Hebrews 3

Jesus Greater Than Moses

1 Therefore, holy brothers,t you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,2 who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God'st house.3 For 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 the builder of all things is God.)5 Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later,6 but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.t

A Rest for the People of God

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

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

15 As it is said,
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."

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

Hebrews 4

1 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.t

3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,
"As I swore in my wrath,
'They shall not enter my rest,'"
although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all his works."

5 And again in this passage he said,
"They shall not enter my rest."

6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience,

7 again he appoints a certain day, "Today," saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts."

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

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

Jesus the Great High Priest

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.16 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.

Hebrews 5

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

5 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,
"You are my Son,
today I have begotten you";

6 as he says also in another place,
"You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek."

7 In the days of his flesh, Jesust offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Warning Against Apostasy

11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.