Hebrews, 4

1. Let us beware, then: since the promise never lapses, none of you must think that he has come too late for the promise of entering his place of rest.

1. Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest remains, let us fear lest any of you be judged to have failed to reach it.

2. We received the gospel exactly as they did; but hearing the message did them no good because they did not share the faith of those who did listen.

2. For good news came to us just as to them; but the message which they heard did not benefit them, because it did not meet with faith in the hearers.

3. We, however, who have faith, are entering a place of rest, as in the text: And then in my anger I swore that they would never enter my place of rest. Now God's work was all finished at the beginning of the world;

3. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, "As I swore in my wrath, `They shall never enter my rest,'" although his works were finished from the foundation of the world.

4. as one text says, referring to the seventh day: And God rested on the seventh day after all the work he had been doing.

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, the passage above says: They will never reach my place of rest.

5. And again in this place he said, "They shall never enter my rest."

6. It remains the case, then, that there would be some people who would reach it, and since those who first heard the good news were prevented from entering by their refusal to believe,

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. God fixed another day, a Today, when he said through David in the text already quoted: If only you would listen to him today; do not harden your hearts.

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

8. If Joshua had led them into this place of rest, God would not later have spoken of another day.

8. For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak later of another day.

9. There must still be, therefore, a seventh-day rest reserved for God's people,

9. So then, there remains a sabbath rest for the people of God;

10. since to enter the place of rest is to rest after your work, as God did after his.

10. for whoever enters God's rest also ceases from his labors as God did from his.

11. Let us, then, press forward to enter this place of rest, or some of you might copy this example of refusal to believe and be lost.

11. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, that no one fall by the same sort of disobedience.

12. The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts more incisively than any two-edged sword: it can seek out the place where soul is divided from spirit, or joints from marrow; it can pass judgement on secret emotions and thoughts.

12. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

13. No created thing is hidden from him; everything is uncovered and stretched fully open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves.

13. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

14. Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must hold firm to our profession of faith.

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 the high priest we have is not incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us, but has been put to the test in exactly the same way as ourselves, apart from sin.

15. For we have not 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, have no fear in approaching the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace when we are in need of help.

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.