| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Therefore we must progress beyond the elementary instructions about Christ and move on to maturity, not laying this foundation again: repentance from dead works and faith in God, | 1So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. |
| 2teaching about baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. | 2You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. |
| 3And this is what we intend to do, if God permits. | 3And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding. |
| 4For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, | 4For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, |
| 5tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age, | 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— |
| 6and then have committed apostasy, to renew them again to repentance, since they are crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again and holding him up to contempt. | 6and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame. |
| 7For the ground that has soaked up the rain that frequently falls on it and yields useful vegetation for those who tend it receives a blessing from God. | 7When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. |
| 8But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is useless and about to be cursed; its fate is to be burned. | 8But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it. |
| 9But in your case, dear friends, even though we speak like this, we are convinced of better things relating to salvation. | 9Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation. |
| 10For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints. | 10For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. |
| 11But we passionately want each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of your hope until the end, | 11Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. |
| 12so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises. | 12Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance. God’s Promises Bring Hope |
| 13Now when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, | 13For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying: |
| 14saying, "Surely I will bless you greatly and multiply your descendants abundantly." | 14“I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.” |
| 15And so by persevering, Abraham inherited the promise. | 15Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised. |
| 16For people swear by something greater than themselves, and the oath serves as a confirmation to end all dispute. | 16Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. |
| 17In the same way God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise that his purpose was unchangeable, and so he intervened with an oath, | 17God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. |
| 18so that we who have found refuge in him may find strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us through two unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie. | 18So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. |
| 19We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast, which reaches inside behind the curtain, | 19This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. |
| 20where Jesus our forerunner entered on our behalf, since he became a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. | 20Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. |
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