Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

3 ¶ Therefore, brethren, saints, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus,

² who was faithful to him that appointed him over all his house, as also Moses was faithful.

³ For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who has built the house has more honour than the house.

⁴ For every house is built by someone, but he that created all things is God.

⁵ And Moses verily was faithful over all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after,

⁶ but Christ as a son over his own house, which house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and the glorious hope firmly until the end.

⁷ ¶ Therefore, as the Holy Spirit saith, Today if ye will hear his voice,

⁸ harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

⁹ Where your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

¹⁰ Therefore, I was indignant with that generation and said, They do always err from their heart, and they have not known my ways.

¹¹ So I swore in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.

¹² Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unfaithfulness, to depart from the living God.

¹³ But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

¹⁴ For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;

¹⁵ while it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

¹⁶ For some of those that came out of Egypt with Moses, when they had heard, did provoke; howbeit not all.

¹⁷ But with whom was he indignant forty years? Was it not with those that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?

¹⁸ And to whom he swore that they should not enter into his rest, but to those that disobeyed?

¹⁹ So we see that they could not enter in because of their unbelief.

4 ¶ Let us, therefore, fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

² For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them, but it did not profit those that heard the word without mixing it with faith.

³ (For we who have believed do enter into the rest) as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

⁴ For he spoke in a certain place of the seventh day like this, And God rested the seventh day from all his works.

⁵ And in this place again, They shall not enter into my rest.

⁶ Seeing, therefore, it remains that some must enter therein, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter in because of disobedience;

⁷ Again, he determines a certain day, saying, Today, by David so long a time afterward; as it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

⁸ For if Joshua had given them rest, then he would not afterward have spoken of another day.

⁹ There remains therefore a rest {Gr. Sabbatismos} for the people of God.

¹⁰ For he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

¹¹ ¶ Let us therefore make haste to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience.

¹² For the word of God is alive and efficient and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

¹³ Neither is there any created thing that is not manifested in his presence, but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him of whom we speak.

¹⁴ Having, therefore, a great high priest who penetrated the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast this profession of our hope.

¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

¹⁶ Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of his grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

5 ¶ For every high priest is taken from among men, constituted on behalf of men in things relating to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins,

² who can have compassion on the ignorant and on those that are in error; for he himself is also compassed with weakness.

³ And by reason of this he ought, as for the people so also for himself, to offer for sins.

⁴ And no one takes this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.

⁵ So also the Christ did not glorify himself to make himself high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son; today have I begotten thee.

⁶ As he said also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

⁷ Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, was heard because of his reverent fear;

⁸ although he was the Son of God, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered;

⁹ and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal saving health unto all those that hearken unto him,

¹⁰ ¶ named by God high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

¹¹ Of whom we have many things to say and difficult to declare, seeing ye are hard of hearing.

¹² For you should now be teaching others, if we look at the time, yet you need to be taught again which are the first elements of the oracles of God and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong food.

¹³ For any one that uses milk is not qualified in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.

¹⁴ But strong food belongs to those that are perfect, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.