Hebrews 2:18-5:9

English Standard Version

¹⁸For because he himself has suffered ^(A)when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Jesus Greater Than Moses

3 Therefore, holy brothers,^[a] you who share in ^(B)a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, ^(C)the apostle and high priest of our confession, ²who was faithful to him who appointed him, ^(D)just as Moses also was faithful in all God's^[b] house. ³For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. ⁴(For every house is built by someone, but ^(E)the builder of all things is God.) ⁵^(F)Now Moses was faithful in all God's house ^(G)as a servant, ^(H)to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, ⁶but Christ is faithful over God's house as ^(I)a son. And ^(J)we are his house, if indeed we ^(K)hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.^[c]

A Rest for the People of God

⁷Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,

^(L)“Today, if you hear his voice,
⁸do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
    on the day of testing in the wilderness,
⁹where your fathers put me to the test
    and saw my works for ^(M)forty years.
¹⁰Therefore I was provoked with that generation,
and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart;
    they have not known my ways.’
¹¹^(N)As I swore in my wrath,
    ‘They shall not enter my rest.’”

¹²Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from ^(O)the living God. ¹³But ^(P)exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by ^(Q)the deceitfulness of sin. ¹⁴For we have come to share in Christ, ^(R)if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. ¹⁵As it is said,

^(S)“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

¹⁶For ^(T)who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not ^(U)all those who left Egypt led by Moses? ¹⁷And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, ^(V)whose bodies fell in the wilderness? ¹⁸And to whom did he swear that ^(W)they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? ¹⁹So we see that ^(X)they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

4 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem ^(Y)to have failed to reach it. ²For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because ^(Z)they were not united by faith with those who listened.^[d] ³For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,

^(AA)“As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest,’”

although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. ⁴For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: ^(AB)“And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” ⁵And again in this passage he said,

^(AC)“They shall not enter my rest.”

⁶Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news ^(AD)failed to enter because of disobedience, ⁷again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,

^(AE)“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”

⁸For if Joshua had given them rest, God^[e] would not have spoken of another day later on. ⁹So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, ¹⁰for whoever has entered God's rest has also ^(AF)rested from his works as God did from his.

¹¹Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so ^(AG)that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. ¹²For ^(AH)the word of God is living and ^(AI)active, ^(AJ)sharper than any ^(AK)two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and ^(AL)discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³And ^(AM)no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are ^(AN)naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Jesus the Great High Priest

¹⁴Since then we have ^(AO)a great high priest ^(AP)who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, ^(AQ)let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest ^(AR)who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been ^(AS)tempted as we are, ^(AT)yet without sin. ¹⁶^(AU)Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

5 For every high priest chosen from among men ^(AV)is appointed to act on behalf of men ^(AW)in relation to God, ^(AX)to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. ²^(AY)He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself ^(AZ)is beset with weakness. ³Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins ^(BA)just as he does for those of the people. ⁴And ^(BB)no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, ^(BC)just as Aaron was.

⁵So also Christ ^(BD)did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,

^(BE)“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”;

⁶as he says also in another place,

^(BF)“You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek.”

⁷In the days of his flesh, ^(BG)Jesus^[f] offered up prayers and supplications, ^(BH)with loud cries and tears, to him ^(BI)who was able to save him from death, and ^(BJ)he was heard because of his reverence. ⁸Although ^(BK)he was a son, ^(BL)he learned obedience through what he suffered. ⁹And ^(BM)being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,