11 my ways, so that I sware in my wrath, they shall not enter into 12 my rest. Take heed, brethren, lest there shall be in any of

you an evil heart of unbelief, in apostatising from the 13 living God; but exhort one another daily, as long as it is

called to-day, that none of you be hardened by the deceitful14 ness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the 15 end. While it is said, To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden 16 not your hearts, as in the provocation. For who were they that when they heard, provoked? Were they not all that

17 came out of Egypt by Moses? But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that sinned? 18 whose carcases fell in the wilderness. And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest but to them 19 that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

CH. IV.

LET us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to have come 2 short of it. For unto us has the gospel been preached, as well as unto them: but the word of hearing did not profit them, since it was not mixed with faith in them that heard 3 it. For we who believed enter into the rest, even as he said, So that I sware in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest, although the works were done from the founda4 tion of the world. For he has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day thus: And God did rest on the seventh 5 day from all his works. And in this place again, They 6 shall not enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it still re

mains for some to enter into it, and they to whom it was before preached entered not. in because of disobedience; 7 he appoints again a certain day, To-day, saying in David, after so long a time, even as has been said before, To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have 9 spoken of another day afterwards. There still remains 10 therefore a sabbath-rest for the people of God. For he

that entered into his rest, himself also rested from his works, as God did from his own.

Let us be anxious therefore to enter into that rest, lest 11 any one fall by the same example of disobedience. For 12 the word of God is living, and effective, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and ideas of the heart; neither is 13 there any creature that is not manifest in his sight; but all things are naked and bared unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Having therefore a great high priest that is passed 14. through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold to the confession. For we have not an high priest unable to 15 sympathise in our infirmities, but one who has in all points been tempted in like manner, without sin. Let us 16 therefore draw near openly unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace for timely help.

CH.

V.

FOR every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; being able to be 2 gentle to the ignorant and erring, since he himself also is compassed with infirmity and ought by reason of it even 3 as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. And no one takes the honour unto himself but when called 4 by God, as was also Aaron. Thus Christ also glorified 5 not himself to be made high priest, but he that spake unto him, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee; even as he says also in another place, Thou art a priest 6 for ever after the order of Melchisedek. Who in the days of 7 his flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and having been heard by reason of his piety, though he was a Son, he learned obedience from 8 the things which he suffered, and having been made perfect 9 he became the author of everlasting salvation unto all them that obey him, addressed by God as high priest after the 10 order of Melchisedek.

Of whom we have much to say, and difficult of inter- 11 pretation, seeing ye are become dull of hearing. For 12

whereas ye ought on account of the time to be teachers, ye have need again that one teach you the first elements of the oracles of God, and are become such as have need 13 of milk, not of solid food. For every one that partakes of

milk is inexperienced in the word of righteousness, for he 14 is a babe. But the solid food belongs to the perfect, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised with a view to the discerning both of good and bad.

CH. VI.

THEREFORE leaving the first discourse concerning Christ, let us advance unto perfection, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith in 2 God, of doctrinal baptisms, and laying on of hands, and 3 resurrection of the dead, and everlasting judgment. And 4 this will we do, if God permit. For it is impossible in the case of those who were once enlightened, and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the 5 Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God, and the 6 powers of the world to come and fell away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves afresh the Son of God, and make a public example 7 of him. For a land which has drunk in the rain that comes often upon it, and brings forth herbage meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, partakes of blessing 8 from God; but if it bears thorns and briers it is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. 9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you and things accompanying salvation, though we thus 10 speak. For God is not unjust to forget your work and the love which ye shewed toward his name, in that ye 11 ministered to the saints and do minister. But we desire that each one of you shew the same diligence with respect 12 to the full assurance of your hope unto the end: that ye become not dull, but imitators of them who through 13 faith and long suffering inherit the promises. For when

God promised to Abraham, because he could swear by no 14 greater, he sware by himself, saying, Surely blessing I will 15 bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee; and so, 16 after he suffered long, he obtained the promise. For

men swear by the greater; and the oath serves them for confirmation as an end of all gainsaying; by reason of 17 which God, wishing to shew more abundantly unto the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel interposed with an oath; that by means of two immutable 18 things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who fled to lay hold of the hope set before us, which we have as an anchor of the 19 soul, both sure and stedfast and entering into that within the veil; where as forerunner on our behalf Jesus entered, 20 become an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek.

CH.

For this Melchisedek, king of Salem, priest of the most VII. high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him; to whom also Abraham 2 divided a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation king of righteousness, and after that also king of Salem, which is king of peace; without father, without mother, 3 without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but likened unto the Son of God, abides a priest continually.

But behold how great this man was, unto whom 4 Abraham gave even a tenth out of the first of the spoils, the patriarch. And they of the sons of Levi when 5 receiving the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren though they have come out of the loins of Abraham: but he whose genealogy is not reckoned from 6 them has taken tithes of Abraham, and has blessed him that has the promises. And without all gainsaying the 7 less is blessed by the better. And here indeed men that 8 die receive tithes; but there one, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. And so to speak, Levi also, who receives 9 tithes, has paid tithes through Abraham; for he was 10 yet in the loins of his father when Melchisedek met him.

If therefore perfection was by the Levitical priesthood, 11 (for on the ground of it the people have received the law,) what further need was there that a different priest should

arise after the order of Melchisedek, and that he should 12 not be called after the order of Aaron? for when the

priesthood is removed, there comes of necessity a removal 13 of the law also. For he of whom these things are spoken has had part in a different tribe, from which none has 14 attended at the altar; for it is evident that our Lord has arisen out of Judah, of which tribe Moses spake 15 nothing concerning priests. And it is yet more abundantly evident, if after the similitude of Melchisedek there arises 16 a different priest, who is become so not after the law of a carnal commandment but after the power of an indissoluble 17 life. For he has the witness, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek.

18

For there is an annulling of the commandment going before because of the weakness and unprofitableness 19 thereof, (for the law made nothing perfect,) and a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw nigh unto 20, 21 God. And inasmuch as it was not without an oath; (for they without an oath are become priests, but he with an oath through him that says unto him, The Lord sware 22 and will not repent: thou art a priest for ever;) by so much 23 is Jesus also become surety of a better covenant. And

they are become priests in numbers, because they are 24 hindered by death from continuing; but he, because he 25 abides for ever, has the priesthood unchangeable; whence he is able to save them to the uttermost that draw near unto God through him, seeing he always lives to intercede for them.

26

For such an high priest even became us, holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from the sinners, and made higher 27 than the heavens; who needs not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, then for the people's for this he did once for all, when he offered 28 himself. For the law appoints men high priests who have infirmity; but the word of the oath which was after the law appoints a Son who is made perfect for ever. CH. VIII. BUT a main point in what we are saying is this: we have such an high priest, who sat down at the right hand