¹Therefore, let us move beyond the elementary teaching about Christ and press on toward maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God,

²instruction on baptisms, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

³And we will do this if God permits.

⁴For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and become partakers of the Holy Spirit,

⁵and tasted the beautiful word of God and the powers of the age to come,

⁶and then fell away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify the Son of God for themselves again and put him to public disgrace.

⁷For the ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and produces a crop suitable for those who till it, receives blessing from God.

⁸But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is rejected and close to being cursed, its end is to be burned.

Better Things Await in God’s Promises

⁹Even though we speak like this, beloved, we are convinced of better things for y’all, things that accompany salvation.

¹⁰For God is not unjust. Hᴇ will not forget y’all’s work and the love y’all have shown toward ʜɪꜱ name by serving the saints and continuing to serve them.

¹¹We passionately desire each of y’all to show the same eagerness for the fulfillment of hope until the end,

¹²so that y’all won’t become sluggish, but be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance.

¹³For when God made a promise to Abraham, since ʜᴇ could swear by no one greater, ʜᴇ swore by ʜɪᴍꜱᴇʟꜰ,

¹⁴saying, “Surely I will bless you, and I will multiply you.”[#Genesis 22:17]

¹⁵Thus, having patiently endured, Abraham obtained the promise.

¹⁶For humans swear by one greater than themselves, and in every dispute of theirs, the oath is final confirmation.

¹⁷In the same way God, being determined to clearly show the unchangeableness of ʜɪs promise to the heirs of the promise, mediated with an oath,

¹⁸so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.

¹⁹This hope we have is an anchor for the soul, a hope both firm and steadfast. It enters into the inner veil,

²⁰where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.