Hebrews, 6

1. Let us leave behind us then all the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to its completion, without going over the fundamental doctrines again: the turning away from dead actions, faith in God,

1. Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

2. the teaching about baptisms and the laying -- on of hands, about the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement.

2. with instruction about ablutions, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

3. This, God willing, is what we propose to do.

3. And this we will do if God permits.

4. As for those people who were once brought into the light, and tasted the gift from heaven, and received a share of the Holy Spirit,

4. For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,

5. and tasted the goodness of God's message and the powers of the world to come

5. and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,

6. and yet in spite of this have fallen away -- it is impossible for them to be brought to the freshness of repentance a second time, since they are crucifying the Son of God again for themselves, and making a public exhibition of him.

6. if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt.

7. A field that drinks up the rain that has fallen frequently on it, and yields the crops that are wanted by the owners who grew them, receives God's blessing;

7. For land which has drunk the rain that often falls upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.

8. but one that grows brambles and thistles is worthless, and near to being cursed. It will end by being burnt.

8. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed; its end is to be burned.

9. But you, my dear friends -- in spite of what we have just said, we are sure you are in a better state and on the way to salvation.

9. Though we speak thus, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things that belong to salvation.

10. God would not be so unjust as to forget all you have done, the love that you have for his name or the services you have done, and are still doing, for the holy people of God.

10. For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love which you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do.

11. Our desire is that every one of you should go on showing the same enthusiasm till the ultimate fulfilment of your hope,

11. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end,

12. never growing careless, but taking as your model those who by their faith and perseverance are heirs of the promises.

12. so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

13. When God made the promise to Abraham, he swore by his own self, since there was no one greater he could swear by:

13. For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,

14. I will shower blessings on you and give you many descendants.

14. saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you."

15. Because of that, Abraham persevered and received fulfilment of the promise.

15. And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise.

16. Human beings, of course, swear an oath by something greater than themselves, and between them, confirmation by an oath puts an end to all dispute.

16. Men indeed swear by a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation.

17. In the same way, when God wanted to show the heirs of the promise even more clearly how unalterable his plan was, he conveyed it by an oath

17. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath,

18. so that through two unalterable factors in which God could not be lying, we who have fled to him might have a vigorous encouragement to grasp the hope held out to us.

18. so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us.

19. This is the anchor our souls have, reaching right through inside the curtain

19. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain,

20. where Jesus has entered as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever, of the order of Melchizedek.

20. where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchiz'edek.