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,

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

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

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,

⁵ and tasted the goodness of God's message 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.

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;

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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