Beginning
Superiority of the Son
1 At many times and in many ways, God spoke long ago to the fathers through the prophets. 2 In these last days He has spoken to us through a Son,[a] whom He appointed heir of all things and through whom He created the universe. 3 This Son is the radiance of His glory and the imprint of His being, upholding all things by His powerful word.[b] When He had made purification for our sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. [c] 4 Thus He became as far above the angels as the name He has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are My Son.
Today I have become Your Father”?[d]
And again,
“I will be to Him a Father,
and He will be to Me a Son”?[e]
6 And again, when He brings the firstborn into the world, He says,
“Let all the angels of God worship Him.”[f]
7 And regarding the angels He says,
“He makes His angels winds,
and His servants a flame of fire.”[g]
8 But regarding the Son He says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
and a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your Kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your companions.”[h]
10 And,
“In the beginning, Adonai,
You laid the foundation of the earth,
and the heavens are the works of Your hands.
11 They shall pass away, but You remain.
And they will all wear out like clothing.[i]
12 And like a robe You will roll them up,
and like clothing they will be changed;
but You are the same,
and Your years shall never end.”[j]
13 But to which of the angels has He ever said,
14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out for service to those about to inherit salvation?
Warning Not to Drift Away
2 For this reason it is necessary for us to pay especially close attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved to be firm, and every violation and disobedience received a just payback, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? It was first spoken through the Lord and confirmed to us by those who heard. 4 At the same time, God was testifying by signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Ruach ha-Kodesh, according to His will.
Yeshua Greater than Angels
5 For it is not to angels that God has subjected the olam ha-ba—about which we speak. 6 But somewhere someone has testified, saying,
“What is man, that You are mindful of him,
or the son of man, that You care for him?
7 For a little while, You made him
lower than the angels.
You crowned him with glory and honor.
8 You put all things in subjection
underneath his feet.”[m]
For when He put all things in subjection to him, He left nothing outside his control. But for now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. 9 But we see One who was made for a little while lower than the angels—namely, Yeshua. He is now crowned with glory and honor, because of the death He suffered so that, by the grace of God, He might taste death for everyone.
10 For it was fitting for God—for whom and through whom all things exist—in leading many sons to glory, to perfect through sufferings the initiator of their salvation. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those being sanctified are all from one—so He is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, [n] 12 saying,
“I will proclaim Your name
to My brothers and sisters.
In the midst of the congregation
I will sing praise to You.”[o]
13 And again,
“I will put My trust in Him.”[p]
And again,
“Here am I and the children God has given Me.”[q]
14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared the same humanity—so that through death He might break the power of the one who had the power of death (that is, the devil) 15 and free those who by fear of death were in bondage all their lives. 16 For surely He is not concerned about angels, but about the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore He had to be made like His brothers in all things, so He might become a merciful and faithful Kohen Gadol in matters relating to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. [r] 18 Because He Himself suffered when put to the test, He is able to help those being tested.
Yeshua Greater than Moses
3 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partners in a heavenly calling, take notice of Yeshua—the Emissary and Kohen Gadol we affirm. 2 He was faithful to the One who appointed Him in His house—as was Moses also. [s] 3 For He has been considered worthy of more glory than Moses, even as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. 5 Now Moses surely was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, for a witness of things to be spoken later. 6 But Messiah, as Son, is over God’s house—and we are His house, if we hold firm to our boldness and what we are proud to hope.
Listen and Obey, or Harden and Fall Away
7 Therefore, just as the Ruach ha-Kodesh says,
“Today if you hear His voice,
8 do not harden your hearts
as in the rebellion,[t]
on the day of testing[u] in the wilderness.
9 There your fathers put Me to the test,
though they saw My works for forty years.
10 Therefore I was provoked by this generation,
and I said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
and they have not known My ways.’
11 As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’”[v]
12 Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you has an evil heart of unbelief that falls away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day by day—as long as it is called “Today”—so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partners of Messiah, if we hold our original conviction firm until the end. 15 As it is said,
“Today if you hear His voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”[w]
16 Now which ones heard and rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt with Moses? 17 And with whom was He provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest? Was it not to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter in because of lack of trust.
Make Every Effort to Enter God’s Rest
4 Let us fear then! Though a promise of entering His rest is left open, some of you would seem to have fallen short. 2 For we also have had Good News proclaimed to us, just as they did. But the word they heard did not help them, because they were not unified with those who listened in faith. 3 For we who have trusted are entering into that rest. It is just as God has said,
“So in My wrath I swore,
‘They shall never enter My rest,’”[x]
even though His works were finished since the foundation of the world. 4 For somewhere He has spoken about the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works,” [y] 5 and again in this passage:
“They shall never enter My rest.”[z]
6 So then it remains for some to enter into it; yet those who formerly had Good News proclaimed to them did not enter because of disobedience. 7 Again, God appoints a certain day—“Today”—saying through David after so long a time, just as it has been said before,
“Today, if you hear His voice,
do not harden your hearts.”[aa]
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 9 So there remains a Shabbat rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered God’s rest has also ceased from his own work, just as God did from His.
11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through the same pattern of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword—piercing right through to a separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 No creature is hidden from Him, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.[ab]
Yeshua, Our Compassionate Kohen Gadol
14 Therefore, since we have a great Kohen Gadol who has passed through the heavens, Yeshua Ben-Elohim, let us hold firmly to our confessed allegiance. 15 For we do not have a kohen gadol who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all the same ways—yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near to the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help in time of need.
5 For every kohen gadol taken from among men is appointed to act on behalf of people in matters relating to God,[ac] so that he may offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to empathize with the ignorant and deluded, since he himself also is subject to weakness. 3 For this reason he has to make offerings for sins—just as for the people, so also for himself. [ad] 4 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when he is called by God, as Aaron was.[ae]
5 So also Messiah did not glorify Himself to be made Kohen Gadol; rather, it was God who said to Him,
“You are My Son;
today I have become Your Father.”[af]
6 And He says in a different passage,
“You are a kohen forever,
according to the order of Melchizedek.”[ag]
7 In the days of His life on earth,[ah] Yeshua offered up both prayers and pleas, with loud crying and tears, to the One able to save Him from death; and He was heard because of His reverence. 8 Though He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered. 9 And once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him— 10 called by God Kohen Gadol “according to the order of Melchizedek.”[ai]
Moving on to Maturity
11 About this subject there is much for us to say, and it is hard to explain since you have become sluggish in hearing. 12 For although you ought to be teachers by this time, again you need someone to teach you the basics of God’s sayings. You have come to need milk, not solid food. 13 For anyone living on milk is inexperienced with the teaching about righteousness—he is an infant. [aj] 14 But solid food is for the mature, who through practice have their senses trained to discern both good and evil.
6 Therefore leaving the basic teaching of the Messiah, let us move on toward maturity—not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of trust in God, 2 of teaching about immersions, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 Now this we will do, if God permits.
4 For it is impossible for those who once were enlightened—having tasted of the heavenly gift and become partakers of the Ruach ha-Kodesh, 5 and having tasted the good word of God and the powers of the olam ha-ba, 6 and then having fallen away—to renew again to repentance, since they are again crucifying Ben-Elohim for themselves and publicly disgracing Him. 7 For the earth—having soaked up the rain frequently falling on it—brings forth vegetation[ak] useful to those for whom it is farmed; and it shares in God’s blessing. 8 But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed—its end is to be burned over.[al]
9 But even though we speak like this, loved ones, concerning you we are convinced of better things[am]—things coming with salvation. 10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love that you showed for His name, in having served and continuing to serve the kedoshim. 11 But we long for each of you to show the same eagerness for the certainty of hope to the very end— 12 so you will not be sluggish,[an] but imitators of those inheriting the promises through trust and perseverance.
The Promise and the Oath
13 Now when God made His promise to Abraham—since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you, and surely I will multiply you.” [ao] 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham reached the promise. [ap] 16 For people swear by someone greater; and the oath, as confirmation, is an end to all their disputing. 17 In the same way God, determining to point out more clearly to the heirs of the promise the unchanging nature of His purpose, guaranteed it with an oath. 18 So by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie,[aq] we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. 19 We have this hope as an anchor of the soul, both firm and steady—a hope that enters the inner place behind the curtain. [ar] 20 Yeshua has entered there as a forerunner on our behalf, having become Kohen Gadol “forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”[as]
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.