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Hebrews 4:1-11 (Listen)

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem nto have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because othey were not united by faith with those who listened.1 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,

p“As I swore in my wrath,

‘They shall not enter my rest,’”

although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: q“And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” And again in this passage he said,

r“They shall not enter my rest.”

Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news sfailed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,

t“Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts.”

For if Joshua had given them rest, God2 would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God's rest has also urested from his works as God did from his.

11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so vthat no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

Footnotes

[1] 4:2 Some manuscripts it did not meet with faith in the hearers
[2] 4:8 Greek he

Hebrews 6:4-8 (Listen)

For it is impossible, in the case of those qwho have once been enlightened, who have tasted rthe heavenly gift, and shave shared in the Holy Spirit, and thave tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and uthen have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since vthey are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. For wland that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But xif it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, yand its end is to be burned.

Hebrews 10 (Listen)

Christ's Sacrifice Once for All

10 For since the law has but va shadow wof the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, xit can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But yin these sacrifices zthere is a reminder of sins every year. For ait is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Consequently, bwhen Christ1 came into the world, he said,

c“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,

but a body have you prepared for me;

in burnt offerings and sin offerings

you have taken no pleasure.

Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,

as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”

When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in csacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, d“Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will ewe have been sanctified through the offering of fthe body of Jesus Christ gonce for all.

11 And every priest stands hdaily at his service, ioffering repeatedly the same sacrifices, jwhich can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ2 had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he ksat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time luntil his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering mhe has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

16 n“This is the covenant that I will make with them

after those days, declares the Lord:

I will put my laws on their hearts,

and write them on their minds,”

17 then he adds,

o“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

The Full Assurance of Faith

19 pTherefore, brothers,3 since we have confidence to enter qthe holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by rthe new and living way that he opened for us through sthe curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have ta great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts usprinkled clean vfrom an evil conscience and our bodies wwashed with pure water. 23 xLet us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for yhe who promised is faithful. 24 And zlet us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 anot neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and ball the more as you see cthe Day drawing near.

26 For dif we go on sinning deliberately eafter receiving the knowledge of the truth, fthere no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 gbut a fearful expectation of judgment, and ha fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 iAnyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy jon the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one kwho has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned lthe blood of the covenant mby which he was sanctified, and has noutraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, o“Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, p“The Lord will judge his people.” 31 qIt is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32 But recall the former days when, after ryou were enlightened, you endured sa hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being tpublicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For uyou had compassion on those in prison, and vyou joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had wa better possession and an abiding one. 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has xa great reward. 36 For yyou have need of endurance, so that zwhen you have done the will of God you may areceive what is promised. 37 For,

b“Yet a little while,

and cthe coming one will come and will not delay;

38 dbut my righteous one shall live by faith,

and if he shrinks back,

my soul has no pleasure in him.”

39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

Footnotes

[1] 10:5 Greek he
[2] 10:12 Greek this one
[3] 10:19 Or brothers and sisters