Hebrews 5-8

New American Standard Bible

The Perfect High Priest

5 For every high priest ^(A)taken from among men is appointed on behalf of people in ^(B)things pertaining to God, in order to ^(C)offer both gifts and sacrifices ^(D)for sins; ^2 [a](E)he can deal gently with the ^(F)ignorant and ^(G)misguided, since he himself also is ^[b](H)clothed in weakness; ³ and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices ^(I)for sins for himself, ^(J)as well as for the people. ⁴ And ^(K)no one takes the honor for himself, but receives it when he is called by God, just ^(L)as Aaron also was.

⁵ So too Christ ^(M)did not glorify Himself in becoming a ^(N)high priest, but it was He who ^(O)said to Him,

⁶ just as He also says in another passage,

⁷ In the days of ^[c]His humanity, ^[d](S)He offered up both prayers and pleas with ^(T)loud crying and tears to the One ^(U)able to save Him ^[e]from death, and He ^[f]was heard because of His ^(V)devout behavior. ⁸ Although He was ^(W)a Son, He learned ^(X)obedience from the things which He suffered. ⁹ And having been ^(Y)perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him, ¹⁰ being designated by God as ^(Z)High Priest according to ^(AA)the order of Melchizedek.

¹¹ Concerning ^[g]him we have much to say, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become ^[h]poor listeners. ¹² For though ^[i]by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you ^(AB)the ^[j](AC)elementary principles of the ^(AD)actual words of God, and you have come to need ^(AE)milk and not solid food. ¹³ For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an ^(AF)infant. ¹⁴ But solid food is for ^(AG)the mature, who because of practice have their senses ^(AH)trained to ^(AI)distinguish between good and evil.

The Danger of Falling Away

6 Therefore ^(AJ)leaving ^(AK)the ^[k]elementary teaching about the ^[l]Christ, let us press on to ^[m](AL)maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from ^(AM)dead works and of faith toward God, ² of ^(AN)instruction about ^[n]washings and ^(AO)laying on of hands, and about the ^(AP)resurrection of the dead and ^(AQ)eternal judgment. ³ And this we will do, ^(AR)if God permits. ⁴ For it is ^(AS)impossible, in the case of those who have once been ^(AT)enlightened and have tasted of ^(AU)the heavenly gift and have been made ^(AV)partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and ^(AW)have tasted the good ^(AX)word of God and the powers of ^(AY)the age to come, ⁶ and then have ^[o]fallen away, to ^(AZ)restore them again to repentance, ^[p](BA)since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. ⁷ For ground that drinks the rain which often ^[q]falls on it and produces vegetation useful to those ^(BB)for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; ⁸ but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and ^[r](BC)close to being cursed, and ^[s]it ends up being burned.

Better Things for You

⁹ But, ^(BD)beloved, we are convinced of better things regarding you, and things that ^[t]accompany salvation, even though we are speaking in this way. ¹⁰ For ^(BE)God is not unjust so as to forget ^(BF)your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, by having ^(BG)served and by still serving the ^[u]saints. ¹¹ And we desire that each one of you demonstrate the same diligence ^[v]so as to realize the ^(BH)full assurance of ^(BI)hope until the end, ¹² so that you will not be sluggish, but ^(BJ)imitators of those who through ^(BK)faith and endurance ^(BL)inherit the promises.

¹³ For ^(BM)when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear an oath by no one greater, He ^(BN)swore by Himself, ¹⁴ saying, “^(BO)indeed I will greatly bless you and I will greatly multiply you.” ¹⁵ And so, ^(BP)having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. ^16 (BQ)For people swear an oath by ^[w]one greater than themselves, and with them ^(BR)an oath serving as confirmation is an end of every dispute. ^17 [x]In the same way God, desiring even more to demonstrate to ^(BS)the heirs of the promise ^[y](BT)the fact that His purpose is unchangeable, ^[z]confirmed it with an oath, ¹⁸ so that by two unchangeable things in which ^(BU)it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to hold firmly to ^(BV)the hope set before us. ^19 [aa]This ^(BW)hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which ^(BX)enters ^[ab]within the veil, ^20 (BY)where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a ^(BZ)high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Melchizedek’s Priesthood like Christ’s

7 For this ^(CA)Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the ^(CB)Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, ² to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. ³ Without father, without mother, ^(CC)without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like ^(CD)the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.

⁴ Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the ^(CE)patriarch, ^(CF)gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. ⁵ And those indeed of ^(CG)the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have a commandment ^[ac]in the Law to collect ^[ad]a tenth from the people, that is, from their countrymen, although they ^[ae]are descended from Abraham. ⁶ But the one ^(CH)whose genealogy is not traced from them ^(CI)collected ^[af]a tenth from Abraham and ^[ag](CJ)blessed the one who ^(CK)had the promises. ⁷ But without any dispute the lesser person is blessed by the greater. ⁸ In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, ^(CL)of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. ⁹ And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, has paid tithes, ¹⁰ for he was still in the loins of his ^[ah]forefather when Melchizedek met him.

^11 (CM)So if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it ^(CN)the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise ^(CO)according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? ¹² For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. ¹³ For ^(CP)the one about whom ^(CQ)these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. ¹⁴ For it is evident that our Lord ^[ai]was ^(CR)descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses said nothing concerning priests. ¹⁵ And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, ¹⁶ who has become a priest not on the basis of a law of ^[aj](CS)physical requirement, but according to the power of ^(CT)an indestructible life. ¹⁷ For it is attested of Him,

¹⁸ For, on the one hand, there is the nullification of a former commandment ^(CV)because of its weakness and uselessness ¹⁹ (for ^(CW)the Law made nothing perfect); on the other hand, there is the introduction of a better ^(CX)hope, through which we ^(CY)come near to God. ²⁰ And to the extent that it was not without an oath ²¹ (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him,

²² by the same extent Jesus also has become the ^[ak](DC)guarantee of ^(DD)a better covenant.

^23 [al]The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing; ^24 [am]Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues ^(DE)forever, holds His priesthood permanently. ²⁵ Therefore He is also able to ^(DF)save ^[an]forever those who ^(DG)come to God through Him, since He always lives to ^(DH)make intercession for them.

²⁶ For it was fitting for us to have such a ^(DI)high priest, ^(DJ)holy, ^(DK)innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and ^(DL)exalted above the heavens; ²⁷ who has no daily need, like those high priests, to ^(DM)offer up sacrifices, ^(DN)first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because He did this ^(DO)once for all time when He ^(DP)offered up Himself. ²⁸ For the Law appoints men as high priests ^(DQ)who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints ^(DR)a Son, who has been ^(DS)made perfect forever.

A Better Ministry

8 Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a ^(DT)high priest, who has taken His seat at ^(DU)the right hand of the throne of the ^(DV)Majesty in the heavens, ² a ^(DW)minister ^[ao]in the sanctuary and ^[ap]in the ^(DX)true ^[aq]tabernacle, which the Lord ^(DY)set up, not man. ³ For every ^(DZ)high priest is appointed ^(EA)to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. ⁴ Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are ^[ar]those who ^(EB)offer the gifts according to the Law; ⁵ who serve ^(EC)a copy and ^(ED)shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses ^[as]was ^(EE)warned by God when he was about to erect the ^[at]tabernacle; for, “^(EF)See,” He says, “that you make all things by the pattern which was shown to you on the mountain.” ⁶ But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, to the extent that He is also the ^(EG)mediator of ^(EH)a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.

A New Covenant

⁷ For ^(EI)if that first covenant had been free of fault, no ^[au]circumstances would have been sought for a second. ⁸ For in finding fault with ^[av]the people, He says,

^13 [az]When He said, “^(ES)A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. ^(ET)But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ^[ba]about to disappear.