American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us:
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised {Or, long ages ago}before times eternal;
if we are faithless, he abideth faithful; for he cannot deny himself.
{Greek: Be it not so: and so elsewhere.}God forbid: yea, let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written, {Psalm 51:4}That thou mightest be justified in thy words,And mightest prevail when thou comest into judgment.
And we have the word of prophecy made more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a {Greek: squalid.}dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts:
and said, By myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son,
that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
For what saith the scripture? {Genesis 15:6.}And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.
(as it is written, {Genesis 17:5}A father of many nations have I made thee) before him whom he believed, even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were.
Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, {Genesis 15:5}So shall thy seed be.
And without being weakened in faith he considered his own body {Many ancient authorities omit now.}now as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's {Or, womb: yea &c.}womb;
yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God,
and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Wherefore also it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.
So Christ also glorified not himself to be made a high priest, but he that spake unto him, {Psalms 2:7}Thou art my Son,This day have I begotten thee:
as he saith also in another place, {Psalms 110:4}Thou art a priest for everAfter the order of Melchizedek.
I will tell of the decree:Jehovah said unto me, Thou art my son;This day have I begotten thee.
Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent:Thou art a priest for everAfter the {Or, manner}order of Melchizedek.
whither as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
For men swear by the greater: and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.
For {Or, by}in hope were we saved: but hope that is seen is not hope: {Many ancient authorities read for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?}for who {Some ancient authorities read awaiteth.}hopeth for that which he seeth?
that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us:
For Christ entered not into a holy place made with hands, like in pattern to the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God for us:
He who testifieth these things saith, Yea: I come quickly. Amen: come, Lord Jesus.
Wherefore {Or, comfort chapter 4:18.}exhort one another, and build each other up, even as also ye do.
And he said unto them, Therefore every scribe who hath been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.