Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

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,^[a]

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,^[b]

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.^[c]

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.]

7 And this Melchisedec, king of Salem, and priest of the highest God [the priest of the highest God], which met Abraham, as he turned again from the slaying of the kings, and blessed him;

² to whom also Abraham parted tithes of all things; first he is said king of rightwiseness [first soothly the which is interpreted king of rightwiseness], and afterward king of Salem, that is to say, king of peace,

³ without father, without mother, without genealogy, neither having beginning of days, neither end of life; and he is likened to the Son of God, and dwelleth priest without end [forsooth he likened to the Son of God, dwelleth priest into without end].

⁴ But behold ye how great is this [man] [Forsooth behold ye how great this is], to whom Abraham the patriarch gave tithes of the best things.

⁵ For men of the sons of Levi taking priesthood have commandment to take tithes of the people, by the law [And soothly men taking priesthood of the sons of Levi have commandment to take tithes of the people, after the law], that is to say, of their brethren, though also they went out of the loins of Abraham.

⁶ But he whose generation is not numbered in them, took tithes of Abraham; and he blessed this Abraham, which had repromissions.

⁷ Without any gainsaying [Forsooth without any against-saying], that that is less, is blessed of the better.

⁸ And here deadly men take tithes; but there he beareth witnessing, that he liveth. [And here soothly men dying take tithes; forsooth there it is witnessed, that he liveth.]

⁹ And that it be said so [And that it is so said], by Abraham also Levi, that took tithes, was tithed;

¹⁰ and yet he was in his father's loins, when Melchisedec met him.

¹¹ Therefore if perfection was by the priesthood of Levi, for under him the people took the law, what yet was it needful, another priest to rise, by the order of Melchisedec, and not to be said by the order of Aaron [what yet was it needful, another priest to rise, after the order of Melchisedec, and not to be said after the order of Aaron]?

¹² For why when the priesthood is translated, it is need [it is needful] that also [the] translation of the law be made.

¹³ But he in whom these things be said, is of another lineage, of which no man was priest to the altar [of which no man was priest, or ready, to the altar].

¹⁴ For it is open [Soothly it is openly known], that our Lord is born of Juda, in which lineage Moses spake nothing of priests.

¹⁵ And more yet it is known, if by the order of Melchisedec another priest is risen up; [And more yet it is known, if after the order of Melchisedec another priest riseth;]

¹⁶ which is not made by the law of fleshly commandment, but by [the] virtue of life that may not be undone. [the which is not made after the law of fleshly commandment, but after virtue of life indissoluble, or that may not be undone.]

¹⁷ For he witnesseth, That thou art a priest without end, by the order of Melchisedec; [Soothly he witnesseth, For thou art a priest into without end, after the order of Melchisedec;]

¹⁸ that reproving of the commandment before-going is made, for the unfirmness and unprofit of it.

¹⁹ For why the law brought nothing to perfection, but there is a bringing in of a better hope, by which we approach to God [by which we nigh to God].

²⁰ And how great it is, not without swearing [that Christ is made priest after the order of Melchisedec];

²¹ but the others [forsooth others] be made priests without an oath; but this priest with an oath, by him that said to him, The Lord swore, and it shall not rue him, Thou art a priest without end, by the order of Melchisedec [Thou art a priest into without end, after the order of Melchisedec];

²² in so much Jesus is made [better] promiser of the better testament.

²³ And [soothly] the others were made many priests, therefore for they were forbidden by death to dwell still [for that they were forbidden by death to dwell];

²⁴ but this man, for he dwelleth without end [for that he dwelleth into without end], hath an everlasting priesthood.

²⁵ Wherefore also he may save without end, coming nigh by himself to God, and evermore liveth to pray for us. [Wherefore and he may save into without end, coming nigh by himself to God, evermore living to pray for us.]

²⁶ For it beseemed that such a man were a bishop to us, holy, innocent, undefouled, clean, separated from sinful men, and made higher than heavens;^[d]

²⁷ which hath not need each day, as priests, first for his own guilts to offer sacrifices, and afterward for the people; for he did this thing in offering himself once [soothly he did this thing, once offering himself].

²⁸ And the law ordained men priests having frailty [having sickness, or frailty]; but the word of swearing, which is after the law, ordained the Son perfect without end [ordained the Son perfect into without end].