Now when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself,

For people swear by something greater than themselves, and the oath serves as a confirmation to end all dispute.

where Jesus our forerunner entered on our behalf, since he became a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

But see how great he must be, if Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe of his plunder.

for the law made nothing perfect. On the other hand a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest, since there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law.

“For I will be merciful toward their evil deeds, and their sins I will remember no longer.”

And he did not enter to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the sanctuary year after year with blood that is not his own,

For otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have been purified once for all and so have no further consciousness of sin?

But when this priest had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand of God,

by the fresh and living way that he inaugurated for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,

By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if on dry ground, but when the Egyptians tried it, they were swallowed up.

and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but be healed.

Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, for without it no one will see the Lord.

Remember those in prison as though you were in prison with them, and those ill-treated as though you too felt their torment.

We have an altar that those who serve in the tabernacle have no right to eat from.

And do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.

Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, bear with my message of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you briefly.

Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.

By his sovereign plan he gave us birth through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.