Beginning

1 God, that spake sometime by prophets in many manners to our fathers,^[a]

² at the last in these days he hath spoken to us by the Son; whom he hath ordained heir of all things, and by whom he made the worlds.

³ Which when also he is the brightness of glory, and [the] figure of his substance, and beareth all things [and bearing all things] by word of his virtue, he maketh purgation of sins, and sitteth on the right half of the majesty in heavens [sitteth on the right half of majesty in high things];

⁴ and so much is made better than angels, by how much he hath inherited a more diverse name [a more different, or excellent, name] before them.

⁵ For to which of the angels said God any time, Thou art my Son, I have engendered thee to day [I have to day gendered thee]? And again, I shall be to him into a Father, and he shall be to me into a Son?

⁶ And when again he bringeth in the first begotten Son into the world [And when again he bringeth in the first begotten into the roundness of the earth], he saith, And all the angels of God worship him.

⁷ But he saith to angels [And soothly to angels he saith], He that maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers flame of fire.

⁸ But to the Son he saith, God, thy throne is into the world of world [into the world of worlds]; a rod of equity is the rod of thy realm;

⁹ thou hast loved rightwiseness, and hatedest wickedness; therefore the God, thy God, anointed thee with oil of joy [therefore God, thy God, anointed thee with oil of gladness, or joy], more than thy fellows.

¹⁰ And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning foundedest the earth, and heavens be works of thine hands;

¹¹ they shall perish, but thou shalt perfectly dwell; and all shall wax old as a cloak [as a cloth],

¹² and thou shalt change them as a cloak [as a cloth], and they shall be changed. But thou art the same thyself, and thy years shall not fail.

¹³ But to which of the angels said God at any time, Sit thou on my right half, till I put thine enemies a stool of thy feet?

¹⁴ Whether they all be not serving spirits, sent to serve for them [sent into ministry for them] that take the heritage of health?

2 Therefore more plenteously it behooveth us to keep those things [Therefore it behooveth us to keep more plenteously those things], that we have heard, lest peradventure we float away.

² For if that word that was said by angels, was made firm, and each breaking of the law and unobedience [and each trespassing, or breaking of the law, and unobedience] took just retribution of meed,

³ how shall we escape, if we despise so great an health? Which, when it had taken beginning to be told out by the Lord, of them that heard is confirmed into us.

⁴ For God witnessed together by miracles, and wonders, and great marvels, and diverse works of power, and partings of the Holy Ghost, by his will. [God together witnessing by signs, and wonders, and great marvels, and diverse virtues, and distributions of the Holy Ghost, after his will.]

⁵ But not to angels God subjected the world that is to coming [Forsooth not to angels God subjected the roundness of the earth to come], of which we speak.

⁶ But some man witnessed in a place, and said [Soothly some man witnessed in some place, saying], What thing is man, that thou art mindful of him, or man's son, for thou visitest him?

⁷ Thou hast made him a little less than angels [Thou madest him a little less from angels]; thou hast crowned him with glory and honour; and thou hast ordained him on [upon] the works of thine hands.

⁸ Thou hast made all things subject under his feet. And in that that he subjected all things to him, he left nothing unsubject to him [he left nothing unsubjected to him]. But now we see not yet all things subject to him;

⁹ but we see him that was made a little less than angels, Jesus, for the passion of death crowned with glory and honour, that he through [the] grace of God should taste death for all men.

¹⁰ For it beseemed him, for whom all things, and by whom all things were made, which had brought many sons into glory, and was author of the health of them, that he had an end by passion.^[b]

¹¹ For he that halloweth, and they that be hallowed, be all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

¹² saying, I shall tell thy name to my brethren; in the middle of the church I shall praise thee.

¹³ And again, I shall be trusting into him; and again, Lo! I and my children, which God gave to me.

¹⁴ Therefore for children communed to flesh and blood, and he also took part of the same, that by death he should destroy him that had lordship of death, that is to say, the devil,

¹⁵ and that he should deliver them that by dread of death [and should deliver them that by dread of death], by all life were bound to servage.

¹⁶ And he took [to] never angels, but he took [to] the seed of Abraham.

¹⁷ Wherefore he ought to be likened to brethren by all things, that he should be made merciful and a faithful bishop to God, that he should be merciful to the trespasses of the people.

¹⁸ For in that thing in which he suffered, and was tempted, he is mighty to help also them that be tempted.

3 Therefore [Wherefore], holy brethren, and partners of heavenly calling, behold ye the apostle and the bishop of our confession, Jesus,

² which is true to him that made him, as also Moses in all the house of him.

³ But this bishop [Forsooth this bishop] is had worthy of more glory than Moses, by as much as he hath more honour of the house, that made the house.

⁴ For each house is made of some man; [forsooth] he that made all things of nought is God.

⁵ And [soothly] Moses was true in all his house, as a servant, into witnessing of those things that were to be said;

⁶ but Christ as a son in his house. Which house we be, if we hold firm trust and glory of hope into [unto] the end.

⁷ Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, To day, if ye have heard his voice,

⁸ do not ye harden your hearts, as in wrathing, like the day of temptation in desert [after the day of temptation in desert];

⁹ where your fathers tempted me, and proved, and saw my works forty years. [where your fathers tempted me, proved, and saw my works.]

¹⁰ Wherefore I was wroth [Wherefore I was offended, or wroth,] to this generation, and I said, Evermore they err in heart, for they knew not my ways;

¹¹ to which I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest. [to whom I swore in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest.]

¹² Brethren, see ye, lest peradventure in any of you be an evil heart of unbelief, to depart from the living God.

¹³ But admonish yourselves by all days, the while to day is named, that none of you be hardened by fallacy of sin [that none of you be hardened by falseness of sin].

¹⁴ For we be made partners of Christ, if nevertheless we hold the beginning of his substance firm into the end.

¹⁵ While it is said, to day, if ye have heard the voice of him, do not ye harden your hearts, as in that wrathing.

¹⁶ For some men hearing wrathed [Soothly some hearing wrathed], but not all they that went out of Egypt by Moses.

¹⁷ But to whom was he wrathed forty years? Whether not to them that sinned, whose carrions were cast down in desert [into desert]?

¹⁸ And to whom swore he, that they should not enter into the rest of him^[c], no but to them that were unbelieveful?

¹⁹ And we see, that they might not enter into the rest of him for unbelief.

4 Therefore dread we, least peradventure while the promise of entering into his rest is left, that any of us be guessed to be away [be guessed, or deemed, for to fail].

² For it is told also to us, as to them [Forsooth it is told to us, as and to them]. And the word that was heard profited not to them, not mingled to faith of those things that they heard.

³ For we that have believed, shall enter into rest, as he said, As I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest. And when the works were made perfect at the ordinance of the world,^[d]

⁴ he said thus in a place of the seventh day [he said thus in some place of the seventh day], And God rested in the seventh day from all his works.

⁵ And in this place again, They shall not enter into my rest.^[e]

⁶ Therefore for it followeth, that some men shall enter into it, and they to which it was told to before [and they first to whom it is told], entered not for their unbelief.

⁷ Again, he determineth some day, and saith in David, To day, after so much time of time [Again, he termineth some day, saying in David, To day, after so much of time], as it is before-said, To day if ye have heard his voice, do not ye harden your hearts.

⁸ For if Jesus had given rest to them, he should never speak of other after this day [after that day].

⁹ Therefore the sabbath is left to the people of God. [Therefore rest is left to the people of God.]

¹⁰ For he that is entered into his rest, [and he] rested of his works, as also God of his.

¹¹ Therefore haste we to enter into that rest, that no man fall into the same ensample of unbelief [that no man fall into the same example of unbelief].

¹² For the word of God is quick, and speedy in working, and more able to pierce than any twain-edged sword [two-edged sword], and stretcheth forth [till] to the parting of the soul and of the spirit, and of the jointures and marrows, and deemer of thoughts, and of intents of hearts^[f].

¹³ And no creature is invisible in the sight of God. For all things be naked and open to his eyes, to whom a word to us.

¹⁴ Therefore we that have a great bishop, that pierced heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, hold we the acknowledging of our hope [hold we the confession, or acknowledging, of our faith].

¹⁵ For we have not a bishop, that may not have compassion on our infirmities, but was tempted by all things by likeness, without sin.

¹⁶ Therefore go we with trust to the throne of his grace, that we get mercy, and find grace in opportune help [in covenable help].

5 For each bishop taken of men, is ordained for men in these things that be to God [in those things that be to God], that he offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

² Which may together sorrow with them, that be unknowing and err [that know not and err]; for also he is environed with infirmity.

³ And therefore he oweth, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.

⁴ Neither any man taketh to him honour, but he that is called of God, as Aaron was.

⁵ So [and] Christ clarified not himself, that he were bishop, but he that spake to him, Thou art my Son, to day I engendered thee [to day I gendered thee].

⁶ As [and] in another place he saith, Thou art a priest without end [Thou art a priest into without end], after the order of Melchisedec.

⁷ Which in the days of his flesh offered, with great cry and tears, prayers and beseechings to him that might make him safe from death, and was heard for his reverence.

⁸ And when he was God's Son, he learned obedience of these things that he suffered;

⁹ and he brought to the end is made cause of everlasting health [and he led to perfection is made cause of everlasting health] to all that obey him,

¹⁰ and is called of God a bishop, by the order of Melchisedec. [called of God a bishop, by the order of Melchisedec.]

¹¹ Of whom there is to us a great word for to say, and able to be expounded, for ye be made feeble to hear.

¹² For when ye ought to be masters for a time, again ye need that ye be taught, which be the letters of the beginning of God's words [which be the elements, or letters, of the beginning of God's words]. And ye be made those, to whom is need of milk, and not [of] firm meat.

¹³ For each that is partner of milk, is without part of the word of rightwiseness, for he is a little child.

¹⁴ But of perfect men is firm meat, of them that for custom have [their] wits exercised to discretion of good and of evil [of good and evil].

6 Therefore we bringing in a word of the beginning of Christ, be we born to the perfection of him, not again laying the foundament of penance from dead works, and of the faith to God,^[g]

² and of teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of rising again of dead men, and of everlasting doom.

³ And this thing we shall do, if God shall suffer.

⁴ But it is impossible, that they that be once lightened [them that once be illumined], and have tasted also an heavenly gift, and be made partners of the Holy Ghost,

⁵ and nevertheless have tasted the good word of God, and the virtues of the world to coming [and virtues of the world to come],

⁶ and be slid far away, that they be renewed again to penance. Which again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and have him to scorn.

⁷ For the earth that drinketh rain oft coming on it, and bringeth forth suitable herb to them of which it is tilled [Forsooth the earth drinking rain oft coming upon it, and bringing forth covenable herb to them of whom it is tilled], taketh blessing of God.

⁸ But that that is bringing forth thorns and briers, is reprovable, and next to curse, whose ending shall be into burning.

⁹ But, ye most dear-worthy, we trust of you better things, and near(er) to health, though we speak so.

¹⁰ For God is not unjust, that he forget your work and love, which ye have showed in his name; for ye have ministered to saints, and minister.

¹¹ And we covet that each of you show the same busyness to the filling of hope [to the full-filling of hope] into the end;

¹² that ye be not made slow, but also followers of them, which by faith and patience shall inherit the promises.

¹³ For God promising to Abraham, for he had none greater, by whom he should swear, swore by himself,

¹⁴ and said [saying], I blessing shall bless thee, and I multiplying shall multiply thee;

¹⁵ and so he long abiding had the promise. [and so he long suffering got repromission.]

¹⁶ For men swear by a greater than themselves, and the end of all their plea [and the end of all their controversy, or debate,] is an oath to confirmation.

¹⁷ In which thing God willing to show plenteouslier to the heirs of his promise the firmness of his counsel, put betwixt an oath,^[h]

¹⁸ that by two things unmoveable, by which it is impossible that God lie, we have a strongest solace, that flee together to hold the hope that is put forth to us.^[i]

¹⁹ Which hope as an anchor we have secure to the soul, and firm, and going into the inner things of hiding;

²⁰ where the before-goer, Jesus, that is made bishop without end by the order of Melchisedec, entered for us. [where the fore-goer for us entered in, Jesus, made bishop into without end after the order of Melchisedec.]