Hebrews 4:1–16

Now, since God has left us the promise that we may enter his rest, let us be very careful so none of you will fail to enter. ²The Good News was preached to us just as it was to them. But the teaching they heard did not help them, because they heard it but did not accept it with faith. ^{n 3}We who have believed are able to enter and have God’s rest. As God has said,

“I was angry and made a promise,

‘They will never enter my rest.’ ”

But God’s work was finished from the time he made the world. ⁴In the Scriptures he talked about the seventh day of the week: “And on the seventh day God rested from all his works.” ^{n 5}And again in the Scripture God said, “They will never enter my rest.”

⁶It is still true that some people will enter God’s rest, but those who first heard the way to be saved did not enter, because they did not obey. ⁷So God planned another day, called “today.” He spoke about that day through David a long time later in the same Scripture used before:

“Today listen to what he says.

Do not be stubborn.”

⁸We know that Joshua ⁿ did not lead the people into that rest, because God spoke later about another day. ⁹This shows that the rest ⁿ for God’s people is still coming. ¹⁰Anyone who enters God’s rest will rest from his work as God did. ¹¹Let us try as hard as we can to enter God’s rest so that no one will fail by following the example of those who refused to obey.

¹²God’s word is alive and working and is sharper than a double-edged sword. It cuts all the way into us, where the soul and the spirit are joined, to the center of our joints and bones. And it judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts. ¹³Nothing in all the world can be hidden from God. Everything is clear and lies open before him, and to him we must explain the way we have lived.

Jesus Is Our High Priest

¹⁴Since we have a great high priest, Jesus the Son of God, who has gone into heaven, let us hold on to the faith we have. ¹⁵For our high priest is able to understand our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin. ¹⁶Let us, then, feel very sure that we can come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it.