A Call to Persevere in Faith

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidencep to enter the Most Holy Placeq by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living wayr opened for us through the curtain,s that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priestt over the house of God,u 22 let us draw near to Godv with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings,w having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty consciencex and having our bodies washed with pure water.y 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hopez we profess,a for he who promised is faithful.b 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,c 25 not giving up meeting together,d as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one anothere—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.f

26 If we deliberately keep on sinningg after we have received the knowledge of the truth,h no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging firei that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.j 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of Godk underfoot,l who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenantm that sanctified them,n and who has insulted the Spirito of grace?p 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”d q and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”e r 31 It is a dreadful things to fall into the handst of the living God.u

32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light,v when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.w 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution;x at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.y 34 You suffered along with those in prisonz and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.a 35 So do not throw away your confidence;b it will be richly rewarded.

36 You need to perseverec so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.d 37 For,

“In just a little while,

he who is cominge will come

and will not delay.”f f

38 And,

“But my righteousg one will live by faith.g

And I take no pleasure

in the one who shrinks back.”h h

39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.