For we who have believed are entering that rest, just as God^[b] has said,

though his works were finished since the foundation of the world. ⁴ For somewhere it speaks about the seventh day as follows, “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.”^{(C) 5} And again in this place it says, “They shall not enter my rest.” ⁶ Since therefore it remains open for some to enter it and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, ⁷ again he sets a certain day—“today”—saying through David much later, in the words already quoted,

⁸ For if Joshua had given them rest, God^[c] would not speak later about another day. ⁹ So then, a Sabbath rest still remains for the people of God, ¹⁰ for those who enter God’s^[d] rest also rest from their labors as God did from his. ¹¹ Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs.

¹² Indeed, the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.^{(E) 13} And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.^(F)

Jesus the Great High Priest

¹⁴ Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.^{(G) 15} For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested^[e] as we are, yet without sin.^{(H) 16} Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

5 Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. ² He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness,^{(A) 3} and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. ⁴ And one does not presume to take this honor but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.^(B)

⁵ So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest but was appointed by^[a] the one who said to him,

⁶ as he says also in another place,

⁷ In the days of his flesh, Jesus^[b] offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.^{(E) 8} Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered,^{(F) 9} and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him,^{(G) 10} having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Warning against Falling Away

¹¹ About this^[c] we have much to say that is hard to explain, since you have become sluggish in hearing. ¹² For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic elements of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,^{(H) 13} for everyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is unskilled in the word of righteousness. ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.^(I)

The Priestly Order of Melchizedek

7 This “Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he was returning from defeating the kings and blessed him,”^{(A) 2} and to him Abraham apportioned “one-tenth of everything.” His name, in the first place, means “king of righteousness”; next, he is also king of Salem, that is, “king of peace.” ³ Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.^(B)

⁴ See how great he is! Even^[a] Abraham the patriarch gave him a tenth of the spoils.^{(C) 5} And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to collect tithes^[b] from the people, that is, from their kindred, though these also are descended from Abraham.^{(D) 6} But this man, who does not belong to their ancestry, collected tithes^[c] from Abraham and blessed him who had received the promises.^{(E) 7} It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. ⁸ In the one case, tithes are received by those who are mortal; in the other, by one of whom it is testified that he lives.^{(F) 9} One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, ¹⁰ for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

Another Priest, Like Melchizedek

¹¹ Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood—for the people received the law under this priesthood—what further need would there have been to speak of another priest arising according to the order of Melchizedek rather than one according to the order of Aaron?^{(G) 12} For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. ¹³ Now the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. ¹⁴ For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.^(H)

¹⁵ It is even more obvious when another priest arises, resembling Melchizedek, ¹⁶ one who has become a priest, not through a legal requirement concerning physical descent but through the power of an indestructible life.^{(I) 17} For it is attested of him,

¹⁸ There is, on the one hand, the abrogation of an earlier commandment because it was weak and ineffectual^{(K) 19} (for the law made nothing perfect); there is, on the other hand, the introduction of a better hope through which we approach God.^(L)

²⁰ This was confirmed with an oath, for others have become priests without an oath, ²¹ but this one became a priest with an oath because of the one who said to him,

²² accordingly Jesus has also become the guarantor of a better covenant.^(N)

²³ Furthermore, the former priests were many in number because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, ²⁴ but he holds his priesthood permanently because he continues forever. ²⁵ Consequently, he is able for all time to save^[e] those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.^(O)

²⁶ For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.^{(P) 27} Unlike the other^[f] high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself.^{(Q) 28} For the law appoints as high priests humans, who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.^(R)