6 Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

² of the doctrine of baptisms and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment.

³ And this we will do, if God permit.

⁴ For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

⁵ and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come,

⁶ if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing that they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put Him to open shame.

⁷ For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for those by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God.

⁸ But that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh unto being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

⁹ But, beloved, though we thus speak, we are persuaded that there are better things for you, things that accompany salvation.

¹⁰ For God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shown toward His name, in that ye have ministeredto the saints, and do minister.

¹¹ And we desire that every one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end,

¹² that ye be not slothful, but followers of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

¹³ For when God made promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He swore by Himself,

¹⁴ saying, “Surely in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thee.”

¹⁵ And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

¹⁶ For men verily swear by the greater, and an oath of confirmation is to them an end to all strife.

¹⁷ Thereby God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath,

¹⁸ that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we, who have fled for refuge, might have strong consolation to lay hold upon the hope set before us.

¹⁹ This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil,

²⁰ where the Forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, who is made a high priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.

7 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham, who was returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him.

² To him also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, Melchizedek first being by interpretation “king of righteousness,” and after that also king of Salem, which means “king of peace.”

³ Without father, without mother and without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God, he abideth a priest continually.

⁴ Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils.

⁵ And verily, those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes from the people according to the law — that is, from their brethren — though they come out of the loins of Abraham.

⁶ But Melchizedek, whose descent is not counted from them, received tithes from Abraham and blessed him that had the promises.

⁷ And beyond all contradiction, the lesser is blessed by the greater.

⁸ And here men who die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

⁹ And, as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, paid tithes through Abraham,

¹⁰ for he was yet in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met Abraham.

¹¹ If therefore perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?

¹² For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

¹³ For He of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.

¹⁴ For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.

¹⁵ And this is yet far more evident when there ariseth another priest according to the similitude of Melchizedek,

¹⁶ who is made not according to the law of a carnal commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.

¹⁷ For He testifieth: “Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”

¹⁸ For there is verily an annulling of the former commandment because of the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

¹⁹ For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, by which we draw nigh unto God.

²⁰ And inasmuch as it was not without an oath that He was made priest

²¹ (for those priests were made without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said unto Him: “The Lord swore and will not repent, ‘Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.’”),

²² by so much more was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

²³ And those priests truly were many, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death;

²⁴ but this Man, because He continueth forever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

²⁵ Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost those who come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.

²⁶ For such a High Priest who is befitting for us, holy, undisposed to harm, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens,

²⁷ who needeth not, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice daily first for His own sins and then for the people’s; for this He did once when He offered up Himself.

²⁸ For the law maketh men high priests who have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which came since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.