Hebrews 3:5–4:16

⁵Moses was faithful as a servant^p in all God’s household, as a testimony to what would be said in the future. ⁶But Christ was faithful as a Son over his household. And we are that household if we hold on to our confidence and the hope in which we boast.^Aq

WARNING AGAINST UNBELIEF

⁷Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:

Today, if you hear his voice,

⁸do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,

on the day of testing in the wilderness,

⁹where your ancestors tested me, tried me,

and saw my works ¹⁰for forty years.

Therefore I was provoked to anger with that generation

and said, “They always go astray in their hearts,

and they have not known my ways.”

¹¹So I swore in my anger,

“They will not enter my rest.”^Br

¹²Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away^s from the living God. ¹³But encourage each other daily,^t while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened^u by sin’s deception.^{v 14}For we have become participants in Christ if we hold firmly until the end the reality^C that we had at the start.^{w 15}As it is said:

Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.^Dx

¹⁶For who heard and rebelled? Wasn’t it all who came out of Egypt under Moses?^{y 17}With whom was God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?^{z 18}And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, if not to those who disobeyed? ¹⁹So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

THE PROMISED REST

4Therefore, since the promise to enter his rest remains, let us beware^E that none of you be found to have fallen short.^{F 2}For we also have received the good news just as they did. But the message they heard did not benefit them, since they were not united with those who heard it in faith.^{Gaa 3}For we who have believed enter the rest, in keeping with what^H he has said,

So I swore in my anger,

“They will not enter my rest,”^Ia

even though his works have been finished since the foundation of the world. ⁴For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in this way: And on the seventh day God rested from all his works.^{Jb 5}Again, in that passage he says, They will never enter my rest.^{I 6}Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news did not enter because of disobedience,^{c 7}he again specifies a certain day—today. He specified this speaking through David after such a long time:

Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts.^Ad

⁸For if Joshua^e had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. ⁹Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people. ¹⁰For the person who has entered his rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from his.^{f 11}Let us, then, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience.

¹²For the word of God is living and effective^g and sharper than any double-edged sword,^h penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.^{i 13}No creature is hidden from him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom^j we must give an account.

OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST

¹⁴Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession.^{k 15}For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are,^l yet without sin.^{m 16}Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.