Letters to the Churches

and a sound of a trumpet, and a voice of sayings, which those having heard did entreat that a word might not be added to them,

for they were not bearing that which is commanded, `And if a beast may touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or with an arrow shot through,'

and, (so terrible was the sight,) Moses said, `I am fearful exceedingly, and trembling.'

But, ye came to Mount Zion, and to a city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of messengers,

to the company and assembly of the first-born in heaven enrolled, and to God the judge of all, and to spirits of righteous men made perfect,

and to a mediator of a new covenant--Jesus, and to blood of sprinkling, speaking better things than that of Abel!

See, may ye not refuse him who is speaking, for if those did not escape who refused him who upon earth was divinely speaking--much less we who do turn away from him who speaketh from heaven,

whose voice the earth shook then, and now hath he promised, saying, `Yet once--I shake not only the earth, but also the heaven;'

and this--`Yet once' --doth make evident the removal of the things shaken, as of things having been made, that the things not shaken may remain;

wherefore, a kingdom that cannot be shaken receiving, may we have grace, through which we may serve God well-pleasingly, with reverence and religious fear;

for also our God is a consuming fire.

Let brotherly love remain;

of the hospitality be not forgetful, for through this unawares certain did entertain messengers;

be mindful of those in bonds, as having been bound with them, of those maltreated, as also yourselves being in the body;

honourable is the marriage in all, and the bed undefiled, and whoremongers and adulterers God shall judge.

Without covetousness the behaviour, being content with the things present, for He hath said, `No, I will not leave, no, nor forsake thee,'

so that we do boldly say, `The Lord is to me a helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me.'

Be mindful of those leading you, who did speak to you the word of God, whose faith--considering the issue of the behaviour--be imitating,

Jesus Christ yesterday and to-day the same, and to the ages;

with teachings manifold and strange be not carried about, for it is good that by grace the heart be confirmed, not with meats, in which they who were occupied were not profited;

we have an altar, of which to eat they have no authority who the tabernacle are serving,

for of those beasts whose blood is brought for sin into the holy places through the chief priest--of these the bodies are burned without the camp.

Wherefore, also Jesus--that he might sanctify through his own blood the people--without the gate did suffer;

now, then, may we go forth unto him without the camp, his reproach bearing;

for we have not here an abiding city, but the coming one we seek;