| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, | 1Therefore we must progress beyond the elementary instructions about Christ and move on to maturity, not laying this foundation again: repentance from dead works and faith in God, |
| 2and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. | 2teaching about baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. |
| 3And this we will do if God permits. | 3And this is what we intend to do, if God permits. |
| 4For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, | 4For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, |
| 5and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, | 5tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age, |
| 6and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. | 6and then have committed apostasy, to renew them again to repentance, since they are crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again and holding him up to contempt. |
| 7For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. | 7For the ground that has soaked up the rain that frequently falls on it and yields useful vegetation for those who tend it receives a blessing from God. |
| 8But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned. | 8But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is useless and about to be cursed; its fate is to be burned. |
| 9Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. | 9But in your case, dear friends, even though we speak like this, we are convinced of better things relating to salvation. |
| 10For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. | 10For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints. |
| 11And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, | 11But we passionately want each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of your hope until the end, |
| 12so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. | 12so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises. |
| 13For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, | 13Now when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, |
| 14saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” | 14saying, "Surely I will bless you greatly and multiply your descendants abundantly." |
| 15And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. | 15And so by persevering, Abraham inherited the promise. |
| 16For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. | 16For people swear by something greater than themselves, and the oath serves as a confirmation to end all dispute. |
| 17So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, | 17In the same way God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise that his purpose was unchangeable, and so he intervened with an oath, |
| 18so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. | 18so that we who have found refuge in him may find strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us through two unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie. |
| 19We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, | 19We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast, which reaches inside behind the curtain, |
| 20where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. | 20where Jesus our forerunner entered on our behalf, since he became a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. |
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