Hebrews 6
1 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 —
Wherefore, having left the word of the beginning of the Christ, unto the perfection we may advance, not again a foundation laying of reformation from dead works, and of faith on God,
2 teaching concerning baptisms and the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and a final judgment. (aiōnios g166)
of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on also of hands, of rising again also of the dead, and of judgment age-during, (aiōnios g166)
3 Yes and, with God’s help, we will.
and this we will do, if God may permit,
4 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,
for [it is] impossible for those once enlightened, having tasted also of the heavenly gift, and partakers having became of the Holy Spirit,
5 and learned to appreciate the beauty of the Divine Message, and the new powers of the Coming Age — (aiōn g165)
and did taste the good saying of God, the powers also of the coming age, (aiōn g165)
6 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.
and having fallen away, again to renew [them] to reformation, having crucified again to themselves the Son of God, and exposed to public shame.
7 Ground that drinks in the showers that from time to time fall upon it, and produces vegetation useful to those for whom it is tilled, receives a blessing from God;
For earth, that is drinking in the rain many times coming upon it, and is bringing forth herbs fit for those because of whom also it is dressed, doth partake of blessing from God,
8 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.
and that which is bearing thorns and briers [is] disapproved of, and nigh to cursing, whose end [is] for burning;
9 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.
and we are persuaded, concerning you, beloved, the things that are better, and accompanying salvation, though even thus we speak,
10 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.
for God is not unrighteous to forget your work, and the labour of the love, that ye shewed to His name, having ministered to the saints and ministering;
11 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.
and we desire each one of you the same diligence to shew, unto the full assurance of the hope unto the end,
12 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.
that ye may not become slothful, but followers of those who through faith and patient endurance are inheriting the promises.
13 When God gave his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater by whom he could swear, he swore by himself.
For to Abraham God, having made promise, seeing He was able to swear by no greater, did swear by Himself,
14 His words were — ‘I will assuredly bless thee and increase thy numbers.’
saying, 'Blessing indeed I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee;'
15 And so, after patiently waiting, Abraham obtained the fulfilment of God’s promise.
and so, having patiently endured, he did obtain the promise;
16 Men, of course, swear by what is greater than themselves, and with them an oath is accepted as putting a matter beyond all dispute.
for men indeed do swear by the greater, and an end of all controversy to them for confirmation [is] the oath,
17 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.
in which God, more abundantly willing to shew to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, did interpose by an oath,
18 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.
that through two immutable things, in which [it is] impossible for God to lie, a strong comfort we may have who did flee for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before [us],
19 This hope is a very anchor for our souls, secure and strong, and it ‘reaches into the Sanctuary that lies behind the Curtain,’
which we have, as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and entering into that within the vail,
