Bible Reading Plan

Chapter 3

Our Apostle and High Priest

¹ Therefore, holy brothers and companions in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession;^{(a) 2} He was faithful to the One who appointed Him, just as Moses was in all God's household. ³ For Jesus is considered worthy of more glory than Moses, just as the builder has more honor than the house. ⁴ Now every house is built by someone, but the One who built everything is God.^{(b) 5} Moses was faithful as a servant^(c) in all God's household, as a testimony to what would be said in the future. ⁶ But Christ was faithful as a Son over His household. And we are that household if we hold on to the courage and the confidence of our hope.^[a](d)

Warning against Unbelief

⁷ Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:

¹² Watch out, brothers, so that there won't be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that departs from the living God. ¹³ But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today , so that none of you is hardened by sin's deception.^{(f) 14} For we have become companions of the Messiah if we hold firmly until the end the reality^[c] that we had at the start.^{(g) 15} As it is said:

¹⁶ For who heard and rebelled? Wasn't it really all who came out of Egypt under Moses?^{(i) 17} And who was He provoked with for 40 years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?^{(j) 18} And who did He swear to that they would not enter His rest, if not those who disobeyed? ¹⁹ So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

Chapter 4

The Promised Rest

¹ Therefore, while the promise to enter His rest remains, let us fear that none of you should miss it.^{[a] 2} For we also have received the good news just as they did; but the message they heard did not benefit them, since they were not united with those who heard it in faith^{[b](a) 3} (for we who have believed enter the rest), in keeping with what^[c] He has said:

And yet His works have been finished since the foundation of the world, ⁴ for somewhere He has spoken about the seventh day in this way:

⁵ Again, in that passage He says, They will never enter My rest. ^{[f] 6} Since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news did not enter because of disobedience,^{(d) 7} again, He specifies a certain day— today —speaking through David after such a long time, as previously stated:

⁸ For if Joshua^(f) had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. ⁹ Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God's people. ¹⁰ For the person who has entered His rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from His.^{(g) 11} Let us then make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience.

¹² For the word of God is living and effective^(h) and sharper than any double-edged sword,⁽ⁱ⁾ penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart.^{(j) 13} No creature is hidden from Him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom^(k) we must give an account.

Our Great High Priest

¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to the confession.^{(l) 15} For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are,^(m) yet without sin.^{(n) 16} Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.

Chapter 5

The Messiah, a High Priest

¹ For every high priest taken from men is appointed in service^[a] to God for the people, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. ² He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he is also subject to weakness.^{(a) 3} Because of this, he must make a sin offering for himself as well as for the people.^{(b) 4} No one takes this honor on himself; instead, a person is called by God, just as Aaron was.^{(c) 5} In the same way, the Messiah did not exalt Himself to become a high priest, but the One who said to Him, You are My Son; today I have become Your Father, ^{(d)[b] 6} also said in another passage, You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. ^(e)[c]

⁷ During His earthly life,^[d] He offered prayers and appeals^(f) with loud cries and tears^(g) to the One who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. ⁸ Though He was God's Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered.^{(h) 9} After He was perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him, ¹⁰ and He was declared by God a high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

The Problem of Immaturity

¹¹ We have a great deal to say about this, and it's difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand. ¹² Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God's revelation again. You need milk, not solid food.^{(i) 13} Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.^(j)

Chapter 6

Warning against Regression

¹ Therefore, 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,^{(a) 2} teaching about ritual washings,^[a] laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.^{(b) 3} And we will do this if God permits.

⁴ For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, became companions with the Holy Spirit,^{(c) 5} tasted God's good word and the powers of the coming age, ⁶ and who have fallen away, because,^[b] to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding Him up to contempt.^{(d) 7} For 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. ⁸ But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and will be burned at the end.^(e)

⁹ Even though we are speaking this way, dear friends, in your case we are confident of the better things connected with salvation. ¹⁰ For God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love^[c] you showed for His name when you served the saints—and you continue to serve them.^{(f) 11} Now we want each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the final realization of your hope, ¹² so that you won't become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance.^(g)

Inheriting the Promise

¹³ For when God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself:

¹⁵ And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham^[e] obtained the promise. ¹⁶ For men swear by something greater than themselves, and for them a confirming oath ends every dispute. ¹⁷ Because God wanted to show His unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath,^{(i) 18} so 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.^{(j) 19} We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.^{(k) 20} Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner,^(l) because He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.^(m)