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¹ Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works,² and of faith in God, Of the doctrine of baptisms and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.³ And this we will do, if God permit.⁴ For it is impossible for those who were once inlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and been made partakers of the Holy Ghost,⁵ And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,⁶ And have fallen away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.⁷ For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh often upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them for whom it is tilled, receiveth blessing from God.⁸ But that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected and nigh unto a curse, whose end is to be burned.

⁹ But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.¹⁰ For God is not unrighteous, to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.¹¹ But we desire that every one of you would shew unto the end the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope,¹² That ye be not slothful, but followers of them, who through faith and long suffering inherited the promises.¹³ For when God made the promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater,¹⁴ he swore by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.¹⁵ And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.¹⁶ For men verily swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all contradiction.¹⁷ Wherefore God being willing to shew more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of his counsel, interposed by an oath:¹⁸ That by two unchangeable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled to lay hold on the hope set before us:¹⁹ Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil,²⁰ Whither Jesus our fore-runner is entered for us, made an high-priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek.