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 leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the 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. Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

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

3. And this will we do, if God permit.

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 for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

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

5. And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world 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 shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.

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 the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth 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 that which beareth thorns and briers [is] rejected, and [is] nigh unto cursing; whose 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. But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

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 unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

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 that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

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

12. That ye be not slothful, but followers of them 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 promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

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

14. Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

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

15. And so, after he had patiently endured, he 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. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation [is] to them an end of all strife.

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. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed [it] by 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. That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

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

19. Which [hope] we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

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

20. Whither the forerunner is for us entered, [even] Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.