The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

That ye be not slouthfull, but followers of them, which through faith and patience, inherite the promises.

For when God made the promise to Abraham, because he had no greater to sweare by, he sware by himselfe,

Saying, Surely I wil aboundantly blesse thee and multiplie thee marueilously.

And so after that he had taried patiently, he enioyed the promise.

For men verely sweare by him that is greater then themselues, and an othe for confirmation is among them an ende of all strife.

So God, willing more aboundantly to shew vnto the heires of promise the stablenes of his counsell, bound himselfe by an othe,

That by two immutable things, wherein it is vnpossible that God should lye, we might haue strong consolation, which haue our refuge to lay holde vpon that hope that is set before vs,

Which hope we haue, as an ancre of the soule, both sure and stedfast, and it entreth into that which is within the vaile,

Whither the forerunner is for vs entred in, euen Iesus that is made an hie Priest for euer after the order of Melchi-sedec.

For this Melchi-sedec was King of Salem, the Priest of the most high God, who met Abraham, as he returned from the slaughter of the Kings, and blessed him:

To whom also Abraham gaue the tithe of all things: who first is by interpretation King of righteousnes: after that, he is also King of Salem, that is, King of peace,

Without father, without mother, without kinred, and hath neither beginning of his dayes, neither ende of life: but is likened vnto the Sonne of God, and continueth a Priest for euer.

Nowe consider how great this man was, vnto whome euen the Patriarke Abraham gaue the tithe of the spoyles.

For verely they which are the childre of Leui, which receiue the office of the Priesthode, haue a commandement to take, according to the Law, tithes of the people (that is, of their bethren) though they came out of ye loynes of Abraham.

But he whose kindred is not couted among them, receiued tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.

And without all contradiction the lesse is blessed of the greater.

And here men that die, receiue tithes: but there he receiueth them, of whome it is witnessed, that he liueth.

And to say as the thing is, Leui also which receiueth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.

For hee was yet in the loynes of his father Abraham, when Melchi-sedec met him.

If therefore perfection had bene by the Priesthoode of the Leuites (for vnder it the Lawe was established to the people) what needed it furthermore, that another Priest should rise after the order of Melchi-sedec, and not to be called after the order of Aaron?

For if the Priesthood be changed, then of necessitie must there be a change of the Lawe.

For hee of whome these things are spoken, perteineth vnto another tribe, whereof no man serued at the altar.

For it is euident, that our Lord sprung out of Iuda, concerning the which tribe Moses spake nothing, touching the Priesthood.

And it is yet a more euident thing, because that after the similitude of Melchi-sedec, there is risen vp another Priest,

Which is not made Priest after the Law of the carnal commandement, but after the power of the endlesse life.

For hee testifieth thus, Thou art a Priest for euer, after the order of Melchi-sedec.

For the commandement that went afore, is disanulled, because of the weakenes thereof, and vnprofitablenes.

For the Law made nothing perfite, but the bringing in of a better hope made perfite, whereby we drawe neere vnto God.

And for as much as it is not without an othe (for these are made Priestes without an othe:

But this is made with an othe by him that said vnto him, The Lord hath sworne, and will not repent, Thou art a Priest for euer, after the order of Melchi-sedec)

By so much is Iesus made a suretie of a better Testament.

And among them many were made Priests, because they were not suffered to endure, by the reason of death.

But this man, because hee endureth euer, hath a Priesthood, which cannot passe from one to another.

Wherefore, hee is able also perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him, seeing he euer liueth, to make intercession for them.

For such an hie Priest it became vs to haue, which is holy, harmelesse, vndefiled, separate from sinners, and made hier then the heauens:

Which needeth not daily as those hie Priests to offer vp sacrifice, first for his owne sinnes, and then for the peoples: for that did he once, when he offered vp himselfe.

For the Law maketh men hie Priestes, which haue infirmitie: but the word of the othe that was since the Lawe, maketh the Sonne, who is consecrated for euermore.

Nowe of the things which we haue spoken, this is the summe, that wee haue such an hie Priest, that sitteth at the right hand of the throne of the Maiestie in heauens,

And is a minister of the Sanctuarie, and of that true Tabernacle which the Lord pight, and not man.

For euery high Priest is ordeined to offer both giftes and sacrifices: wherefore it was of necessitie, that this man shoulde haue somewhat also to offer.

For he were not a Priest, if he were on the earth, seeing there are Priestes that according to the Lawe offer giftes,

Who serue vnto the paterne and shadowe of heauenly things, as Moses was warned by God, whe he was about to finish the Tabernacle. See, saide hee, that thou make all thinges according to the paterne, shewed to thee in the mount.

But nowe our hie Priest hath obteined a more excellent office, in as much as he is the Mediatour of a better Testament, which is established vpon better promises.

For if that first Testament had bene vnblameable, no place should haue bene sought for the second.

For in rebuking them he saith, Beholde, the dayes will come, saith the Lord, when I shall make with the house of Israel, and with the house of Iuda a newe Testament:

Not like the Testament that I made with their fathers, in the day that I tooke them by the hand, to leade them out of the land of Egypt: for they continued not in my Testament, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

For this is the Testament that I will make with the house of Israel, After those dayes, saith the Lord, I will put my Lawes in their minde, and in their heart I will write them, and I wil be their God, and they shalbe my people,

And they shall not teache euery man his neighbour and euery man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall knowe me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.

For I will bee mercifull to their vnrighteousnes, and I wil remember their sinnes and their iniquities no more.

In that he saith a new Testament, he hath abrogate the olde: nowe that which is disanulled and waxed olde, is ready to vanish away.

Then the first Testament had also ordinances of religion, and a worldly Sanctuarie.

For the first Tabernacle was made, wherein was the candlesticke, and the table, and the shewebread, which Tabernacle is called the Holy places.

And after the seconde vaile was the Tabernacle, which is called the Holiest of all,

Which had the golden censer, and the Arke of the Testament ouerlayde rounde about with golde, wherein the golden pot, which had Manna, was, and Aarons rod that had budded, and the tables of the Testament.

And ouer the Arke were the glorious Cherubims, shadowing the mercie seat: of which things we will not nowe speake particularly.

Nowe when these things were thus ordeined, the Priestes went alwayes into the first Tabernacle, and accomplished the seruice.

But into the second went the hie Priest alone, once euery yere, not without blood which hee offered for himselfe, and for the ignorances of the people.

Whereby the holy Ghost this signified, that the way into ye Holiest of all was not yet opened, while as yet the first tabernacle was standing,

Which was a figure for that present time, wherein were offred gifts and sacrifices that could not make holy, concerning the conscience, him that did the seruice,

Which only stood in meates and drinkes, and diuers washings, and carnal rites, which were inioyned, vntill the time of reformation.

But Christ being come an high Priest of good things to come, by a greater and a more perfect Tabernacle, not made with handes, that is, not of this building,

Neither by the blood of goates and calues: but by his owne blood entred he in once vnto the holy place, and obteined eternall redemption for vs.

For if the blood of bulles and of goates, and the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling them that are vncleane, sanctifieth as touching the purifying of the flesh,

How much more shall the blood of Christ which through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without fault to God, purge your conscience from dead workes, to serue the liuing God?

And for this cause is he the Mediatour of the newe Testament, that through death which was for the redemption of the transgressions that were in the former Testament, they which were called, might receiue the promise of eternall inheritance.

For where a Testament is, there must be the death of him that made the Testament.

For the Testament is confirmed when men are dead: for it is yet of no force as long as he that made it, is aliue.

Wherefore neither was the first ordeined without blood.

For when Moses had spoken euery precept to the people, according to the Law, he tooke the blood of calues and of goates, with water and purple wooll and hyssope, and sprinckled both the booke, and all the people,

Saying, This is the blood of the Testament, which God hath appointed vnto you.

Moreouer, he sprinkled likewise the Tabernacle with blood also, and all the ministring vessels.

And almost all things are by the Law purged with blood, and without sheading of blood is no remission.

It was then necessary, that the similitudes of heauenly things should be purified with such things: but the heauenly things them selues are purified with better sacrifices then are these.

For Christ is not entred into ye holy places that are made with hands, which are similitudes of ye true Sanctuarie: but is entred into very heauen, to appeare now in ye sight of God for vs,

Not that he should offer himselfe often, as the hie Priest entred into the Holy place euery yeere with other blood,

(For then must he haue often suffred since the foundation of the world) but now in the end of the world hath he bene made manifest, once to put away sinne by the sacrifice of him selfe.

And as it is appointed vnto men that they shall once die, and after that commeth the iudgement:

So Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many, and vnto them that looke for him, shall he appeare the second time without sinne vnto saluation.

For the Law hauing the shadowe of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can neuer with those sacrifices, which they offer yeere by yeere continually, sanctifie the commers thereunto.

For would they not then haue ceased to haue bene offered, because that the offerers once purged, should haue had no more conscience of sinnes?

But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance againe of sinnes euery yeere.

For it is vnpossible that the blood of bulles and goates should take away sinnes.

Wherefore when he commeth into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offring thou wouldest not: but a body hast thou ordeined me.

In burnt offerings, and sinne offrings thou hast had no pleasure.

Then I sayd, Lo, I come (In the beginning of the booke it is written of me) that I should doe thy will, O God.

Aboue, when he sayd, Sacrifice and offring, and burnt offrings, and sinne offrings thou wouldest not haue, neither hadst pleasure therein (which are offered by the Lawe)

Then sayd he, Lo, I come to doe thy wil, O God, he taketh away the first, that he may stablish the second.

By the which wil we are sanctified, euen by the offring of the body of Iesus Christ once made.

And euery Priest standeth dayly ministring, and oft times offreth one maner of offring, which can neuer take away sinnes:

But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sinnes, sitteth for euer at the right hand of God,

And from hencefoorth tarieth, till his enemies be made his footestoole.

For with one offering hath he consecrated for euer them that are sanctified.

For the holy Ghost also beareth vs record: for after that he had sayd before,

This is the Testament that I will make vnto them after those dayes, sayth the Lord, I wil put my Lawes in their heart, and in their mindes I will write them.

And their sinnes and iniquities will I remember no more.

Nowe where remission of these things is, there is no more offering for sinne.

Seeing therefore, brethren, that by the blood of Iesus we may be bolde to enter into the Holy place,

By the newe and liuing way, which hee hath prepared for vs, through the vaile, that is, his flesh:

And seeing we haue an hie Priest, which is ouer the house of God,

Let vs drawe neere with a true heart in assurance of faith, our hearts being pure from an euill conscience,