So God ¹  again ordains a certain day, “Today,” speaking through David ²  after so long a time, as in the words quoted before, ³  “O, that today you would listen as he speaks! ⁴  Do not harden your hearts.”

For though you should in fact be teachers by this time, ¹  you need someone to teach you the beginning elements of God’s utterances. ²  You have gone back to needing ³  milk, not ⁴  solid food.

But as it is, ¹  they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

By faith, when Moses was born, his parents hid him ¹  for three months, because they saw the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work. ¹  Let them do this ²  with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you.

Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful. ¹  But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness ²  for those trained by it.

But only the high priest enters once a year into the inner tent, ¹  and not without blood that he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. ² 

And above the ark ¹  were the cherubim ²  of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Now is not the time to speak of these things in detail.

so also, after Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, ¹  to those who eagerly await him he will appear a second time, not to bear sin ²  but to bring salvation. ³ 

When he says above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings you did not desire nor did you take delight in them” ¹  (which are offered according to the law),

For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship. ¹ 

So if perfection had in fact been possible through the Levitical priesthood – for on that basis ¹  the people received the law – what further need would there have been for another priest to arise, said to be in the order of Melchizedek and not in Aaron’s order?

By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, with reverent regard ¹  constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family. Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

And to whom did he swear they would never enter into his rest, except those who were disobedient?

So even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood. ¹ 

but to repeat the text cited earlier: ¹  “They will never enter my rest!”

By faith Rahab the prostitute escaped the destruction of ¹  the disobedient, because she welcomed the spies in peace.

“As I swore in my anger, ‘They will never enter my rest!’” ¹ 

For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us. ¹ 

By faith we understand that the worlds ¹  were set in order at God’s command, ²  so that the visible has its origin in the invisible. ³