Hebrews 4

¹⁵See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.

¹⁴Blessed is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

²⁶Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air.

²⁷No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

⁹There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

¹¹Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same pattern of disobedience.

¹²So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall.

¹³And we continually thank God because, when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which is also now at work in you who believe.

¹⁶But not all of them welcomed the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”

¹⁷Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

⁶And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

¹⁸And to whom did He swear that they would never enter His rest? Was it not to those who disobeyed?

¹⁹So we see that it was because of their unbelief that they were unable to enter.

⁸For physical exercise is of limited value, but godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for the present life and for the one to come.

²¹Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.

¹¹So I swore on oath in My anger, “They shall never enter My rest.”

²⁸Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

²⁹Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

²⁰He was known before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in the last times for your sake.

⁴For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love

³¹And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

²⁶Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

¹¹For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

¹Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

²And by the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work.

¹⁷It is a sign between Me and the Israelites forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’”

¹¹So I swore on oath in My anger, “They shall never enter My rest.”

¹¹So I swore on oath in My anger, ‘They shall never enter My rest.’”

³Now we who have believed enter that rest. As for the others, it is just as God has said: “So I swore on oath in My anger, ‘They shall never enter My rest.’” And yet His works have been finished since the foundation of the world.

⁴³Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

¹⁸And to whom did He swear that they would never enter His rest? Was it not to those who disobeyed?

¹⁹So we see that it was because of their unbelief that they were unable to enter.

⁹Go therefore to the crossroads and invite to the banquet as many as you can find.’

¹⁰So the servants went out into the streets and gathered everyone they could find, both evil and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

²⁸Be advised, therefore, that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”

⁴⁶Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.

⁴⁷For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

²For we also received the good news just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, since they did not share the faith of those who comprehended it.

⁷For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care. Today, if you hear His voice,

⁷Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice,

⁸do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness,

¹⁵As it has been said: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion.”

⁴³Jesus said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord’? For he says:

¹⁵until the Lord gives them rest as He has done for you, and your brothers also possess the land that the Lord your God is giving them. Then you may return to the land of your inheritance and take possession of that which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the east side of the Jordan.”

⁴And now that the Lord your God has given your brothers rest as He promised them, you may return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you across the Jordan.

⁹For you have not yet come to the resting place and the inheritance that the Lord your God is giving you.

¹³All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

¹⁴Now those who say such things show that they are seeking a country of their own.

¹A long time after the Lord had given Israel rest from all the enemies around them, when Joshua was old and well along in years,

⁴⁵And our fathers who received it brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations God drove out before them. It remained until the time of David,

¹⁰Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

⁴‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”

¹⁴“Sir,” I answered, “you know.” So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

¹⁵For this reason, they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.

¹⁰On that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him, and His place of rest will be glorious.

¹¹So I swore on oath in My anger, ‘They shall never enter My rest.’”

³Now we who have believed enter that rest. As for the others, it is just as God has said: “So I swore on oath in My anger, ‘They shall never enter My rest.’” And yet His works have been finished since the foundation of the world.

¹³And I heard a voice from heaven telling me to write, “Blessed are the dead—those who die in the Lord from this moment on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labors, for their deeds will follow them.”

³Now we who have believed enter that rest. As for the others, it is just as God has said: “So I swore on oath in My anger, ‘They shall never enter My rest.’” And yet His works have been finished since the foundation of the world.

⁴For somewhere He has spoken about the seventh day in this manner: “And on the seventh day God rested from all His works.”

¹Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves with the same resolve, because anyone who has suffered in his body is done with sin.

²Consequently, he does not live out his remaining time on earth for human passions, but for the will of God.

³⁰When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.

¹²But when this Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.

³The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

²⁸Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

²⁹Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

²⁴“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.

¹⁸And to whom did He swear that they would never enter His rest? Was it not to those who disobeyed?

⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

¹¹We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.

¹⁰Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble,

¹¹and you will receive a lavish reception into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

²⁹“Is not My word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that smashes a rock?”

¹¹so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.

¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹³⁰The unfolding of Your words gives light; it informs the simple.

²³For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

²He made My mouth like a sharp sword; He hid Me in the shadow of His hand. He made Me like a polished arrow; He hid Me in His quiver.

⁵Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

¹³The Lord looks down from heaven; He sees all the sons of men.

¹⁴From His dwelling place He gazes on all who inhabit the earth.

³The eyes of the Lord are in every place, observing the evil and the good.

¹⁴For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.

¹⁰I, the Lord, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.

²⁴For Christ did not enter a man-made copy of the true sanctuary, but He entered heaven itself, now to appear on our behalf in the presence of God.

¹²He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.

²³Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.

²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

²⁰where Jesus our forerunner has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

¹⁰He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.

¹⁷For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, in order to make atonement for the sins of the people.

¹⁸Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.

²¹God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

⁴Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.

⁵But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

⁵But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.

²²“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”

⁷but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.

⁸And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.

¹²In Him and through faith in Him we may enter God’s presence with boldness and confidence.

²⁵Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.

¹⁹Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,

²⁰by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body,

⁶So we say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

⁶Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁶Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.

⁷Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.