1 Long ago, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets in many different circumstances and in many different ways, 2 but in these last days he spoke to us through his son who he appointed to inherit everything. It was also through him that he made the different eras—3 through the son who radiates the father’s splendour and represents his reality. The son bears everything by the message of his power, and after having made a way to be purified from our sins, he sat down in heaven next to God in the seat of the second-in-command.

4 By having become so much better than God’s messengers, he inherited a greater reputation than them, 5 because which of the messengers was told even once by God:[ref]

‘You are my son;

I gave birth to you today.’

And again:

‘I will be a father to him,

And he will be a son to me.’

6 Then when God brings his firstborn son into the world he said:[ref]

‘Let all of God’s messengers bow down to him.’

7 On one hand he said to his messengers:[ref]

‘The one making his messengers winds,

and making his ministers a fiery flame.’

8 And on the other hand to his son he said:[ref]

‘God, your throne will last to the end of the ages;

The ruler of his kingdom is a ruler of justice.

9 You loved righteousness and hated lawlessness,

because of this, God, your God, honoured you

with gladness beyond what your companions received.’

10 He also said to his son:[ref]

‘Master, at the beginning you established the earth,

and you made the heavens with your hands.

11 They will perish but you will continue;

They will wear out like clothes do.

12 You will roll them up like a discarded dressing gown;

they’ll be changed like we change our clothes.

But you remain the same,

and you won’t get old and fragile.’

13 To which of his messengers did God say even once:[ref]

‘Sit in the seat of honour on my right,

until I can defeat your enemies

and use them as a stool for my feet’?

14 See, those messengers are just ministering spirits sent out to serve those people who will inherit salvation.

2 Because of that, it’s much more appropriate for us to listen carefully to the message so we don’t drift away. 2 Because if the message that was brought by the messengers is confirmed and so every transgression and act of disobedience received the appropriate penalty, 3 how will we escape punishment if we neglect such a great offer of salvation. This salvation was first heard when spoken about by the master and then others who heard confirmed it to us 4 and God testified it by means of sign and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the holy spirit whenever he wanted.

5 It’s not his messengers that God put in charge of the future world that we’re talking about, 6 but someone testified somewhere saying:[ref]

‘What is humankind that you think about him,

or humanity’s son that you notice him?

7 You made him a little less than your messengers.

You crowned him with splendour and honour.

8 You put everything under his authority.’

By putting everything under his authority, nothing is left that he doesn’t control, although right now we don’t see everything being under his authority yet. 9 But although he was made a little lower than God’s messengers, we see Yeshua have suffered death, now crowned with splendour and honour, so that by God’s grace, he experienced death for everyone. 10 It was appropriate for him, the one who everything was made for and who made everything, having brought many children to be with God and being the originator of their salvation, to become perfect through what he suffered.

11 Both the person who is making people holy and the ones being made holy are part of one family because he’s not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters 12 saying:[ref]

‘I will announce your name to my brothers,

I will sing praise songs to you from the middle of the assembly.’

13 And also:[ref]

‘I will trust myself to him.’

And:[ref]

‘Look, it’s me with the little children that God gave me.’

14 So because the ‘little children’ are all made of flesh and blood, he also became a man to be just like them, so that through his death, he could nullify the power of death (which comes from the devil) 15 and set free all those who in a lifetime ‘slavery’ controlled by the fear of death. 16 You can be certain that it’s not God’s messengers that he’s helped, but rather Abraham’s descendants.[ref] 17 That’s why he had to be just like his brothers and sisters, so that he could become the merciful and faithful chief priest representing God, in order to pay the price for the people’s sins. 18 Because he also suffered when he was tempted to sin, he’s able to help others who’re tempted.

3 Therefore, godly brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, consider Yeshua, who we acknowledge as our missionary and high priest, 2 how he was faithful to God who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in God’s house.[ref] 3 Yeshua was considered worthy of more honour than Moses, just like the builder of a house is honoured more than the house itself, 4 because every house is made by someone, but the one who made everything is God. 5 On one hand, Moses was faithful in all of his house, thus serving as a testimony for what was yet to be told, 6 and on the other hand, Messiah was the son over his house, which is us if we retain our confidence and the expectation of our hope.

7 Therefore the holy spirit says:[ref]

‘Today if you hear his voice,

8 don’t harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion,

in the time of testing in the wilderness

9 where your ancestors tested me through trials,

although they saw my actions 10 over forty years.

That’s why I was angry with that generation and I said:

‘They’re always straying in their hearts and they don’t really know my ways.’

11 As I decided in my severe anger:

‘They will never be entering into my peace.’

12 Brothers and sisters, watch out in case any of you has an evil heart with unbelief which leads you to withdraw from the living God. 13 Instead urge yourselves on throughout each day (while it’s still called ‘today’) so that some of you won’t become hardened by the sin’s seduction 14 because we are now partakers of the messiah if we can retain until the end the assurance that we had at the beginning. 15 As it’s been said:[ref]

‘Today if you all hear his voice,

don’t harden your hearts as you did when you rebelled.’

16 Did some people heard and yet rebel? Didn’t Moses lead all of the people out of Egypt?[ref] 17 Who was he angry with for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed God and who died there in the wilderness? 18 And who did God promise that they wouldn’t enter his rest, if it wasn’t the people who disbelieved? 19 So we can now see that they weren’t able to enter the promised land because of their unbelief.

4 That’s why we might be afraid: because although we had a promise to enter his rest, some of you might fail to achieve it, 2 because we’ve already had the good message preached to us just like them, but the message they heard didn’t benefit them because they weren’t united in faith with the others who listened. 3 So those of us who believed are entering that rest, as he said:[ref]

‘As I promised in my severe anger,

They will never enter into my rest.’

And yet he’s had it ready since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he’s spoken about the seventh day saying:[ref]

‘And on the seventh day God rested from all his works.’

5 And also:[ref]

‘They will never enter my rest.’

6 Therefore because it’s being retained for some people to still come into it, and those who previously had the good message preached to them didn’t come in because of their disbelief, 7 God designated a certain day saying:[ref]

‘Today if you all hear his voice,

Don’t harden your hearts.’

8 Because if Yoshua had given them rest,[ref] God wouldn’t be speaking afterwards about another day. 9 So then, a time of rest is being retained for God’s people, 10 because anyone having come into their rest, also rests from their works, just as God rested from his own works.[ref] 11 Therefore we should be earnest about entering that rest, in case someone else falls by following our example of disbelief, 12 because God’s message is living and active and sharper than any high-quality sword, even penetrating to divide the soul and spirit—like separating the bone from sinews—and able to judge a person’s inner thoughts and intentions. 13 There isn’t anything in all of creation that’s hidden from him, but everything is naked and exposed to his sight as he’s the one we have to give an account to.

14 So then, having Yeshua the son of God who came from and returned to the heavens as our high priest, we need to hold firmly to what we say we believe, 15 because we don’t have a high priest who’s not able to sympathise with our weakness, but rather who’s been tempted just like we are yet he didn’t sin. 16 Therefore we can boldly approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace to help us when we need it.

5 Every high priest is just a person who was selected from the people to work with godly things both by offering gifts to God and sacrificing because of our sins. 2 He’s able to be patient with those who don’t understand and stray from the truth because he also is subject to weakness 3 and because of that, he has to make offerings for his own sins as well as for the people.[ref]

4 No one takes that honour upon themself, but they’re called by God like just Aaron was.[ref] 5 Similarly the messiah didn’t take the honour of being chief priest upon himself, but the one who spoke to him said:[ref]

‘You’re my son;

today I have given birth to you.’

6 And in another place he said:[ref]

‘You are a priest of the order of Melchizedek.’

7 [ref]During the time when Yeshua lived in a human body, he offered up prayers and petitions with a mighty clamour and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learnt obedience from what he suffered 9 and once he became perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all those who submitted to him 10 as he’d been designated by God as the high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

11 We have a lot to say about that, but it’s hard to explain because you’ve all become lazy at listening. 12 Yes, because you all ought to be teachers by now, yet you still need to have someone teaching you the basics of God’s ways and you’ve become like those who need milk instead of solid food.[ref] 13 Everyone who drinks milk doesn’t really understand the message about righteousness, because they’re still infants, 14 but mature people have solid food meaning that their senses have been trained and they can distinguish good from evil.

6 So then, having left the basics of the messiah’s message, we should move on towards maturity—not repeating the foundations of repenting from useless religious actions and faith in God, 2 of teachings about immersion in water and prayerfully placing your hands on people, and the resurrection of the dead followed by eternal judgement. 3 And we’ll be moving on from all that if God permits.

4 It’s impossible for those who’ve understood this and who’ve tasted the heavenly gift and become partakers of the holy spirit 5 and who’ve tasted God’s message and the powers of the coming age 6 and who’ve fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. It’s like they themselves are executing God’s son again and publicly shaming him.

7 The land that soaks in the frequent rains and grows crops suitable for those who’re cultivating it, is receiving a blessing from God, 8 but if it’s producing thorns and thistles,[ref] then it’s useless and a liability and will end up being burned off.

9 But dear friends, even though we speak like this, we’ve been convinced to expect better things from you—things that accompany salvation. 10 Yes, God isn’t unjust such that he’d forget about your work and the love that you all displayed towards him, having ministered to other believers as you still do. 11 And our desire is for each of you to be displaying the same earnestness and the full assurance of hope until the end 12 so that you all won’t become sluggish, but become imitators of those who through their faith and patience will be inheriting what God has promised.

13 When God made promises to Abraham, because he didn’t have anyone more powerful to take an oath in front of, he did it in his own name 14 saying: ‘I will certainly bless you and will cause you to have many descendants.’[ref] 15 And then after being patient, Abraham received what was promised. 16 Yes, people make oaths in front of someone more powerful and then there’s no controversy, because the oath is the confirmation. 17 In order for God to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he guaranteed it with an oath 18 so that by two things that God can’t even change (his promise and his oath), we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. 19 That hope is an anchor for our souls, being both certain and confirmed, and it will bring us inside the temple curtain[ref] 20 where Yeshua went ahead of us according to the order of Melchizedek[ref]—becoming the high priest for this age.

7 This Melchizedek was the king of the city of Salem and a priest of God, the highest one.[ref] He met Abraham who was returning from slaughtering several kings and Melchizedek blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of all the captured goods. The name Melchizedek means ‘king of righteousness’ and then king of Salem also means ‘king of peace’. 3 There’s no record of his father or mother, no genealogical background, and no record of his being born or dying, but he’s likened to God’s son in that he continually remains as a priest.

4 Notice how great this Melchizedek was, because the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the best of the captured goods. 5 On one hand, the tithing commandment from Moses’ law makes the people give a tenth to Levi’s descendants who inherit the priestly office, even though they’re their brothers as fellow descendants of Abraham.[ref] 6 On the other hand, Abraham tithed to Melchizedek who can’t be traced as one of them, and he blessed Abraham who had received God’s promises. 7 There’s no doubt that it’s the lessor person that gets blessed by someone greater. 8 So in the first case, the tenth is received by people who die, but in the second case by someone who it’s only testified that he lives. 9 You could even say that even Levi (whose descendants receive the tenths) gave a tenth to Melchizedek through Abraham 10 because Levi’s sperm was still part of his father’s body when Melchizedek met Abraham.

11 Indeed if perfection came from the priesthood from Levi’s tribe which was legislated to help the people, why would there have still been a need for another to rise up as a priest in the order of Melchizedek and not just from the order of Aaron? 12 Because if the priesthood is changed, then that law would also need to be changed. 13 The one that we’re talking about here is from another tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served as a priest at the altar.

14 So it’s quite evident that our master came from Judah’s tribe but Moses never mentioned priests coming from that tribe, 15 and it’s even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek rose up 16 who didn’t live by the physical law (of death) but according to the power of indestructible life! 17 Because it’s been testified:[ref]

‘You are priest to this age,

according to the order of Melchizedek.’

18 In the first case, the commandment is annulled because it’s weak and unprofitable 19 (because the law made nothing perfect), and in the second case we have the introduction of a better hope by means of which we can approach God.

20 And it wasn’t done without an oath, because although men become priests without an oath, 21 but Yeshua became a priest by an oath from the one that said:[ref]

‘The master made an oath

and won’t rescind it.

You are priest for this age.’

22 Because of that oath, Yeshua became the guarantor of a better agreement.

23 in the first case, there have been many of those priests because death doesn’t allow them to continue on, 24 but in the second case, because Yeshua stays alive for all the age, he can hold the office of priest permanently 25 and thus he’s able to save those who approach God through him—save them to the full extent because he always lives to intercede of their behalf.

26 Such a high priest exactly meets our needs: one who is godly, innocent, pure, set apart from sinners, and honoured above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, it’s not necessary for him to first make a sacrifice for his own sins before doing it for the sins of the people,[ref] because he offered himself—once for everyone. 28 The law appoints those with weaknesses as high priests, but the message from the oath which followed after the law, appointed the son who has been perfected for the age.

8 So here’s the main point in what we’re saying: we have a high priest who sat down in the honoured seat beside the majesty’s throne in the heavens[ref] 2 and ministers in the holy places and in the true tent of worship which the master erected, not people. 3 Every high priest is appointed to be offering both gifts and sacrifices, and so it’s necessary for this one to also have something to offer. 4 If he was here on earth, he wouldn’t even be a priest because there are others offering gifts according to Moses’ law. 5 They serve a copy or shadow of the heavenly realms just as Moses was warned when he was about to start making the tent of worship:[ref]

‘Make everything according to the pattern that I showed you on the mountain.’

6 But on the contrary, Yeshua has obtained a more special ministry because he’s the mediator of a better agreement which has been legislated with better promises.

7 If the first agreement had been faultless, then there wouldn’t have been any need to find a second one to replace it, 8 but God blamed the people and said:[ref]

“Listen, the master declares that the time is coming when I will make a new agreement with Israel and Yudah,

9 not like the agreement that I master with their ancestors

when they held my hand for me to lead them out of Egypt,

because they didn’t stay inside my agreement

and so I didn’t take any notice of them, says the master.’

10 So this is the agreement that I make with Israel after those times, says the master,

putting my laws into their minds and writing them onto their hearts,

and I will be their God and they will be my people.

11 Then they certainly won’t teach each citizen and their neighbours,

saying ‘Know the master,’

because all of them from the smallest to the greatest will all know me.

12 Because I’ll be merciful to them when they disobey,

and certainly I won’t remember their sins any longer.”

13 In calling that ‘new’, he’s made the first agreement out-of-date, and what’s out-of-date and getting old is about to disappear.

9 The first agreement had sacred rites and a holy place here on earth, 2 because the tent of worship was set-up with a outer room called ‘the holy place’ where both the lampstand and the table were placed and the ‘bread of the presence’.[ref] 3 Then past the second curtain was a room called ‘the most holy place’[ref] 4 having the golden incense altar and the box of the agreement which was completely gold-plated and which contained a golden jar of manna and Aaron’s staff which had sprouted and the stone tablets inscribed with the commandments.[ref] 5 On the top of the box were the cherubs OF GLORY with their wings stretched out over the mercy seat which we won’t talk about right now.[ref]

6 And then with all of that having been prepared, the priests entered past everything in the first room of the tent to carry out their sacred services.[ref] 7 However, only the high priest enters the second room, and then only once a year. He can’t go with taking in blood which he offers for the sins of ignorance done by both himself and by the people.[ref] 8 By that, the holy spirit was making it clear that the way into that holy place was not yet open to the public as long as that first tent of worship was still standing. 9 This was an illustration intended for the present time when gifts and sacrifices are still being offered, but are not able to make the conscience of the one serving perfect—10 only just physical matters of food and drinks and ritual washings—until the reformed system is instigated.

11 But when Messiah came as high priest over what had now become good through the greater and more perfect tent of worship which wasn’t put together by people and isn’t part of this world, 12 he went once-for-all into the holy places—not by the blood of goats and calves but through his own blood—obtaining eternal redemption for us. 13 Because if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled people with the ashes of a young cow[ref] could make them holy by physical purification, 14 how much more the blood of the messiah who offered himself blameless to God, through the eternal spirit, will then purify your conscience from all useless deeds in order that we can serve the living God!

15 So because of that, Yeshua is the mediator of a new agreement, so that his death leads to the ransom payment for those who’ve disobeyed the first agreement, so that now those who are called can receive the eternal inheritance.

16 Where there’s an agreement like a will, it’s necessary for the death of the one who made it, 17 because this type of agreement doesn’t come into effect if the person who made it is still living, but only when they’re confirmed as dead, 18 so even the first agreement wasn’t valid without blood. 19 Hence after telling all the people all the commandments according to the law, Moses then took the blood of calves and goats, along with water and scarlet wool, and hyssop branches, and sprinkled both the scroll and all the people[ref] 20 saying: ‘This is the blood of the agreement which God commanded for you all.’ 21 Similarly, he sprinkled both the tent itself and all the utensils for the ministry there with blood,[ref] 22 and almost everything was declared ‘clean’ according to the law, because there couldn’t be forgiveness without blood.[ref]

23 So then it was necessary for these copies of things from the heavens to be purified, but in contrast, the heavenly things will be purified with better sacrifices than that, 24 because Messiah didn’t enter human-made holy places that were only representatives of the true ones, but he entered into heaven where he now appears on our behalf in God’s presence. 25 He didn’t offer himself like the high priest does every year with different blood, 26 otherwise he would have needed to suffer over and over since the creation of the world. Instead he appeared just once throughout all the ages because sin has been annulled by his sacrifice. 27 Just as it’s been determined that people will die once and then there’ll be judgement, 28 so too the messiah was offered once as a sacrifice as an offering for the sins of many people,[ref] but will be seen a second time (nothing to do with sin) by those who’re eagerly waiting for him.

10 The law is a shadow of the good things coming, not the exact image of them. Every year they offer the same sacrifices—over and over but never getting nearer to perfection, 2 otherwise they could have stopped offering them because once they were fully ‘clean’, they wouldn’t have needed anymore sacrifices to appease the conscience of their sins. 3 But as it is, every year there’s a reminder about their sins 4 because it’s simply not possible for the blood of goats and bulls to take away sins.

5 That’s why when Yeshua came into the world, he said:[ref]

“You don’t want sacrifice and offering,

but you prepared a body for me.

6 You took no pleasure in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin.

7 Then I said, ‘Listen, it’s been written about me in the scroll of the scriptures. I have come, God, to do whatever you want.’ ”

8 Previously he had said, ‘You don’t want sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and offerings for sin, and you didn’t take pleasure in them,’ even though they’re offered according to the law. 9 Then he said, ‘Listen, I’m coming to do whatever you want.’ So he was terminating the first agreement in order to be able to establish the second one. 10 By that agreement, we are made holy once-and-for-all through the offering of Yeshua Messiah’s body.

11 In fact, every priest has stood there every day ministering and often offering the same sacrifices,[ref] all of which have never been able to remove sins, 12 but this one offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, then sat down on God’s right[ref] 13 waiting even now until his enemies are overcome 14 Yes, with one sacrifice, he’s able to make people holy for all time.

15 The holy spirit also testifies to us, having said:

16 [ref]‘The master says: This is the agreement that I will make with them:

I will put my laws into their hearts and also I will write them into their minds.’

17 And,[ref] ‘I won’t remember their disobedience and their lawlessness any more.’ 18 Once there’s been forgiveness, then there’s no longer a need for an offering for sin.

19 Therefore brothers and sisters, we have confidence to enter the holy place by Yeshua’s blood—20 a new and life-giving path that he initiated for us to go through the curtain, which is his flesh. 21 Since we have an incredible priest presiding over God’s house, 22 we can approach God with sincere hearts in full assurance due to our faith, having our hearts sprinkled to clean us from our guilty consciences and with our bodies having been washed in clean water.[ref] 23 We can hold onto the confession of our unwavering hope because the one who made the promise is faithful, 24 and we can be considering how to provoke each other to show love and to do good things—25 not giving up meeting together as some have, but rather encouraging each other even more as you all see the day of judgement coming closer.

26 If we keep on sinning after learning about the truth, then there’s no sacrifice left for our sins, 27 but the certain expectation of fearful judgement and of a fiery anger that will consume the god-haters.[ref] 28 Anyone who rejected Moses’ law would receive the death sentence without mercy by the strength of two or three witnesses,[ref] 29 so how much more severe punishment do you all expect might be considered appropriate for someone who trampled God’s son underfoot and who has considered the blood of the agreement as cheap[ref] and who has insulted the spirit of grace? 30 Yes, we know who said,[ref] ‘Vengeance is mine—I’m the one who’ll repay them,’ and again, ‘The master will be judging his people.’ 31 It’s a scary thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32 Remember those earlier days when you first learnt about Messiah and how you endured a lot of suffering—33 sometimes being publicly displayed with derision and persecution, and at other times helping others who were being treated like that. 34 You all sympathised with those who were imprisoned and cheerfully accepted the confiscation of your possessions because you knew that you have a better possession that will endure on. 35 So then, don’t toss away your boldness, because it’ll lead to a sizeable reward. 36 Rather you need to endure so that when you’ve done what God wants, you’ll all receive back what was promised 37 because:[ref]

‘In still a little while the one coming will come,

and won’t be delaying.’

38 And:

‘My righteous one will be living by faith.

If he retreats, my soul won’t be pleased with him.’

39 But we aren’t from those retreating back to destruction, but from those with faith that preserves the soul.

11 Now faith is the assurance that the things we hope for will come to pass and the conviction that even what we can’t see is real, 2 because those are what our predecessors were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that time was formed by God’s command because the visible universe was not made from visible materials.[ref]

4 By faith Abel offered a more satisfactory sacrifice to God than Kain,[ref] and as a result, he was declared to be righteous when God testified about his gifts, and through his faith, he still speaks despite being long dead.

5 By faith Enoch was transported directly to heaven without dying. ‘His body was never found because God transported him,’[ref] because before he was transported, it was testified that he pleased God, 6 and without faith it’s impossible to please him. Because it’s necessary for anyone who approaches God to believe that he exists, and that he rewards those who search for him.

7 By faith godly Noah built a box to save his family after he was warned[ref] about things that had never been seen before, thus condemning the world and becoming an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

8 By faith, Abraham submitted when he was called[ref] and travelled to the place that he was going to receive as an inheritance—departing without even knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he camped as a stranger in the promised land,[ref] living in tents with Isaac and Yacob—fellow heirs of the same promise—10 because he was waiting for a city with proper foundations—the city with God as its craftsman and builder.

11 By faith even Sarah herself received the power to conceive a child when she was past that age,[ref] because she considered that the one who had made the promise would be faithful to his word. 12 So it was that descendants came from that one man in his old age[ref] and they became as numerous as the stars in the sky and uncountable like grains of sand on the beach.

13 All of those people went on to die,[ref] not having received everything that was promised but only seeing and welcoming it all from a distance, having admitted that they were strangers and foreigners here on the earth. 14 People who talk like that make it clear that they’re looking for a new place to make their home—15 if they’d been meaning the place that they left, they would have already had time to go back there—16 so now they’re aspiring to a better place, i.e., a heavenly home. Therefore God isn’t ashamed of them or of being called their God, because he has prepared a city for them.

17 By faith, Abraham when he was tested offered up Isaac.[ref] He had received the promises and offered his only son that he’d given birth to—18 the one about which it had been said: ‘Your descendants will be named through Isaac.’ 19 Abraham had reckoned that God was powerful enough to bring him back to life from the dead, and in a manner of speaking, that’s what happened.

20 By faith, Isaac gave a blessing to Yacob and Esau.[ref]

21 By faith, when Yacob was dying he gave a blessing to both of Yosef’s sons,[ref] and bowed over the top of his walking stick.

22 By faith, when Yosef was dying, he spoke about how Israel’s descendants would leave Egypt in the future,[ref] and gave them instructions about taking his bones.

23 By faith when Moses was born, his parents hid him for three months when they saw how he was such a beautiful baby,[ref] and they weren’t afraid to disobey the king’s ruling.

24 By faith when Moses had become powerful, refused to be called Far’oh’s (Pharaoh’s) daughter’s son[ref] 25 and chose to suffer hardship along with God’s people rather than having the temporary enjoyment of sin. 26 He calculated that enduring derision for the messiah was better than the riches of Egypt because he was considering the future reward.

27 By faith, Moses wasn’t afraid of the king’s anger when he left Egypt and persevered because he could see what was invisible. 28 By faith, he initiated the Passover Celebration and the sprinkling of blood,[ref] so that the one destroying the eldest offspring wouldn’t touch their families.

29 By faith, they crossed through the Red Sea as if it was dry land,[ref] but when the Egyptians tried they were drowned.

30 By faith, Yericho’s walls collapsed after they’d walked around them for seven days.[ref]

31 By faith, Rahab the prostitute didn’t die along with all the others in the city who mocked God,[ref] because she had peacefully accommodated the spies.

32 So what else should I say? I don’t have time to describe Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jepthah, and about David and Samuel[ref] and the prophets 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, acted righteously, obtained promises, shut lion’s mouths,[ref] 34 survived the power of a fiery furnace untouched,[ref] escaped slashing swords, overcome their own weaknesses, became mighty warriors, and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back those who’d died and came back to life, and others were tortured—not relenting so they’d be set free, but instead looking forward to obtaining a better reward in the next age.[ref] 36 Others were mocked and beaten, and some were put in chains and imprisoned.[ref] 37 They had rocks thrown at them to kill them, they were sawn in half, they were tempted, they were killed with swords.[ref] Living in poverty, they went around in skins of goats and sheep, and were mistreated by others. 38 This world wasn’t worthy of having them. They wandered around wilderness areas and on hills and lived in caves and in holes in the ground.

39 All of them were proven by their faith, yet they didn’t actually receive what had been promised. 40 God had planned to have something better so that we and they would be made perfect together.

12 So then with us having a cloud of witnesses around us, we should discard everything that’s a burden, as well as the sin that is always so near to us. We should run the race that’s ahead of us with endurance, 2 with our eyes on Yeshua, the originator and perfecter of our faith, who endured execution on a stake and disregarded the shame of that event for the satisfaction that he’d gain. Now he’s seated there in the seat of honour beside God’s throne.

3 You all need to think about Yeshua and how he persevered when sinners quarrelled with him (although they only hurt themselves) so that you can be strong on the inside and persevere. 4 So far, you all haven’t had to resist to the point of sweating or shedding blood in the struggle against sin. 5 What’s more, you’ve failed to remember what Solomon encouraged his children to do, which also applies to all of you:[ref]

“My child, learn carefully when the Lord trains you.

Indeed, you shouldn’t become despondent when he corrects you.

6 Because it’s the people that the master loves that he disciplines,

Indeed he punishes every child that he calls his own.”

7 It’s for your own discipline that you all have to endure. God is treating you as his children, and what sort of father wouldn’t discipline them? 8 If you all weren’t disciplined (which all children experience), then you wouldn’t be true children, but rather illegitimate ones. 9 What’s more, our human parents trained us when we were children and we changed our behaviour, so, we should accept it even more when our spiritual father, God, trains us so that we can have life. 10 Indeed, they were disciplining us for a few days according to what seemed best to them, but God our father does it for our benefit so that we can also distance ourselves from sin. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful, however later it produces peace in those who’ve been trained in this way so they do what is good and right.

12 So then, straighten your drooping arms and paralysed legs, and be strong.[ref] 13 Make your paths straight[ref] so that those who’re lame won’t be discouraged, but rather come and be healed.

14 Strive to live live peacefully with everyone and to distance yourselves from sin, because no one will get to see the master without doing that. 15 Watch carefully to make sure that no one misses out on God’s grace, and to make sure that no bitterness grows up among you that could mess up many people’s lives,[ref] 16 and watch also that none of you are sexually immoral or godless like Esau who sold his own inheritance for a single meal.[ref] 17 As you all know, even afterwards when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected because he couldn’t find a way to undo what he’d done despite looking for it along with his many tears.[ref]

18 You all haven’t come to what can be touched and to a blazing fire and to darkness and to gloom and to a storm (like Israelis encountered at Mt. Sinai)[ref] 19 and to a a trumpet blast and then God speaking a message. But when they heard him speaking, they pleaded for him not to say anything else to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be killed.”[ref] 21 Even Moses, when he saw how frightening everything was he said, “I’m trembling because I am afraid!”[ref]

22 But in contrast, you’ve all come to the city of the living God (Mt. Zion), to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of God’s messengers to the assembly, 23 and to the assembly of the eldest sons who have been registered in the heavens, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the people who’ve been declared innocent and who’ve been made perfect, 24 and to Yeshua, the mediator of a new agreement, and to the sprinkled blood that says even more than Abel’s blood did.[ref]

25 Make sure that you all obey God who’s speaking to you, because if the ancient Jews were punished when they were warned on earth (at Mt. Sinai), how much more God will punish any of us who don’t obey what he reveals to us now (from Mount Zion).[ref] 26 When God spoke back then (from Mount Sinai), it made the earth quake. However, at this time he promises, “I’ll make the earth and also heaven quake one more time.”[ref] 27 The words ‘one more time’ mean that God will take away everything that he shakes, since it was him who created all those things. So everything that he doesn’t shake and take will last forever.

28 So then, since we now live in a kingdom that can’t be shaken, we should be thankful, and so offer acceptable worship to God, with awe and the deepest respect 29 because ‘the God we worship is a fire that burns things up’.[ref]

13 Continue to love your fellow believers. 2 Don’t be lax in showing hospitality to others, because some people who’ve been hospitable have actually hosted God’s messengers without even realising.[ref] 3 Don’t forget about those who’re in prison—help them as if you all were in prison with them. Also, help those who’re being mistreated because you, yourselves are human.

4 Marriage needs to be honoured by everyone and the marriage relationship kept pure, because God will judge adulterers and those who’re sexually immoral.

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said:[ref]

“I’ll never leave you;

Indeed I’ll never abandon you.”

6 So in turn, we can confidently say:[ref]

“The master is my helper,

so I won’t be afraid.

What can mere people do to me?”

7 Don’t forget about your leaders who taught you all God’s message. Reflect on the outcome of their behaviour and imitate their faith. 8 Yeshua Messiah hasn’t changed in the past and will never change in the future. 9 Don’t be carried away by all sorts of new and novel teachings—God’s grace strengthens your faith, but beware of other teachings which won’t strengthen you all because the teachers don’t even practise what they preach. 10 We benefit from what Yeshua offered, but which others cannot benefit from despite their religious positions. 11 Although the high priest brings the blood of animals into the sacred chambers as a sacrifice for sin, the bodies of the animals are burnt outside the camp.[ref] 12 So too, Yeshua also suffered outside the city gate so that he could declare the people innocent by means of the price of his own blood, 13 therefore we should leave our religious sacrifices and rituals and share in his shame outside the system. 14 Yes, we don’t belong to any earthly city, but we wait for the new city that’s coming.

15 With Yeshua’s help, we should always be praising God as if we were presenting offerings to him. We do that when we say that we believe that Yeshua is God. 16 But on top of faith, we need to continue to do good and share what we have with others, because those are the kinds of sacrifices that please God.

17 Your leaders keep watch over your spiritual lives, knowing that they will have to give account to God for you, so obey them and yield to them so that they can fulfil their ministry cheerfully and without groaning, because that wouldn’t help you all either.

18 Also, please pray for us, because we believe that we have clear consciences and have conducted ourselves honourably in everything we’ve done, 19 and I especially urge you to pray that I might be able to return to be with you all soon.

20 Now may the God of peace, the one who brought the wonderful shepherd of the sheep back to life from the dead (by the blood that’s specified in the eternal agreement), our master Yeshua, 21 equip you all with everything good so that you can do what he desires—doing what will please him greatly through Yeshua Messiah, who will be honoured through all the ages. May it be so.

22 But brothers and sisters, I’m urging you all to tolerate my message of encouragement because I haven’t made it too long. 23 You all know our brother Timothy was released and if he comes here soon, I’ll be seeing you all.[fn]

24 Greet all your leaders for us, and all the believers. The Italians here also send their greetings.

25 May God’s grace be with all of you. May it be so.