Hebrews 6
1 Wherefore, dismissing the elementary discourse concerning the Christ, unto maturity, let us be tending, not, again, a foundation, laying down—of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God,
Therefore, let us leave behind the elementary teaching about the Christ and press on to perfection, not always laying over again a foundation of repentance for a lifeless formality, of faith in God –
2 Of immersions—in respect of teaching, and of the laying on of hands, of the resurrection of the dead, and of judgment age-abiding; — (aiōnios g166)
teaching concerning baptisms and the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and a final judgment. (aiōnios g166)
3 And, this, will we do, if at least, God, permit.
Yes and, with God’s help, we will.
4 For it is impossible—as to these who have been, once for all, illuminated, who have tasted also of the heavenly free-gift, and have been made, partners, in a Holy Spirit,
For if those who were once for all brought into the light, and learned to appreciate the gift from heaven, and came to share in the Holy Spirit,
and learned to appreciate the beauty of the divine message, and the new powers of the coming age – (aiōn g165)
6 And who have fallen away, again, to be remoulding them into repentance; seeing they are again crucifying unto themselves the Son of God, and holding him up as an example.
if those, I say, fell away, it would be impossible to bring them again to repentance; they would be crucifying the Son of God over again for themselves, and exposing him to open contempt.
7 For, land, which hath drunk in, the rain, thereupon ofttimes coming, and which bringeth forth vegetation fit for them for whom it is even cultivated, partaketh of a blessing from God;
Ground that drinks in the showers that from time to time fall on it, and produces vegetation useful to those for whom it is tilled, receives a blessing from God;
8 But, should it be bringing forth thorns and briars, it is disapproved, and, unto cursing, nigh, —whose end is for burning.
but, if it bears thorns and thistles, it is regarded as worthless, it is in danger of being cursed, and its end will be the fire.
9 But we are persuaded, concerning you, beloved, the things which are better and which contain salvation, though, even thus we speak.
But about you, dear friends, even though we speak in this way, we are confident of better things – of things that point to your salvation.
10 For, not unrighteous, is God, to be forgetful of your work and of the love which ye have shewn forth for his name, in that ye have ministered unto the saints, and are ministering,
For God is not unjust; he will not forget the work that you did, and the love that you showed for his name, in sending help to your fellow Christians – as you are still doing.
11 But we covet that, each one of you, be shewing forth the same diligence, unto the full assurance of the hope throughout:
But our great desire is that every one of you should be equally earnest to attain to a full conviction that our hope will be fulfilled, and that you should keep that hope to the end.
12 In order that, not slothful, ye may become, but imitators of them who, through faith and patience, were becoming heirs of the promises.
Then you will not show yourselves slow to learn, but you will copy those who, through faith and patience, are now entering upon the enjoyment of God’s promises.
13 For, when to Abraham God made promise, seeing he had no one greater by whom to swear, He sware, by himself, —
When God gave his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater by whom he could swear, he swore by himself.
14 saying—Truly, if blessing I will bless thee, and, multiplying, I will multiply thee;
His words were – ‘I will assuredly bless you and increase your numbers.’
15 And, thus, being patient, he attained unto the promise.
And so, after patiently waiting, Abraham obtained the fulfillment of God’s promise.
16 For, men, by the greater one, swear, and, with them, an end of all gainsaying by way of confirmation is, the oath:
People, of course, swear by what is greater than themselves, and with them an oath is accepted as putting a matter beyond all dispute.
17 Wherein God, being, more abundantly disposed to shew forth unto the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of his counsel, mediated, with an oath, —
And therefore God, in his desire to show, with unmistakable plainness, to those who were to enter on the enjoyment of what he had promised, the unchangeableness of his purpose, bound himself with an oath.
18 In order that, through means of two unchangeable things, in which it was impossible for God to make himself false, a mighty consolation, we might have, who have fled along to grasp, the fore-lying hope,
For he intended us to find great encouragement in these two unchangeable things, which make it impossible for God to prove false – we, I mean, who fled for safety where we might lay hold on the hope set before us.
19 Which we have, as an anchor of the soul, both secure and firm, and entering into the interior of the veil:
This hope is an anchor for our souls, secure and strong, and it reaches into the sanctuary that lies behind the curtain,
20 Where a forerunner in our behalf hath entered, even Jesus, who, according to the rank of Melchizedek, hath become, a high-priest unto times age-abiding. (aiōn g165)
where Jesus, our forerunner, has entered on our behalf, after being made for all time a high priest of the order of Melchizedek. (aiōn g165)
