Hebrews 5:11-6:20

New American Standard Bible

¹¹ Concerning ^[a]him we have much to say, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become ^[b]poor listeners. ¹² For though ^[c]by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you ^(A)the ^[d](B)elementary principles of the ^(C)actual words of God, and you have come to need ^(D)milk and not solid food. ¹³ For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an ^(E)infant. ¹⁴ But solid food is for ^(F)the mature, who because of practice have their senses ^(G)trained to ^(H)distinguish between good and evil.

The Danger of Falling Away

6 Therefore ^(I)leaving ^(J)the ^[e]elementary teaching about the ^[f]Christ, let us press on to ^[g](K)maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from ^(L)dead works and of faith toward God, ² of ^(M)instruction about ^[h]washings and ^(N)laying on of hands, and about the ^(O)resurrection of the dead and ^(P)eternal judgment. ³ And this we will do, ^(Q)if God permits. ⁴ For it is ^(R)impossible, in the case of those who have once been ^(S)enlightened and have tasted of ^(T)the heavenly gift and have been made ^(U)partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and ^(V)have tasted the good ^(W)word of God and the powers of ^(X)the age to come, ⁶ and then have ^[i]fallen away, to ^(Y)restore them again to repentance, ^[j](Z)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 ^[k]falls on it and produces vegetation useful to those ^(AA)for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; ⁸ but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and ^[l](AB)close to being cursed, and ^[m]it ends up being burned.

Better Things for You

⁹ But, ^(AC)beloved, we are convinced of better things regarding you, and things that ^[n]accompany salvation, even though we are speaking in this way. ¹⁰ For ^(AD)God is not unjust so as to forget ^(AE)your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, by having ^(AF)served and by still serving the ^[o]saints. ¹¹ And we desire that each one of you demonstrate the same diligence ^[p]so as to realize the ^(AG)full assurance of ^(AH)hope until the end, ¹² so that you will not be sluggish, but ^(AI)imitators of those who through ^(AJ)faith and endurance ^(AK)inherit the promises.

¹³ For ^(AL)when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear an oath by no one greater, He ^(AM)swore by Himself, ¹⁴ saying, “^(AN)indeed I will greatly bless you and I will greatly multiply you.” ¹⁵ And so, ^(AO)having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. ^16 (AP)For people swear an oath by ^[q]one greater than themselves, and with them ^(AQ)an oath serving as confirmation is an end of every dispute. ^17 [r]In the same way God, desiring even more to demonstrate to ^(AR)the heirs of the promise ^[s](AS)the fact that His purpose is unchangeable, ^[t]confirmed it with an oath, ¹⁸ so that by two unchangeable things in which ^(AT)it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to hold firmly to ^(AU)the hope set before us. ^19 [u]This ^(AV)hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which ^(AW)enters ^[v]within the veil, ^20 (AX)where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a ^(AY)high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.