Old/New Testament

¹⁹ So, my brothers, we can go into the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus.

²⁰ He made a new and living way for us. He opened up God's way specially for us. It lets us through the big curtain or cloth which hides God from us. This happened when Jesus gave his body as a sacrifice.

²¹ Also, we have a high priest who has charge of God's people.

²² So let us come to him with a true heart. Let us come because we believe all these things. Let us come with our hearts washed clean from our wrong ways. Let us come with our bodies washed with clean water.

²³ We must hold on to God's promise that we have said we believed. And we must never let go. He has promised and he will do it.

²⁴ Let us think of one another and help one another to love and to do good things.

²⁵ Do not stop going to church meetings. Some people do stop. But help each other to be strong. You must do it all the more as you see the Great Day coming closer.

²⁶ Do we go on doing what is wrong after we know the truth? If we do, then there is no sacrifice any more for the wrong things we do.

²⁷ But we will be judged, and that makes us fear. God's anger will be like a very hot fire that will burn up those who are against him.

²⁸ Any man who broke the law of Moses was killed, if two or three people proved that he had broken the law. He will not be forgiven.

²⁹ But the person who should have much bigger punishment is the one who turns against the Son of God. That person was made holy by the blood of the new agreement and then calls it nothing. He no longer honours and respects the Spirit who has been so kind to him.

³⁰ We know God who has said, `I am the one who will punish people. I will repay them.' Also, `The Lord will judge his people.'

³¹ People should fear very much to be punished by the living God.

³² Remember the first days when you had the light of God's truth. In those days you were strong, even though you had to fight against many troubles.

³³ Sometimes it was because people said and did wrong things to you and everybody saw it. And sometimes it was because you stood with others who had wrong things done to them.

³⁴ You shared in the troubles of those who were in prison. When your things were taken from you, you were happy. You knew that you had better things in heaven, things that would always belong to you.

³⁵ So do not stop believing God now. Your faith will bring you much reward.

³⁶ You must not give up believing. Then you will do what God wants you to do. Then you will get what he promised you.

³⁷ The holy writings say `In a little while, the one who is to come will come. He will not wait any longer.

³⁸ If a person does what is right because he believes in God, he will live. If he turns back, I will not be pleased with him.'

³⁹ We are not the people who turn back and so are lost. But we are people who believe, and so we are saved.