| New King James Version | New Living Translation |
| 1Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward 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. |
| 2of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of 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 we will do if God permits. | 3And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding. |
| 4For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have 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, |
| 5and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, | 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— |
| 6if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. | 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 earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives 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 bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end 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, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. | 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 to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. | 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. |
| 11And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of 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. |
| 12that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience 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 |
| 13For when God made a promise to Abraham, because 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 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” | 14“I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.” |
| 15And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. | 15Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised. |
| 16For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of 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. |
| 17Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by 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. |
| 18that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. | 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. |
| 19This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, | 19This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. |
| 20where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. | 20Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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