¹² Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; ¹³ but ^[a]exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. ¹⁴ For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, ¹⁵ while it is said:

Failure of the Wilderness Wanderers

^16 (B)For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? ¹⁷ Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, ^(C)whose corpses fell in the wilderness? ¹⁸ And ^(D)to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? ¹⁹ So we see that they could not enter in because of ^(E)unbelief.

The Promise of Rest

4 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, ^(F)let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. ² For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, ^[b]not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. ³ For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:

although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Their Conversion

¹³ For this reason we also thank God ^(A)without ceasing, because when you ^(B)received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it ^(C)not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively ^(D)works in you who believe.

Israel’s Rejection and God’s Purpose^(A)

^6 (B)But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For ^(C)they are not all Israel who are of Israel, ^7 (D)nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, ^(E)“In Isaac your seed shall be called.”

¹⁶ For indeed He does not ^[a]give aid to angels, but He does ^[b]give aid to the seed of Abraham.