Let us, then, do our best to receive that rest, so that no one of us will fail as they did because of their lack of faith.

That is why we must hold on all the more firmly to the truths we have heard, so that we will not be carried away.

How, then, shall we escape if we pay no attention to such a great salvation? The Lord himself first announced this salvation, and those who heard him proved to us that it is true.

Guard against turning back from the grace of God. Let no one become like a bitter plant that grows up and causes many troubles with its poison.

Be careful, then, and do not refuse to hear him who speaks. Those who refused to hear the one who gave the divine message on earth did not escape. How much less shall we escape, then, if we turn away from the one who speaks from heaven!

Remember your former leaders, who spoke God's message to you. Think back on how they lived and died, and imitate their faith.

Sensible people are careful to stay out of trouble, but stupid people are careless and act too quickly.

Always obey the LORD and you will be happy. If you are stubborn, you will be ruined.

I will make an eternal covenant with them. I will never stop doing good things for them, and I will make them fear me with all their heart, so that they will never turn away from me.

That is true. They were broken off because they did not believe, while you remain in place because you do believe. But do not be proud of it; instead, be afraid.

If you think you are standing firm you had better be careful that you do not fall.

As it is, however, there still remains for God's people a rest like God's resting on the seventh day.

You will suffer the consequences of your sin for forty years, one year for each of the forty days you spent exploring the land. You will know what it means to have me against you!

I, the LORD God of Israel, promised in the past that your family and your clan would serve me as priests for all time. But now I say that I won't have it any longer! Instead, I will honor those who honor me, and I will treat with contempt those who despise me.

But what if some of them were not faithful? Does this mean that God will not be faithful?

Certainly not! God must be true, even though all human beings are liars. As the scripture says, "You must be shown to be right when you speak; you must win your case when you are being tried."

If we are not faithful, he remains faithful, because he cannot be false to himself."

We who believe, then, do receive that rest which God promised. It is just as he said, "I was angry and made a solemn promise: 'They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest!' " He said this even though his work had been finished from the time he created the world.

This same matter is spoken of again: "They will never enter that land where I would have given them rest."

I was angry and made a solemn promise: 'They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest!' "

"Not everyone who calls me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do.

Then I will say to them, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!'

But if he is a bad servant, he will tell himself that his master will not come back for a long time,

Then that servant's master will come back one day when the servant does not expect him and at a time he does not know.

"At that time the Kingdom of heaven will be like this. Once there were ten young women who took their oil lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any extra oil with them,

But if that servant says to himself that his master is taking a long time to come back and if he begins to beat the other servants, both the men and the women, and eats and drinks and gets drunk,

then the master will come back one day when the servant does not expect him and at a time he does not know. The master will cut him in pieces and make him share the fate of the disobedient.

The master of the house will get up and close the door; then when you stand outside and begin to knock on the door and say, 'Open the door for us, sir!' he will answer you, 'I don't know where you come from!'

But he will say again, 'I don't know where you come from. Get away from me, all you wicked people!'

People will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down at the feast in the Kingdom of God.

everyone has sinned and is far away from God's saving presence.

That is why I run straight for the finish line; that is why I am like a boxer who does not waste his punches.

I harden my body with blows and bring it under complete control, to keep myself from being disqualified after having called others to the contest.