Hebrews 6:11–20

¹¹We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope^p for may be fully realized. ¹²We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate^q those who through faith and patience^r inherit what has been promised.^s

The Certainty of God’s Promise

¹³When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,^{t 14}saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”^{du 15}And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.^v

¹⁶People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.^{w 17}Because God wanted to make the unchanging^x nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised,^y he confirmed it with an oath. ¹⁸God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie,^z we who have fled to take hold of the hope^a set before us may be greatly encouraged. ¹⁹We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,^{b 20}where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.^c He has become a high priest^d forever, in the order of Melchizedek.^e