Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

6 Therefore leaving the teaching of the first principles of Christ, let’s press on to perfection—not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, of faith toward God, ² of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. ³ This will we do, if God permits. ⁴ For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶ and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify the Son of God for themselves again, and put him to open shame. ⁷ For the land which has drunk the rain that comes often on it and produces a crop suitable for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receives blessing from God; ⁸ but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is rejected and near being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

⁹ But, beloved, we are persuaded of better things for you, and things that accompany salvation, even though we speak like this. ¹⁰ For God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed toward his name, in that you served the saints, and still do serve them. ¹¹ We desire that each one of you may show the same diligence to the fullness of hope even to the end, ¹² that you won’t be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherited the promises.

¹³ For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, ¹⁴ saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.”^{(A) 15} Thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise. ¹⁶ For men indeed swear by a greater one, and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation. ¹⁷ In this way God, being determined to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath, ¹⁸ that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us. ¹⁹ This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil, ²⁰ where as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

7 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, ² to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, “king of righteousness”, and then also “king of Salem”, which means “king of peace”, ³ without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God), remains a priest continually.

⁴ Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth out of the best plunder. ⁵ They indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have a commandment to take tithes from the people according to the law, that is, of their brothers, though these have come out of the body of Abraham, ⁶ but he whose genealogy is not counted from them has accepted tithes from Abraham, and has blessed him who has the promises. ⁷ But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. ⁸ Here people who die receive tithes, but there one receives tithes of whom it is testified that he lives. ⁹ We can say that through Abraham even Levi, who receives tithes, has paid tithes, ¹⁰ for he was yet in the body of his father when Melchizedek met him.

¹¹ Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people have received the law), what further need was there for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron? ¹² For the priesthood being changed, there is of necessity a change made also in the law. ¹³ For he of whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. ¹⁴ For it is evident that our Lord has sprung out of Judah, about which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. ¹⁵ This is yet more abundantly evident, if after the likeness of Melchizedek there arises another priest, ¹⁶ who has been made, not after the law of a fleshly commandment, but after the power of an endless life; ¹⁷ for it is testified,

¹⁸ For there is an annulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and uselessness ¹⁹ (for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. ²⁰ Inasmuch as he was not made priest without the taking of an oath ²¹ (for they indeed have been made priests without an oath), but he with an oath by him that says of him,

²² By so much, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

²³ Many, indeed, have been made priests, because they are hindered from continuing by death. ²⁴ But he, because he lives forever, has his priesthood unchangeable. ²⁵ Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them.

²⁶ For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; ²⁷ who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son forever who has been perfected.