Study Desk

God, after He ^(a)spoke long ago to the fathers in ^(b)the prophets in many portions and ^(c)in many ways,

^[a](d)in these last days ^(e)has spoken to us ^[b]in ^(f)His Son, whom He appointed ^(g)heir of all things, ^(h)through whom also He made the ^[c](i)world.

^[d]And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact ^(j)representation of His nature, and ^[e](k)upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made ^(l)purification of sins, He ^(m)sat down at the right hand of the ⁽ⁿ⁾Majesty on high,

having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent ^(o)name than they.

For to which of the angels did He ever say, "^(p) You are My Son , Today I have begotten You "? And again, "^(q)I will be a Father to Him And He shall be a Son to Me "?

And ^[f]when He again ^(r)brings the firstborn into ^[g](s)the world, He says, "^(t) And let all the angels of God worship Him ."

And of the angels He says, "^(u) Who makes His angels winds , And His ministers a flame of fire ."

But of the Son He says, "^(v) Your throne , O God, is forever and ever , And the righteous scepter is the scepter of ^[h] His kingdom .

"^(w) You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness ; ^(x) Therefore God, Your God, has ^(y) anointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions ."

And, "^(z) You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth , And the heavens are the works of Your hands ;

^(aa) They will perish, but You remain ; ^(ab) And they all will become old like a garment ,

^(ac) And like a mantle You will roll them up ; Like a garment they will also be changed . But You are ^(ad) the same , And Your years will not come to an end ."

But to which of the angels has He ever said, "^(ae) Sit at My right hand , ^(af) Until I make Your enemies A footstool for Your feet "?

Are they not all ^(ag)ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will ^(ah)inherit ^(ai)salvation?

For this reason we must pay much closer attention to ^[a]what we have heard, so that ^(a)we do not drift away from it.

For if the word ^(b)spoken through ^(c)angels proved ^[b]unalterable, and ^(d)every transgression and disobedience received a just ^[c](e)penalty,

^(f)how will we escape if we neglect so great a ^(g)salvation? ^[d]After it was at the first ^(h)spoken through the Lord, it was ⁽ⁱ⁾confirmed to us by those who heard,

God also testifying with them, both by ^(j)signs and wonders and by ^(k)various ^[e]miracles and by ^[f](l)gifts of the Holy Spirit ^(m)according to His own will.

For He did not subject to angels ^[g](n)the world to come, concerning which we are speaking.

But one has testified ^(o)somewhere, saying, "^(p) What is man, that You remember him ? Or the son of man, that You are concerned about him ?

"^(q) You have made him ^[h] for a little while lower than the angels ; You have crowned him with glory and honor , ^[i] And have appointed him over the works of Your hands ;

^(r) You have put all things in subjection under his feet ." For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now ^(s)we do not yet see all things subjected to him.

But we do see Him who was ^(t)made ^[j]for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, ^(u)because of the suffering of death ^(v)crowned with glory and honor, so that ^(w)by the grace of God He might ^(x)taste death ^(y)for everyone.

For ^(z)it was fitting for Him, ^(aa)for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to ^(ab)perfect the ^[k](ac)author of their salvation through sufferings.

For both He who ^(ad)sanctifies and those who ^(ae)are ^[l]sanctified are all ^(af)from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them ^(ag)brethren,

saying, "^(ah)I will proclaim Your name to My brethren , In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise ."

And again, "^(ai)I will put My trust in Him ." And again, "^(aj) Behold , I and the children whom God has given Me ."

Therefore, since the children share in ^[m](ak)flesh and blood, ^(al)He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that ^(am)through death He might render powerless ^(an)him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

and might free those who through ^(ao)fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

For assuredly He does not ^[n]give help to angels, but He gives help to the ^[o]descendant of Abraham.

Therefore, He ^[p]had ^(ap)to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might ^(aq)become a merciful and faithful ^(ar)high priest in ^(as)things pertaining to God, to ^(at)make propitiation for the sins of the people.

For since He Himself was ^(au)tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

Therefore, ^(a)holy brethren, partakers of a ^(b)heavenly calling, consider Jesus, ^(c)the Apostle and ^(d)High Priest of our ^(e)confession;

^[a]He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as ^(f)Moses also was in all His house.

^(g)For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house.

For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.

Now ^(h)Moses was faithful in all His house as ⁽ⁱ⁾a servant, ^(j)for a testimony of those things ^(k)which were to be spoken later;

but Christ was faithful as ^(l)a Son over His house—^(m)whose house we are, ⁽ⁿ⁾if we hold fast our ^(o)confidence and the boast of our ^(p)hope firm until the end.

Therefore, just as ^(q)the Holy Spirit says, "^(r) Today if you hear His voice ,

^(s) Do not harden your hearts as ^[b] when they provoked Me , As in the day of trial in the wilderness ,

^(t) Where your fathers tried Me by testing Me, And saw My works for ^(u) forty years .

"^(v) Therefore I was angry with this generation , And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart , And they did not know My ways ';

^(w) As I swore in My wrath , ‘ They shall not enter My rest .'"

^(x)Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart ^[c]that falls away from ^(y)the living God.

But ^(z)encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the ^(aa)deceitfulness of sin.

For we have become partakers of Christ, ^(ab)if we hold fast the beginning of our ^(ac)assurance firm until the end,

while it is said, "^(ad) Today if you hear His voice , Do not harden your hearts, as ^[d] when they provoked Me ."

For who ^(ae)provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, ^(af)did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?

And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, ^(ag)whose bodies fell in the wilderness?

And to whom did He swear ^(ah)that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were ^(ai)disobedient?

So we see that they were not able to enter because of ^(aj)unbelief.

Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have ^(a)come short of it.

For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but ^(b)the word ^[a]they heard did not profit them, because ^[b]it was not united by faith in those who heard.

For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, "^(c) As I swore in My wrath , They shall not enter My rest ," although His works were finished ^(d)from the foundation of the world.

For He has said ^(e)somewhere concerning the seventh day: "^(f) And God ^(g) rested on the seventh day from all His works ";

and again in this passage, "^(h) They shall not enter My rest ."

Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of ⁽ⁱ⁾disobedience,

He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying ^[c]through David after so long a time just ^(j)as has been said before, "^(k) Today if you hear His voice , Do not harden your hearts ."

For ^(l)if ^[d]Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.

So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

For the one who has entered His rest has himself also ^(m)rested from his works, as ⁽ⁿ⁾God did from His.

Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same ^(o)example of ^(p)disobedience.

For ^(q)the word of God is ^(r)living and ^(s)active and sharper than any two-edged ^(t)sword, and piercing as far as the division of ^(u)soul and ^(v)spirit, of both joints and marrow, and ^(w)able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

And ^(x)there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are ^(y)open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

Therefore, since we have a great ^(z)high priest who has ^(aa)passed through the heavens, Jesus ^(ab)the Son of God, let us hold fast our ^(ac)confession.

For we do not have ^(ad)a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been ^(ae)tempted in all things as we are, yet ^(af)without sin.

Therefore let us ^(ag)draw near with ^(ah)confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.