¹Every high priest is chosen from among the people and appointed to represent them in things relating to God. He offers gifts and sacrifices for their sins.

²He’s able to deal gently with people who don’t realize what they’re doing and go astray, because he himself is weak.

³That’s why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as for the sins of the people.

⁴And no one can claim this honor for himself; instead, he receives it when he’s called by God, just as Aaron was.

⁵In the same way, Christ didn’t claim for himself the privilege of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,

“You are my Son,

today I have become your Father.”

⁶In another place God said,

“You are a priest forever,

in the order of Melchizedek.”

⁷During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, with loud cries and tears he prayed to and pleaded with the God who could save him from death, and God listened to him because of his reverence.

⁸Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned through suffering what it means to obey.

⁹Once he had been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

¹⁰God appointed him to be a high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

A Warning Against Falling Away

¹¹We have a lot to say about this, but it’s hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand.

¹²By this time, you should be teachers, but instead you need someone to teach you the basic truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food.

¹³Anyone who lives on milk is still a baby. That person doesn’t know how to live a godly life.

¹⁴Solid food is for people who have grown up, who have trained themselves to know the difference between good and evil.