6Therefore, leaving behind the elementary message about Christ, let us move on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and faith in God, ²teaching about baptisms and laying on of hands, and resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. ³And this we will do, if God permits. ⁴For it is impossible concerning those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and become sharers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the coming age, ⁶and having fallen away, to renew them again to repentance, because they^* have crucified again for themselves the Son of God and held him up to contempt. ⁷For ground that drinks the rain that comes often upon it, and brings forth vegetation usable to those people for whose sake^a it is also cultivated, shares a blessing from God. ⁸But if it^* produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to a curse, whose end is for burning.

⁹But even if we are speaking in this way, dear friends, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and belonging to salvation. ¹⁰For God is not unjust, so as to forget your work and the love which you demonstrated for his name by^* having served the saints, and continuing to serve them. ¹¹And we desire each one of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the full assurance of your hope until the end, ¹²in order that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and patience.

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Footnotes

*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have crucified again”) which is understood as causal
aLiterally “for the sake of whom”
*Here “if” is supplied as a component of the participle (“produces”) which is understood as conditional
*Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“having served”) which is understood as means