| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1Therefore, leaving the elementary message about the Messiah, let us go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God, | 1Therefore, leaving behind the elementary teachings about the Messiah, let us continue to be carried along to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead actions, faith toward God, |
| 2teaching about ritual washings, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. | 2instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. |
| 3And we will do this if God permits. | 3And this we will do, if God permits. |
| 4For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, became companions with the Holy Spirit, | 4For it is impossible to keep on restoring to repentance time and again people who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have become partners with the Holy Spirit, |
| 5tasted God's good word and the powers of the coming age, | 5who have tasted the goodness of God's word and the powers of the coming age, |
| 6and who have fallen away, because, to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding Him up to contempt. | 6and who have fallen away, as long as they continue to crucify the Son of God to their own detriment by exposing him to public ridicule. |
| 7For ground that has drunk the rain that has often fallen on it and that produces vegetation useful to those it is cultivated for receives a blessing from God. | 7For when the ground soaks up rain that often falls on it and continues producing vegetation useful to those for whom it is cultivated, it receives a blessing from God. |
| 8But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and will be burned at the end. | 8However, if it continues to produce thorns and thistles, it is worthless and in danger of being cursed, and in the end will be burned. |
| 9Even though we are speaking this way, dear friends, in your case we are confident of the better things connected with salvation. | 9Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case, things that point to salvation. |
| 10For God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you showed for His name when you served the saints--and you continue to serve them. | 10For God is not so unjust as to forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have ministered to the saints and continue to minister to them. |
| 11Now we want each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the final realization of your hope, | 11But we want each of you to continue to be diligent to the very end, in order to give full assurance to your hope. |
| 12so that you won't become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance. | 12Then, instead of being lazy, you will imitate those who are inheriting the promises through faith and patience. |
| 13For when God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself: | 13For when God made his promise to Abraham, he swore an oath by himself, since he had no one greater to swear by. |
| 14I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply you. | 14He said, "I will certainly bless you and give you many descendants." |
| 15And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham obtained the promise. | 15And so he obtained what he had been promised, because he patiently waited for it. |
| 16For men swear by something greater than themselves, and for them a confirming oath ends every dispute. | 16For people swear by someone greater than themselves, and an oath given as confirmation puts an end to all argument. |
| 17Because God wanted to show His unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath, | 17In the same way, when God wanted to make the unchangeable character of his purpose perfectly clear to the heirs of his promise, he guaranteed it with an oath, |
| 18so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. | 18so that by these two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to prove false, we who have taken refuge in him might be encouraged to seize the hope set before us. |
| 19We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. | 19That hope, firm and secure like an anchor for our souls, reaches behind the curtain |
| 20Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. | 20where Jesus, our forerunner, has gone on our behalf, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. |
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