1 T herefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

Therefore let us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teachings and doctrine of Christ (the Messiah), advancing steadily toward the completeness and perfection that belong to spiritual maturity. Let us not again be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works (dead formalism) and of the faith to God,

2 O f the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

With teachings about purifying, the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment and punishment.

3 A nd this will we do, if God permit.

If indeed God permits, we will proceed.

4 F or it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

For it is impossible those who have been once for all enlightened, who have consciously tasted the heavenly gift and have become sharers of the Holy Spirit,

5 A nd have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

And have felt how good the Word of God is and the mighty powers of the age and world to come,

6 I f they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

If they then deviate from the faith and turn away from their allegiance— to bring them back to repentance, for (because, while, as long as) they nail upon the cross the Son of God afresh and are holding up to contempt and shame and public disgrace.

7 F or the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:

For the soil which has drunk the rain that repeatedly falls upon it and produces vegetation useful to those for whose benefit it is cultivated partakes of a blessing from God.

8 B ut that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

But if persistently bears thorns and thistles, it is considered worthless and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

9 B ut, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

Even though we speak this way, yet in your case, beloved, we are now firmly convinced of better things that are near to salvation and accompany it.

10 F or God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

For God is not unrighteous to forget or overlook your labor and the love which you have shown for His name’s sake in ministering to the needs of the saints (His own consecrated people), as you still do.

11 A nd we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

But we do '> strongly and earnestly] desire for each of you to show the same diligence and sincerity in realizing and enjoying the full assurance and development of hope until the end,

12 T hat ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

In order that you may not grow disinterested and become sluggards, but imitators, behaving as do those who through faith ( by their leaning of the entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) and by practice of patient endurance and waiting are inheriting the promises.

13 F or when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

For when God made promise to Abraham, He swore by Himself, since He had no one greater by whom to swear,

14 S aying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

Saying, Blessing I certainly will bless you and multiplying I will multiply you.

15 A nd so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

And so it was that he, having waited long and endured patiently, realized and obtained what God had promised him.

16 F or men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.

Men indeed swear by a greater, and with them in all disputes the oath taken for confirmation is final.

17 W herein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:

Accordingly God also, in His desire to show more convincingly and beyond doubt to those who were to inherit the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose and plan, intervened (mediated) with an oath.

18 T hat by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

This was so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God ever to prove false or deceive us, we who have fled for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope appointed for us and set before.

19 W hich hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

we have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul '> break down under whoever steps out upon it—a hope] that reaches farther and enters into within the veil,

20 W hither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Where Jesus has entered in for us, a Forerunner having become a High Priest forever after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek.