1 W herefore, having left the word of the beginning of the Christ, unto the perfection we may advance, not again a foundation laying of reformation from dead works, and of faith on God,

Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

2 o f the teaching of baptisms, of laying on also of hands, of rising again also of the dead, and of judgment age-during,

of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

3 a nd this we will do, if God may permit,

And this we will do, if God permits.

4 f or impossible for those once enlightened, having tasted also of the heavenly gift, and partakers having became of the Holy Spirit,

For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit,

5 a nd did taste the good saying of God, the powers also of the coming age,

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

6 a nd having fallen away, again to renew to reformation, having crucified again to themselves the Son of God, and exposed to public shame.

and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.

7 F or earth, that is drinking in the rain many times coming upon it, and is bringing forth herbs fit for those because of whom also it is dressed, doth partake of blessing from God,

For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;

8 a nd that which is bearing thorns and briers disapproved of, and nigh to cursing, whose end for burning;

but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned. Better Things for You

9 a nd we are persuaded, concerning you, beloved, the things that are better, and accompanying salvation, though even thus we speak,

But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.

10 f or God is not unrighteous to forget your work, and the labour of the love, that ye shewed to His name, having ministered to the saints and ministering;

For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.

11 a nd we desire each one of you the same diligence to shew, unto the full assurance of the hope unto the end,

And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end,

12 t hat ye may not become slothful, but followers of those who through faith and patient endurance are inheriting the promises.

so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

13 F or to Abraham God, having made promise, seeing He was able to swear by no greater, did swear by Himself,

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

14 s aying, `Blessing indeed I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee;'

saying, “ I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.”

15 a nd so, having patiently endured, he did obtain the promise;

And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.

16 f or men indeed do swear by the greater, and an end of all controversy to them for confirmation the oath,

For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.

17 i n which God, more abundantly willing to shew to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, did interpose by an oath,

In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath,

18 t hat through two immutable things, in which impossible for God to lie, a strong comfort we may have who did flee for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before,

so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.

19 w hich we have, as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and entering into that within the vail,

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil,

20 w hither a forerunner for us did enter -- Jesus, after the order of Melchisedek chief priest having become -- to the age.

where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.