¹ Wherefore, dismissing the elementary discourse concerning the Christ, unto maturity, let us be tending, not, again, a foundation, laying down—of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God,

² Of immersions—in respect of teaching, and of the laying on of hands, of the resurrection of the dead, and of judgment age-abiding;—

³ And, this, will we do, if at least, God, permit.

⁴ For it is impossible—as to these who have been, once for all, illuminated, who have tasted also of the heavenly free-gift, and have been made, partners, in a Holy Spirit,

⁵ And have tasted God’s utterance to be, sweet, mighty works also of a coming age,

⁶ And who have fallen away, again, to be remoulding them into repentance; seeing they are again crucifying unto themselves the Son of God, and holding him up as an example.

⁷ For, land, which hath drunk in, the rain, thereupon ofttimes coming, and which bringeth forth vegetation fit for them for whom it is even cultivated, partaketh of a blessing from God;

⁸ But, should it be bringing forth thorns and briars, it is disapproved, and, unto cursing, nigh,—whose end is for burning.

⁹ But we are persuaded, concerning you, beloved, the things which are better and which contain salvation, though, even thus we speak.

¹⁰ For, not unrighteous, is God, to be forgetful of your work and of the love which ye have shewn forth for his name, in that ye have ministered unto the saints, and are ministering,

¹¹ But we covet that, each one of you, be shewing forth the same diligence, unto the full assurance of the hope throughout:

¹² In order that, not slothful, ye may become, but imitators of them who, through faith and patience, were becoming heirs of the promises.

¹³ For, when to Abraham God made promise, seeing he had no one greater by whom to swear, He sware, by himself,—

¹⁴ saying—Truly, if blessing I will bless thee, and, multiplying, I will multiply thee;

¹⁵ And, thus, being patient, he attained unto the promise.

¹⁶ For, men, by the greater one, swear, and, with them, an end of all gainsaying by way of confirmation is, the oath:

¹⁷ Wherein God, being, more abundantly disposed to shew forth unto the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of his counsel, mediated, with an oath,—

¹⁸ In order that, through means of two unchangeable things, in which it was impossible for God to make himself false, a mighty consolation, we might have, who have fled along to grasp, the fore-lying hope,

¹⁹ Which we have, as an anchor of the soul, both secure and firm, and entering into the interior of the veil:

²⁰ Where a forerunner in our behalf hath entered, even Jesus, who, according to the rank of Melchizedek, hath become, a high-priest unto times age-abiding.