Book of Common Prayer

4 We still have God's promise that people will go into his resting place. So let us take care that not one of you will be kept out.

² The good news has been told to us just as it was told to the people in the desert. But the message which they heard did not do them any good. Even though they heard it, they did not believe it.

³ But we who believe, will go into that resting place of God. It is as God said, `When I was angry, I said, "They will never go into my resting place." ' He said this even though his work had been finished ever since he had made the world.

⁴ Here is what he said, somewhere in the holy writings, about the seventh day: `And God rested on the seventh day after doing all his work.'

⁵ And now here he says again, `They will never go into my resting place.'

⁶ So that means some people will go in. But the people who first heard the good news about it did not go in. They did not believe it.

⁷ So he chose another day called `Today.' He spoke through David many years later, who said, `Today, when you hear his voice, do not make your hearts hard.'

⁸ If Joshua had led those people to rest, God would not have talked later about another day.

⁹ So there is still a rest for God's people, like a Sabbath day.

¹⁰ The person who goes into God's resting place will rest after doing his work, just as God rested after doing his work.

¹⁶ `God loved the world so very, very much that he gave his only Son. Because he did that, everyone who believes in him will not lose his life, but will live for ever.

¹⁷ God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent him to save the world.

¹⁸ `Everyone who believes in the Son will not be judged. But everyone who does not believe in him is judged already, because he does not believe in the name of God's only Son.

¹⁹ Light came into the world. But people wanted to be in the dark because they did wrong things. They did not want the light. That is why they are judged.

²⁰ Everyone who does wrong things hates light. He does not come to the light because he is afraid people will see what he does and will say it is bad.

²¹ But everyone who does what is right comes to the light. He wants people to see that God helps him to do what is right.'