1 S o let us leave the first things you need to know about Christ. Let us go on to the teaching that full-grown Christians should understand. We do not need to teach these first truths again. You already know that you must be sorry for your sins and turn from them. You know that you must have faith in God.

¶ Therefore, leaving now the word of the beginning of the establishment of the Christ, let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from works of death, and of faith in God,

2 Y ou know about being baptized and about putting hands on people. You know about being raised from the dead and about being punished forever.

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

3 W e will go on, if God lets us.

And this we will indeed do, if God permits.

4 T here are those who have known the truth. They have received the gift from heaven. They have shared the Holy Spirit.

For it is impossible that those who once received the light and tasted of that heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit

5 T hey know how good the Word of God is. They know of the powers of the world to come.

and likewise have tasted the good word of God and the virtue of the age to come,

6 B ut if they turn away, they cannot be sorry for their sins and turn from them again. It is because they are nailing the Son of God on a cross again. They are holding Him up in shame in front of all people.

and have backslidden, be renewed again by repentance, crucifying again for themselves the Son of God and putting him to an open shame.

7 I t is the same with a piece of ground that has had many rains fall on it. God makes it possible for that ground to give good fruits and vegetables.

For the earth which drinks in the rain that comes often upon it and brings forth herbs in season for those by whom it is dressed receives blessing from God;

8 B ut if it gives nothing but weeds, it is worth nothing. It will be hated and destroyed by fire.

but that which bears thorns and briers is rejected and is near unto cursing, whose end shall be by fire.

9 D ear friends, even as we tell you this, we are sure of better things for you. These things go along with being saved from the punishment of sin.

¶ But, beloved, we expect better things than these of you, things near unto saving health, though we thus speak.

10 G od always does what is right. He will not forget the work you did to help the Christians and the work you are still doing to help them. This shows your love for Christ.

For God is not unjust to forget your work and labour of charity which ye have showed in his name, having helped the saints and helping them.

11 W e want each one of you to keep on working to the end. Then what you hope for, will happen.

But we desire that each one of you show the same diligence until the end for the fulfillment of your hope,

12 D o not be lazy. Be like those who have faith and have not given up. They will receive what God has promised them. God’s Promise

that ye not become slothful, but imitators of those who by faith and patience inherit the promises.

13 W hen God made a promise to Abraham, He made that promise in His own name because no one was greater.

For when God promised unto Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself,

14 H e said, “I will make you happy in so many ways. For sure, I will give you many children.”

saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee and multiplying I will multiply thee.

15 A braham was willing to wait and God gave to him what He had promised.

And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

16 W hen men make a promise, they use a name greater than themselves. They do this to make sure they will do what they promise. In this way, no one argues about it.

For men verily swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all controversy.

17 A nd so God made a promise. He wanted to show Abraham that He would never change His mind. So He made the promise in His own name.

In which God, desiring to show more abundantly unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath,

18 G od gave these two things that cannot be changed and God cannot lie. We who have turned to Him can have great comfort knowing that He will do what He has promised.

that by two immutable things, in which it is 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,

19 T his hope is a safe anchor for our souls. It will never move. This hope goes into the Holiest Place of All behind the curtain of heaven.

which we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters even into that which is within the veil,

20 J esus has already gone there. He has become our Religious Leader forever and has made the way for man to go to God. He is like Melchizedek.

where our precursor, Jesus, has entered for us and is made high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.