1 T herefore leaving the teaching of the first principles of Christ, let us press on to perfection—not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, 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 teaching of baptisms, of laying on of hands, 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 T his will we do, if God permits.

If indeed God permits, we will proceed.

4 F or concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,

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 tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come,

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

6 a nd then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify the Son of God for themselves again, and put him to 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 land which has drunk the rain that comes often on it, and produces a crop suitable for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receives 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 if it bears thorns and thistles, it is rejected and near being cursed, 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 of better things for you, and things that accompany salvation, even though we speak like this.

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, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed toward his name, in that you served the saints, and still do serve them.

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 W e desire that each one of you may show the same diligence to the fullness of hope even to 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 you won’t be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherited 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 a promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore 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 you, and multiplying I will multiply you.”

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

15 T hus, having 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 indeed swear by a greater one, and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.

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

17 I n this way God, being determined to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with 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 is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of 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 T his hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is 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 here as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

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