unfoldingWord® Translation Questions
v88
Hebrews
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unfoldingWord® Translation Questions
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unfoldingWord® Translation Questions
Date: 2026-01-14
Version: v88
Published by: unfoldingWord®
unfoldingWord® Literal Text
Date: 2026-01-14
Version: v88
Published by: unfoldingWord®
unfoldingWord® Simplified Text
Date: 2026-01-14
Version: v88
Published by: unfoldingWord®
Table of Contents
Hebrews
Hebrews 1
Hebrews 1:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 1:1ULT:
In many portions and in many ways long ago, God, having spoken to our fathers through the prophets,
UST:
In the past, God communicated to the Israelite ancestors through people who proclaimed his message. He did this throughout the time during which the ancestors lived, and he used many different means to do so.
How has God spoken in the past?
God has spoken in the past through the prophets at many times and in many ways.
Hebrews 1:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 1:2ULT:
at the last of these days spoke to us through a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the ages;
UST:
{However,} when this final time period {began}, God communicated to us through his own Son. God made the world together with him, and God has chosen him to receive everything.
How has God spoken in these recent days?
God has spoken in these recent days through a Son.
Through whom were the ages made?
The ages were made through the Son of God.
Hebrews 1:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 1:3ULT:
who, being the brightness of his glory and exact representation of his being, upholding all the things by the word of his power and having made purification for sins, sat down at the right of the Majesty on high;
UST:
In God’s Son, we see how glorious God is. In fact, God’s Son perfectly shows what God is like. By speaking powerfully, he sustains everything {that God has made}. After he purified his people from the wrong things that they did, he ascended into heaven and began to rule with God {his Father}.
How are all things sustained?
All things are sustained by the word of the Son of God’s power.
How does the Son display the glory and essence of God?
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the representation of God’s essence.
Hebrews 1:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 1:4ULT:
having become far superior to the angels, as he has inherited a more excellent name than they.
UST:
{These things about him mean that} he is much greater than the spiritual beings. In the same way, the name that God now calls him is greater than their {names}.
How does the Son of God compare to the angels?
The Son of God is far superior to the angels.
Hebrews 1:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 1:5ULT:
For to which of the angels did he ever say, “You are my son. Today I have fathered you”? And again, “I will be as a father to him, and he will be as a son to me”?
UST:
{You can tell that God’s Son is greater than the spiritual beings} because God did not at any time say these words to any spiritual being: “On this day, I have declared to everyone that I am your father, and you are my son!”
{He did not say these words about any spiritual being} either: “I will be his father, and he will be my son.”
{However, he did say these words to his own Son.}
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 1:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 1:6ULT:
But again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “And let all the angels of God worship him.”
UST:
More than that, when God raised his Son into the heavenly world, he commanded: “All the spiritual beings who serve God must honor and praise him.”
What did God command the angels to do when the Son was brought into the world?
God commanded the angels to worship the Son when the Son was brought into the world.
Hebrews 1:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 1:7ULT:
And on the one hand, with regard to the angels, he says, “The one making his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.”
UST:
God says this about the spiritual beings: “I have caused the spiritual beings who serve me to be {like} the wind and {like} burning fire.”
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 1:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 1:8ULT:
But with regard to the Son, “Your throne, God, {is} forever {and} ever, and the scepter of righteousness {is the} scepter of hiskingdom.
UST:
On the other hand, {God says this} about his Son: “You who are God will rule forever, and you will reign justly over your kingdom.
How long will the Son rule as a king?
The Son will rule as a king for ever and ever.
Hebrews 1:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 1:9ULT:
You loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Because of this, God, your God, has anointed you {with the} oil of exultation more than your companions.”
UST:
You loved whatever is just, and you hated whatever breaks God’s law. Because of that, I, your God, have caused you to be more powerful and joyful than anyone else who is with you.”
What does the Son love and what does the Son hate?
The Son loves righteousness and the Son hates lawlessness.
Hebrews 1:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 1:10ULT:
And “according to the beginnings, Lord, you founded the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands.
UST:
And {God also says this about his Son:} “You are the Lord, who powerfully created everything that exists when it all began.
What will happen to the earth and heavens over time? (1:10-11)
The earth and heavens will wear out like a garment and perish.
Hebrews 1:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 1:11ULT:
They themselves will perish, but you yourself will continue, and they will all wear out like a garment,
UST:
All those things will eventually fall apart, but you keep on living forever. They are like clothing that becomes old and wears out,
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 1:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 1:12ULT:
and as a cloak you will roll them up, and as a garment they will be changed, but you yourself are the same, and your years will not fail.”
UST:
and you will {remove them and} roll them up as if they were old clothes. In the same way that a person changes clothes, you will change the things that you created. In contrast, you are the one who stays the same and lives at all times!”
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 1:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 1:13ULT:
But to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool {for} your feet”?
UST:
God did not at any time say these words to any spiritual being: “Rule with me while I defeat all of your enemies!”
{However, he did say these words to his own Son.}
Where did God tell the Son to sit, and until what happened?
God told the Son to sit at his right hand until God made the Son’s enemies a stool for the Son’s feet.
Hebrews 1:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 1:14ULT:
Are they not all ministering spirits, being sent for service for the sake of the ones going to inherit salvation?
UST:
The spiritual beings are all powerful beings who serve God, and God has sent them to help those whom he will soon save.
For whom do the angels care?
The angels care for those who are going to inherit salvation.
Hebrews 2
Hebrews 2:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 2:1ULT:
Because of this, it is far more necessary for us to give attention to the {things that} have been heard, so that we might not drift away {from them}.
UST:
Because {God did say those things to his Son}, we need to focus most of all on {the good news} that we learned. That way, we do not stop believing it.
Why must believers pay attention to what they have heard?
Believers must pay attention to what they have heard so that they do not drift away from it.
Hebrews 2:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 2:2ULT:
For if the message spoken through angels became valid and every transgression and disobedience received just penalty,
UST:
{This is important} because, when the spiritual beings gave the law {to the people of Israel}, what they said was reliable. Further, God justly punished anyone who did not listen to this law or broke it.
What would every transgression and disobedience receive?
Every transgression and disobedience would receive just punishment.
Hebrews 2:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 2:3ULT:
how will we escape, having neglected so great a salvation? Which {salvation}, first having been chosen to be spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by the ones having heard {it};
UST:
{Since that is true}, God will certainly punish any one of us who ignores the message about how God has acted powerfully to save us. It was the Lord {Jesus} who first spoke this message, and those who listened to him told us the same message reliably.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 2:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 2:4ULT:
God also testifying together with {them} by signs and wonders and various miracles and distributions of the Holy Spirit according to his will.
UST:
God also has confirmed to us that this message is true by empowering believers to do powerful and amazing things. Further, he gave the Holy Spirit to believers, to each as God chose.
How did God testify to the message of salvation announced by the Lord?
God testified to the message by signs, wonders, powerful deeds, and by the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 2:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 2:5ULT:
For {it was} not to angels that {God} subjected the world that is coming, about which we are speaking.
UST:
Now God has not put the spiritual beings in charge of the heavenly world that he will bring to earth. It is that world about which I am talking.
Who will not rule the world to come?
Angels will not rule the world to come.
Hebrews 2:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 2:6ULT:
Instead, someone somewhere testified, saying, “What is man, that you remember him, or a son of man, that you watch over him?
UST:
Someone confirmed {what I have said} when he wrote in the Scriptures, “No humans are worthy enough for you to think about them{, God}! No human beings are important enough for you to take care of them!
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 2:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 2:7ULT:
You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor.
UST:
{Despite that,} you created humans to be only slightly less powerful than the spiritual beings, and you have greatly honored and empowered them.
Who will rule the world to come? (2:7-8)
Man will rule the world to come.
Hebrews 2:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 2:8ULT:
You subjected all things under his feet.”
For in subjecting all the things, he left nothing not subjected to him. But now we do not yet see all the things subjected to him,
UST:
You have put them in charge of everything {that you created}.”
When he wrote, “put them in charge of everything,” that means that there is nothing over which they are not in charge. However, at this present time, we do not observe that humans are in charge of everything.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 2:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 2:9ULT:
but we see Jesus, the one made a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor because of his suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste of death on behalf of everyone.
UST:
However, we do observe Jesus. He is the one who was less powerful than the spiritual beings for a short time, and God has {now} greatly honored and empowered him. God did this because Jesus died. In this way, God graciously had him die for all people {who believe in him}.
Why was Jesus crowned with glory and honor?
Jesus was crowned with glory and honor because of his suffering and death.
For whom did Jesus taste death?
Jesus tasted death for every man.
Hebrews 2:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 2:10ULT:
For it was proper for him, because of whom all the things {exist} and through whom all the things {exist}, having brought many sons into glory, to perfect the founding leader of their salvation through sufferings.
UST:
{Working in that way} was appropriate for God, who created and directs everything {that exists}. When Jesus began to make glorious everyone who believes in him, who are {like} his own siblings, God used how Jesus suffered to make him able to save them.
Whom does God plan to bring to glory?
God plans to bring many sons to glory.
Hebrews 2:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 2:11ULT:
For both the sanctifying and the ones being sanctified {are} all from one. For this reason, he is not ashamed to call them brothers,
UST:
Jesus, who sets his people apart for God, and those same people whom he set apart for God, all come from God himself. So, Jesus does not hesitate to refer to them as his own siblings.
Who are the two who come from the one source, God?
Both the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified come from the one source, God.
Hebrews 2:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 2:12ULT:
saying, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers; I will sing praise to you in the midst of the assembly.”
UST:
{Jesus calls them his siblings} when he says, “I will declare to my siblings what you are like{, God}; I will praise you when people gather together {to worship you}.”
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 2:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 2:13ULT:
And again, “I will be confident in him.”
And again, “Behold, I and the little children whom God gave me.”
UST:
{Jesus says} further: “I will rely on him.”
And {Jesus says} further, “Look at me and God’s children whom he has entrusted to me.”
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 2:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 2:14ULT:
Therefore, since the little children share in flesh and blood, he likewise also shared in the same things so that through his death he might abolish the one having the power of death, that is, the devil,
UST:
So, because God’s children are human beings, Jesus also became a human being just like them. {He did that} so that he, by dying, could defeat Satan, who uses the fact that people die to control them.
Who was made ineffective through Jesus’ death?
The devil was made ineffective through Jesus’ death.
Hebrews 2:15
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 2:15ULT:
and might release those {people}, as many as, in fear of death throughout all their lives, were held in slavery.
UST:
{When he did that,} he got rid of the way that dying makes us afraid while we live.
From what slavery are people freed through the death of Jesus?
Through the death of Jesus, people are freed from the fear of death.
Hebrews 2:16
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 2:16ULT:
For of course he does not take hold of angels, but he takes hold of the offspring of Abraham,
UST:
{Jesus became a human being,} because he came to help those who belong to Abraham{, the ancestor of the Israelites}, not to help spiritual beings, as you know.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 2:17
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 2:17ULT:
from which he was obligated to become like his brothers in all things, so that he would be a merciful and faithful high priest {concerning} the things pertaining to God in order to make atonement {for} the sins of the people.
UST:
Because that {is why he came}, Jesus needed to be exactly like us, who are his siblings. That way, he can be the ruling priest who serves God in a compassionate and trustworthy way, so that God forgives what his people did wrong.
Why was it necessary for Jesus to be like his brothers in all ways?
It was necessary so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest over God’s things, and so he might obtain forgiveness for the people’s sins.
Hebrews 2:18
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 2:18ULT:
For in that he himself had suffered, having been tempted, he is able to help the ones being tempted.
UST:
{Jesus can be that kind of priest} because he endured painful things and experienced how doing what is wrong seems to be good. So, he can aid everyone who also experiences how doing what is wrong seems to be good.
Why is Jesus able to help those who are tempted?
Jesus is able to help those who are tempted because he was tempted also.
Hebrews 3
Hebrews 3:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 3:1ULT:
Therefore, holy brothers, sharers of a heavenly calling, consider carefully the apostle and high priest of our confession, Jesus,
UST:
My fellow believers, God has set you apart for himself, and he has summoned us together from heaven. Since {I have told you what Jesus has done,} you should think about him. God sent him to us, and he is the ruling priest in whom we say we believe.
What two roles does the author of the book of Hebrews say Jesus fills?
The author says Jesus is an apostle and a high priest.
Hebrews 3:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 3:2ULT:
being faithful to the one having appointed him, as also Moses {was} in his house.
UST:
He faithfully served God, who made him {a ruling priest}. {He is} like Moses, who also {faithfully served God} as part of God’s people.
Why has Jesus been considered worthy of greater glory than Moses? (3:2-3)
Jesus has been considered worthy of greater glory because, while Moses was faithful in all God’s house, Jesus is the one who built the house.
Hebrews 3:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 3:3ULT:
For this one has been considered worthy of greater glory than Moses, according to how much greater honor the one building it has {than} the house.
UST:
Now each building has a builder who made it, and people rightly praise the builder more than {they praise} the building. Similarly, God is the builder who made everything. Therefore, people should praise Jesus{, who is God,} more than {they praise} Moses{, whom God made}.
(vv3-4)
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 3:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 3:4ULT:
For every house is built by someone, but God {is} the one having built all things.
UST:
Now each building has a builder who made it, and people rightly praise the builder more than {they praise} the building. Similarly, God is the builder who made everything. Therefore, people should praise Jesus{, who is God,} more than {they praise} Moses{, whom God made}.
(vv3-4)
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 3:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 3:5ULT:
And Moses {was} indeed faithful as a servant in his entire house, for a testimony of the {things that} would be spoken in the future;
UST:
Moses faithfully served God as one who helped all God’s people. In that way, he already proclaimed what God says now {about Jesus}.
What was Moses’ role in God’s house?
Moses was a servant in God’s house.
About what did Moses give testimony?
Moses gave testimony about the things that were to be spoken of in the future.
Hebrews 3:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 3:6ULT:
but Christ, as a Son over his house (whose house we are if we hold fast to the confidence and the boasting of our hope).
UST:
But the Messiah is God’s Son, who {faithfully} rules over God’s people. As long as we persist in boldly and proudly expecting {what God will give us}, we belong to those same people.
What is Jesus’ role in God’s house?
Jesus’ role is as a Son in charge of God’s house.
Who is God’s house?
The believers are God’s house if they hold fast to their confidence.
Hebrews 3:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 3:7ULT:
Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice,
UST:
Since {we are God’s people}, {we should do} what the Holy Spirit says: “This day, when you hear the Father speak {to you},
What did the Israelites in the wilderness do when they heard God’s voice? (3:7-8)
The Israelites hardened their hearts.
Hebrews 3:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 3:8ULT:
do not harden your hearts as in the provocation, during the day of testing in the wilderness
UST:
do not stubbornly disobey him. {That is what your ancestors did} when they rebelled against God and provoked him while they lived in the wild places.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 3:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 3:9ULT:
where your fathers tested {me} by examination, and they saw my works
UST:
{While they were} in those places, your ancestors provoked God to see what he would do. {They did that} even though they saw all the amazing things that he did {for them}
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 3:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 3:10ULT:
for 40 years. Therefore, I was very angry with that generation, and I said, ‘They are always going astray in their hearts, and they have not known my ways.’
UST:
during a period of 40 years.
So, he was angry with those people, and he said about them, ‘They want to do what is wrong all the time. They do not understand how I want them to behave.’
What did God swear concerning the Israelites who went astray in their hearts? (3:10-11)
God swore that they would not enter his rest.
Hebrews 3:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 3:11ULT:
As I swore in my wrath, ‘…if they will enter into my rest!’”
UST:
So then, because he was angry with them, he solemnly declared, ‘They will never participate in how I rest!’”
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 3:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 3:12ULT:
Watch out, brothers, so that there will not be in any of you a wicked heart of unbelief, in the falling away from the living God.
UST:
Fellow believers, pay attention! Make sure that none of you think in evil and unbelieving ways that would lead you to become disloyal to the only real God.
Of what are the brothers warned to be careful?
The brothers are warned to be careful not to turn away from the living God by unbelief.
Hebrews 3:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 3:13ULT:
Instead, exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” so that no one among you is hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
UST:
Rather, you should encourage each other {to be loyal to God} daily, during every day that we call “this day.” That way, none of you sin and thus deceive yourselves, which would make you unable to obey God.
What are the brothers to do in order to avoid being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin?
The brothers are to encourage one another daily.
Hebrews 3:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 3:14ULT:
For we have become sharers of Christ, if indeed we hold firm the beginning of our confidence until the end,
UST:
{You should encourage each other,} because we share {in everything} with the Messiah. {That is true} as long as we persist in trusting him, from when we began to do so until we die.
As partners of Christ, what must believers do?
As partners of Christ, believers must firmly hold their confidence in him from the beginning to the end.
Hebrews 3:15
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 3:15ULT:
while it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
UST:
{You should encourage each other} while the Holy Spirit says, “This day, when you hear God speak {to you}, do not stubbornly disobey him. {That is what your ancestors did} when they rebelled against God.”
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 3:16
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 3:16ULT:
For which ones, having heard, provoked {him}? {Was it} not all the ones having come out from Egypt through Moses?
UST:
Now you know that it was all God’s people, whom Moses led out of the land of Egypt, who listened to God speak and still rebelled against him.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 3:17
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 3:17ULT:
And with whom was he very angry for 40 years? {Was it} not with the ones having sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?
UST:
You know that it was God’s people, who did what was wrong, with whom God was angry for a period of 40 years. They died in the wild places.
With whom was God angry for 40 years?
God was angry with those who sinned in the wilderness.
What happened to those with whom God was angry?
Their dead bodies lay in the wilderness.
Hebrews 3:18
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 3:18ULT:
And to whom did he swear that they would not enter into his rest, if not to the ones having disobeyed?
UST:
You know that it was God’s people, who did not obey him, to whom he solemnly declared that they would never participate in how he rests.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 3:19
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 3:19ULT:
And we see that they were not able to enter, because of unbelief.
UST:
So, we can tell that they could not participate {in how God rests} because they did not trust {in him}.
Why were the disobedient Israelites not able to enter God’s rest?
They were not able to enter God’s rest, because of unbelief.
Hebrews 4
Hebrews 4:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 4:1ULT:
Therefore, let us be afraid lest {while} there remains a promise to enter into his rest, any of you might seem to have failed {to attain it}.
UST:
So, {we can tell that} God still promises that his people will participate in how he rests. Because of that, we need to make sure that every one of you really receives {what God has promised}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 4:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 4:2ULT:
For we also are having good news proclaimed {to us} just as to them also. But the message of the hearing did not benefit them, not having been joined in faith with the ones having heard {it}.
UST:
{We need to make sure of this,} because we heard the good news just like they did. However, because they were not among those people who believed in what they heard, what they heard did not help them.
What good news had the believers and the Israelites both heard?
The believers and the Israelites had both heard the good news about God’s rest.
Why did the good news not benefit the Israelites?
The good news did not benefit the Israelites because they did not join in faith with those who believed it.
Hebrews 4:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 4:3ULT:
For we, the ones having believed enter into rest, just as he said, “As I swore in my wrath, ‘…if they will enter into my rest!’”
although his works were finished from the foundation of the world.
UST:
{That is} because {only} we who believe {in the good news} participate in how God rests, {but those who do not believe do not participate in it}. As the Holy Spirit says, “So then, because he was angry with them, he solemnly declared, ‘They will never participate in how I rest!’”
{God said this} even though he stopped working {and rested} after he created the world.
Who are the ones who enter God’s rest?
Those who have believed enter God’s rest.
When did God finish his created works and then rest? (4:3-4)
God finished his created works at the beginning of the world and then rested on the seventh day.
Hebrews 4:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 4:4ULT:
For he has somewhere spoken thus about the seventh {day}: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.”
UST:
{You know that God rested} because of what the Holy Spirit says elsewhere about the seventh {day of the week}. {He says,} “Then, when {it was} the seventh day {of the week}, God finished working {to create everything}, and he rested.”
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 4:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 4:5ULT:
And again in this {passage}, “…if they will enter into my rest!”
UST:
But {note} again {what God says about the Israelite ancestors} in the words that I already quoted: “They will never participate in how I rest!”
What did God say about the Israelites and his rest? (4:5-6)
God said that the Israelites would not enter his rest.
Hebrews 4:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 4:6ULT:
Therefore, since it remains {for} some to enter into it, and the ones previously having had the good news proclaimed {to them} did not enter because of their disobedience,
UST:
So then, the Israelite ancestors who heard the good news in the past did not obey God, and so they did not participate in how God rests. However, God still wants some people to participate in how he rests.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 4:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 4:7ULT:
he again sets a certain day, calling it “Today,” speaking through David after so much time, just as it has already been said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
UST:
{Because of that,} the Holy Spirit once more picked a time {when we can participate in how God rests}. {That time is} what we call “this day.” {He did this} when he spoke through David a long time after {the Israelite ancestors disobeyed}. He said, as I have already quoted, “This day, when you hear God speak {to you}, do not stubbornly disobey him.”
What day has God now set for people to enter his rest?
God has set “Today” as the day for people to enter his rest.
What must a person do in order to enter God’s rest?
A person must listen to God’s voice and not harden his heart.
Hebrews 4:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 4:8ULT:
For if Joshua gave them rest, he would not have spoken about another day after these things.
UST:
So, the Holy Spirit refers to a different day {when God’s people can participate in how God rests} that comes after the day {when Joshua led the Israelite ancestors into the land that God had promised them}. This means that {when Joshua did that,} he did not help them participate in how God rests.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 4:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 4:9ULT:
Therefore, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
UST:
So, as you can see, God’s people can still participate in how God rests, {just as people rest on} the Jewish day of rest.
What is still reserved for God’s people?
A Sabbath rest is still reserved for God’s people.
Hebrews 4:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 4:10ULT:
For the one having entered into his rest has himself also rested from his works, just as God {did} from his own {works}.
UST:
In fact, the people who participate in how God rests also finish what they are doing and rest. {They do this} just like God finished {creating everything} and rested.
A person who enters God’s rest also rests from what?
A person who enters God’s rest also rests from his works.
Hebrews 4:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 4:11ULT:
Therefore, let us be eager to enter into that rest so that no one might fall into the same example of this disobedience.
UST:
Because of all that, we should focus on participating in how God rests. That way, none {of us} disobeys {God} like the Israelite ancestors did.
Why should believers be eager to enter God’s rest?
Believers should be eager to enter God’s rest so that they do not fall into disobedience as the Israelites did.
Hebrews 4:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 4:12ULT:
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
UST:
{You need to pay attention to these things,} because what God speaks {is like a person who} lives and does things, including discerning what people think and plan. {It does that as if it were} a sword with two very sharp edges that could cut apart people’s bones from their tendons and that could divide up people’s inner lives.
What is the word of God sharper than?
The word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword.
What is the Word of God able to divide?
The Word of God is able to divide soul from spirit and joints from marrow.
What is the Word of God able to discern?
The Word of God is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 4:13ULT:
And no creature is hidden before him. Instead, all things {are} bare and laid open to the eyes of him to whom {is} our word.
UST:
God knows everything about every person and thing. Nothing that he created can stay secret when he wishes to examine it. He is the one about whom we are talking.
Who or what is hidden from God’s sight?
No created thing is hidden from God’s sight.
Hebrews 4:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 4:14ULT:
Therefore, having a great high priest {who} has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us firmly hold to our confession.
UST:
So, a powerful ruling priest works for us, one who ascended through the heavens. He is Jesus, God’s Son. Because of that, we need to persist in believing what we say we believe.
Who serves as the great high priest for believers?
Jesus, the Son of God, serves as the great high priest for believers.
Hebrews 4:15
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 4:15ULT:
For we do not have a high priest {who} is not able to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one having been tempted according to all things, according to our likeness, {yet} without sin.
UST:
Now the ruling priest who works for us can very well understand how weak we are. In fact, he experienced many times how doing what is wrong seems to be good, just like we do. However, he never sinned.
Why does Jesus feel sympathy for the weaknesses of believers?
Jesus feels sympathy for the weaknesses of believers because he was in all ways tempted.
How many times did Jesus sin?
Jesus never sinned. Jesus was without sin.
Hebrews 4:16
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 4:16ULT:
Let us then approach with confidence to the throne of grace so that we may receive mercy and find grace for timely help.
UST:
So then, we should boldly go closer to God, who rules graciously. That way, he will act mercifully and kindly toward us when we need him to help us.
In time of need, what are believers to do to receive mercy and find grace?
In time of need, believers are to approach with confidence to the throne of grace.
Hebrews 5
Hebrews 5:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 5:1ULT:
For every high priest, being taken from among men on the behalf of men, is appointed {in} the things related to God so that he may offer gifts and sacrifices for sins;
UST:
When God appoints a person to be a ruling priest, he selects that person from a group of people in order to serve God for that group. The ruling priest then presents {to God} what people give or sacrifice to take away sins.
What does every high priest do on behalf of the people?
For the people, every high priest offers gifts and sacrifices for sins.
Hebrews 5:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 5:2ULT:
being able to deal gently with the ones being ignorant and being deceived, because he also is subject to weakness.
UST:
{Every ruling priest} is weak. Because of that, he can act patiently toward those who do not know much about God and toward those who believe and do what is wrong.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 5:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 5:3ULT:
And because of this, he is obligated, just as for the people, so also for himself, to offer {sacrifices} for sins.
UST:
Further, because {each ruling priest is weak}, God requires him to present a sacrifice to take away his own sins, just like {he presents sacrifices} to take away {the sins of} the rest of the people {of Israel}.
In addition to the people, for whom does the high priest also present sacrifices?
The high priest also presents sacrifices for his own sins.
Hebrews 5:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 5:4ULT:
And no one takes this honor for himself, but {only} being called by God, just as also Aaron {was}.
UST:
Now people cannot decide to become honorable ruling priests on their own. Rather, God chooses {each person who will be a ruling priest}, just like {he chose} Aaron{, the first ruling priest}.
How does a man receive the honor of being a high priest of God?
A man must be called by God to be a high priest of God.
Hebrews 5:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 5:5ULT:
In the same way also, Christ did not glorify himself to become a high priest. Instead, the one having spoken to him {said}, “You are my Son; today I have fathered you.”
UST:
Similarly, the Messiah too did not decide to become a glorious ruling priest on his own. Rather, God the Father {chose him to be a ruling priest} when he said to him, “On this day, I have declared to everyone that I am your father, and you are my son!”
Who declared Christ to be a high priest?
God declared Christ to be a high priest.
Hebrews 5:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 5:6ULT:
{It is} just as he also says in another {place}, “You {are} a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”
UST:
Similarly, {as you can read} in another Psalm, God the Father said {to the Messiah}: “You will never stop being a priest in the same way that Melchizedek was a priest.”
For how long is Christ God’s high priest?
Christ is God’s high priest forever.
Of what order is Christ as a high priest?
Christ is a high priest of the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 5:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 5:7ULT:
He, during the days of his flesh, offered up both prayers and requests with loud cries and tears to the one being able to save him from death and he was heard because of his godly life.
UST:
When the Messiah lived with us before he died and came back to life, he often prayed powerfully and sorrowfully to God. He did this because God could rescue him when he died. Because he honored God, God listened to him {and made him alive again}.
Why was Christ heard by God when he prayed?
Christ was heard by God because of his godly life.
Hebrews 5:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 5:8ULT:
Even though being a son, he learned obedience from {the things} which he suffered.
UST:
Although he is God’s Son, he learned what it means to obey God when bad things happened to him.
How did Christ learn obedience?
Christ learned obedience from the things he suffered.
Hebrews 5:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 5:9ULT:
And having been made perfect, he became, for all the ones obeying him, the source of eternal salvation,
UST:
Then, when God finished making him able to do so, the Son became the one who saves forever every person who does what he requires.
For whom did Christ become the cause of eternal salvation?
For everyone who obeys him, Christ became the cause of their eternal salvation.
Hebrews 5:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 5:10ULT:
having been designated by God {as} high priest, according to the order of Melchizedek,
UST:
{He did that} after God appointed him to be a ruling priest in the same way that Melchizedek was a priest.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 5:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 5:11ULT:
concerning whom the message to us {is} great, but hard to speak {about} since you have become dull in your hearing.
UST:
We have many things to talk about with regard to Melchizedek. However, since you do not listen {and understand} well, these things will be difficult to explain {to you}.
What was the spiritual condition of the original readers of this letter?
The original readers were dull of hearing.
Hebrews 5:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 5:12ULT:
For even though by this time you ought to be teachers, you again have need of someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have become ones having a need of milk, not solid food!
UST:
{You have believed in the Messiah} for long enough that you should be teaching others {about God}. Instead, though, someone still has to teach you simple things about what God says. You are like babies who have to drink milk rather than being like adults who eat food.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 5:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 5:13ULT:
For anyone partaking of milk {is} inexperienced {with the} message of righteousness, because he is an infant.
UST:
All people who know very little about what is right {and what is wrong} are like people who drink only milk. In fact, they are like babies.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 5:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 5:14ULT:
But this solid food is for the mature ones, having through habit trained their senses for distinguishing both {what is} good and {what is} evil.
UST:
On the other hand, people who know much about God are {like adults who eat} food. These people have consistently practiced how to recognize and then distinguish between what is right and what is wrong.
How does the author of the letter say that believers grow from spiritual babies into full-grown adults?
Believers grow spiritually by practicing distinguishing right from wrong, discerning both good and evil.
Hebrews 6
Hebrews 6:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:1ULT:
So then, having left the message of the beginning of Christ, let us go forward to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith in God,
UST:
Therefore, we need to learn more so that we become mature. We should not continue to focus on only the most basic things about the Messiah. {In other words,} we do not need to learn again about how to stop doing useless things or about how to trust in God.
On to what does the author of Hebrews want the believers to go forward?
The author of Hebrews wants the believers to go forward to maturity.
What teachings does the author list as the foundation of the message of Christ? (6:1-2)
The foundational teachings are repentance from dead works, faith in God, baptisms, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
Hebrews 6:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:2ULT:
teaching about baptisms and laying on of hands and resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
UST:
{We should not} learn {again} about different ways to baptize people, about putting our hands on others {to help them}, about how those who have died will live again, or about how God will finally decide whether people are guilty or innocent.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 6:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:3ULT:
And this we will do, if God permits.
UST:
At this time, as long as God wants {us to do so}, we will indeed {learn more so that we become mature}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 6:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:4ULT:
For {it is} impossible—for the ones having been once enlightened and having tasted of the heavenly gift and having become sharers of the Holy Spirit
UST:
{Let me tell you about something} that cannot happen. {Think about} people who learned about the good news at one time. They experienced what God gives {to his people} from heaven, and they received God’s Spirit.
What had these enlightened people gained? (6:4-5)
These enlightened people had tasted the heavenly gift, became sharers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted God’s Word and the powers of the age to come.
What is impossible for those who gained so much in Christ but then fell away, to do? (6:4-6)
It is impossible for those who gained so much in Christ, but then fell away, to be restored again to repentance.
Hebrews 6:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:5ULT:
and having tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come
UST:
They experienced how good are the things God says, and {they have already begun to experience} the powerful things that God will do when he renews the world.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 6:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:6ULT:
but having fallen away—to restore {them} again to repentance {since} they are crucifying again for themselves the Son of God and exposing {him} to public shame.
UST:
{Think about what would happen} were these people to stop believing the good news. {In that case,} they cannot repent and believe again. {That is because what they did} is like selfishly crucifying and humiliating God’s Son.
Why are these people not able to be restored to repentance?
They are not able to be restored because they have crucified for themselves the very Son of God and exposed him to public shame.
Hebrews 6:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:7ULT:
For a land that drinks the rain that often comes upon it and produces useful vegetation for those for whom it is also cultivated shares {in} a blessing from God,
UST:
{Here is an example:} God blesses any field where, once rain falls on it, crops grow that people use.
In the author’s analogy, what happens to land that receives rain but bears thorns and thistles? (6:7-8)
Land that receives rain but bears thorns and thistles has its end in burning.
Hebrews 6:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:8ULT:
but producing thorns and thistles, {it is} worthless and close to a curse, the end of which {is} for burning.
UST:
However, when a field produces plants that are useless, it helps nobody, and God will soon curse it. In the end, someone will set fire to it {to burn up all the useless plants}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 6:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:9ULT:
But concerning you, beloved ones, we are persuaded of things {that are} better and are accompanying salvation, even if we speak thus.
UST:
Even though I have warned you in this way, fellow believers whom I love, I am sure that you are believing more firmly {than I have implied}. {In fact, I am sure that} God has saved you.
What is the author’s expectation concerning the believers to whom he is writing?
The author expects better things concerning these believers, things that are about salvation.
Hebrews 6:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:10ULT:
For God {is} not unjust, to forget your work and the love that you have demonstrated toward his name, having served the saints and continuing to serve {them}.
UST:
Indeed, since God always acts justly, he will not overlook how you act and how you love {others}. You have proved that you do these things to honor God, particularly when you have helped and continue to help God’s people.
What will God not forget about these believers?
God will not forget their work, love of God, and service to the saints.
Hebrews 6:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:11ULT:
And we long for each of you to demonstrate the same diligence toward the full assurance of your hope until the end
UST:
I greatly desire that you all, until you die, continue to focus diligently on fully trusting {that God will give to you} what you confidently expect.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 6:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:12ULT:
so that you might not become dull, but imitators of the ones by faith and patience inheriting the promises.
UST:
That way, you will not be lazy. Instead, you will do what other believers have done: they have received what God promised them, because they trusted in him and waited patiently.
What should the believers imitate about those who inherit the promises of God?
The believers should imitate the faith and patience of those who inherit the promises of God.
Hebrews 6:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:13ULT:
For God, having promised to Abraham, since he had no one greater by {whom} to swear, swore by himself,
UST:
When God said that he would do something for Abraham, he guaranteed it himself. {He did that} because every other person who could guarantee it is less powerful {than God}.
What did Abraham have to do in order to obtain what God promised him? (6:13-15)
Abraham had to wait patiently to obtain what God promised him.
Hebrews 6:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:14ULT:
saying, “I will most certainly bless you and multiply you.”
UST:
{Here is what} he promised {to Abraham}: “I will definitely bless you, and I will definitely give you many descendants.”
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 6:15
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:15ULT:
And in this way, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.
UST:
Because {God guaranteed what he promised}, and because Abraham persevered in expecting it, God gave him what he had promised, {a son}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 6:16
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:16ULT:
For men swear by one {who is} greater, and an end of all disputes to them for confirmation {is} the oath,
UST:
Now, people have someone who is more powerful than they are guarantee {what they promise}. In fact, when someone guarantees what he or she promises in this way, it definitively concludes whatever people are arguing about.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 6:17
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:17ULT:
in which God, intending even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable quality of his purpose, mediated {it} with an oath
UST:
In a similar way, God wanted to demonstrate very clearly to those who would receive what he promised that he would not change what he intended to do. So, he guaranteed what he promised, {just like humans do}.
Why did God guarantee his promise with an oath?
God guaranteed his promise with an oath to show more clearly the unchangeable quality of his purpose.
Hebrews 6:18
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:18ULT:
so that by two unchangeable things, in which things {it is} impossible for God to lie, we, the ones having fled for refuge, might have a strong encouragement to hold firmly {to} the hope set before {us};
UST:
So, God both promised and swore an oath, and he will not lie about or change either of these things. {He did that} for us, who have trusted in him to save us. In this way, he encourages us to persist in confidently expecting what he is ready to give us.
What is it impossible for God to do?
It is impossible for God to lie.
Hebrews 6:19
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:19ULT:
which {hope} we have as an anchor of the soul, both reliable and confirmed, and entering into the inside of the curtain,
UST:
When we confidently expect {what God will give us}, it is as if an anchor holds us very securely {so that we do not waver from trusting God}. Further, {when we confidently expect what God will give us}, it is as if we had gone into the inner part of the {heavenly} sanctuary, behind the cloth hanging{, and already received it}.
What does the believer’s hope in God do for his soul?
The believer’s hope in God is a secure and reliable anchor for his soul.
Where did Jesus enter as the forerunner for the believers? (6:19-20)
Jesus entered into the inner place behind the curtain as the forerunner for the believers.
Hebrews 6:20
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 6:20ULT:
where Jesus has entered {as} a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
UST:
{That is the same place} where Jesus went {to serve God} for us and to open the way for us. {He went there} after he became a ruling priest who will always {serve God}, in the same way that Melchizedek was a priest.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 7
Hebrews 7:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:1ULT:
For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, the one having met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
UST:
{Now I will say more about} Melchizedek. He ruled {the city of} Salem, and he served the greatest God as a priest. When Abraham was going home after defeating some of his enemies, Melchizedek met with him and blessed him.
What two titles did Melchizedek have?
Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High.
Hebrews 7:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:2ULT:
to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth from all things, first indeed translated as “king of righteousness,” and then also “king of Salem,” that is, “king of peace,”
UST:
Then Abraham gave to him one tenth of everything {that he took when he defeated his enemies}. {The name “Melchizedek”} means “just king” {in Hebrew}. {The title} “ruler of {the city of} Salem” means “peaceful ruler,” {since “Salem” sounds like the Hebrew word for “peaceful”}.
What did Abraham give Melchizedek?
Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything he had captured.
What does the name Melchizedek mean?
The name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness” and “king of peace.”
Hebrews 7:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:3ULT:
without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.
UST:
{When Moses wrote about Melchizedek, he did not say anything about} his father, his mother, his other ancestors, when he was born, or when he died. So, {Moses} described him as if he were similar to God’s Son and as if he always served as a priest.
Who were the ancestors of Melchizedek, and when did he die?
Melchizedek was without ancestors and has no end of life.
Hebrews 7:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:4ULT:
But notice how great this one {was}, to whom the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth from the best plunder.
UST:
You can tell how important Melchizedek was from how Abraham, the ancestor of all the Israelites, offered him one tenth of the most valuable things {that he took when he defeated his enemies}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 7:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:5ULT:
And the ones indeed from the sons of Levi having received the priesthood, have a command according to the law to collect a tithe from the people, that is, {from} their brothers, even though they have come from the loin of Abraham.
UST:
In Moses’ law, {God spoke to} the men who are part of the clan of Levi and who serve as priests. He commanded them to receive one tenth of what the rest of the Israelites, who are their relatives, {earned or grew}. {God commanded this} despite the fact that all the Israelites are descendants of Abraham.
From whom are the priests descended who are priests according to the Law and who collect tithes from the people?
The priests of the Law are descended from Levi, and before him, from Abraham.
Hebrews 7:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:6ULT:
But this one not being from their genealogy, has collected tithes from Abraham, and has blessed the one having the promises.
UST:
Now Melchizedek is not part of the clan of Levi. Despite that, he received one tenth of what Abraham {took when he defeated his enemies}. Further, he blessed Abraham, the man to whom God had promised {that he would give him many descendants}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 7:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:7ULT:
But without any dispute, the lesser is blessed by the greater.
UST:
Now everyone agrees that more important people bless less important people. {So, because he blessed Abraham, Melchizedek is more important than Abraham.}
Who was the greater person, Abraham or Melchizedek?
Melchizedek was the greater person because he blessed Abraham.
Hebrews 7:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:8ULT:
And indeed here mortal men receive tithes, but there he is testified about that he lives on.
UST:
In Moses’ law, we learn about how priests receive one tenth {of what the rest of the Israelites earn or grow}, but these priests all die. In the story about Melchizedek, we learn that he {also received one tenth of what Abraham took from his enemies}, but he continues to live.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 7:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:9ULT:
And, so to speak, Levi, the one collecting tithes, also had paid a tithe through Abraham,
UST:
In fact, in a way, Levi {and the priests from his clan} gave one tenth {of what they had to Melchizedek} when Abraham {gave him one tenth}. {This is true even though} they are the ones who receive one tenth {from what the Israelites have}.
In what way did Levi himself also pay tithes to Melchizedek? (7:9-10)
Levi also paid tithes to Melchizedek, because Levi was of the seed of Abraham, and Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek.
Hebrews 7:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:10ULT:
because he was still in the loin of his father when Melchizedek met him.
UST:
{What I have said makes sense} because Levi {had not yet been born} and was{, in a way,} still inside Abraham, his great-grandfather, when he and Melchizedek met together.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 7:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:11ULT:
If indeed then, perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people had been given {the law}), what further need {was there} for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek and to not be said {to be} according to the order of Aaron?
UST:
Now God made the law that he gave to the Israelites depend on having the descendants of Levi serve as priests. So, suppose that people could become what God wanted them to be through what these priests did to serve God. {In that case,} God would never have appointed another priest to serve in the way that Melchizedek was a priest instead of in the way that Aaron was a priest. {However, God did appoint this kind of priest.}
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 7:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:12ULT:
For {when} the priesthood is changed, from necessity a change of the law also takes place.
UST:
{You can tell that God made the law depend on having the descendants of Levi serve as priests,} because the law must change whenever the way that people serve as priests changes.
What must also be changed when the priesthood changes?
The law must be changed when the priesthood changes.
Hebrews 7:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:13ULT:
For he about whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar.
UST:
{You can tell that God has changed how people serve as priests,} because Jesus, whom God has called {a priest}, is not one of the descendants of Levi but is a descendant of one of Levi’s brothers. No descendant of this man has served as a priest.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 7:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:14ULT:
For {it is} obvious that our Lord has sprung up from Judah, a tribe in regard to which Moses said nothing concerning priests.
UST:
In fact, we all know that our Lord {Jesus} is a descendant of {Levi’s brother} Judah, and Moses did not write down anything about descendants of Judah serving as priests.
From which tribe did Jesus descend, and had this tribe served before at the altar as priests?
Jesus descended from the tribe of Judah, which had never before served at the altar as priests.
Hebrews 7:15
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:15ULT:
And this is still even more obvious if another priest emerges according to the likeness of Melchizedek,
UST:
Further, {you can tell} even more clearly {that God has changed how people serve as priests,} since God has appointed a different kind of priest{, Jesus,} who serves God like Melchizedek did.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 7:16
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:16ULT:
who has become {a priest} not according to a law of a fleshly command, but according to the power of an indestructible life.
UST:
He serves as a priest because nothing can keep him from living, which makes him a powerful {priest}. {As this kind of priest,} he does not depend on what God commanded in Moses’ law about how human priests {are descendants of Levi}.
On what basis did Jesus become a priest after the order of Melchizedek?
Jesus became a priest after the order of Melchizedek based on the power of an indestructible life.
Hebrews 7:17
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:17ULT:
For it is being testified: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
UST:
{You can tell that this is true about him}, because God the Father said {to him}: “You will never stop being a priest in the same way that Melchizedek was a priest.”
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 7:18
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:18ULT:
For on the one hand, there is an annulment of the former commandment because it {is} weak and useless
UST:
What this means is that God withdrew what he had first commanded {about priests}. {He did this because} that way of doing things was ineffective.
What has been set aside because it is weak and useless? (7:18-19)
The former commandment, the Law, has been set aside because it is weak and useless.
Hebrews 7:19
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:19ULT:
(for the law perfected nothing), and on the other hand {is} the introduction of a better hope, through which we come near to God.
UST:
{That way was ineffective} because people could not become what God wanted them to be by doing what God previously commanded. Now what this also means is that God provided something better for us to confidently expect. When we confidently expect this, we go closer to God.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 7:20
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:20ULT:
And by as much as not without swearing an oath, —for indeed they without swearing an oath are become priests,
UST:
Now God did not guarantee what he said when he made some of the descendants of Levi to be priests. However, he did guarantee what he said {when he made} the Messiah {to be a priest}. Here is what God said to him: “The Lord has guaranteed what he says, and he will not do something else: ‘You will never stop being a priest!’” So, just as {Jesus serves as a greater priest because} God guaranteed what he said {when he made him a priest},
(vv20-21)
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 7:21
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:21ULT:
but he with an oath-taking, through the one saying to him, “The Lord swore and will not change his mind: ‘You {are} a priest forever’”—
UST:
Now God did not guarantee what he said when he made some of the descendants of Levi to be priests. However, he did guarantee what he said {when he made} the Messiah {to be a priest}. Here is what God said to him: “The Lord has guaranteed what he says, and he will not do something else: ‘You will never stop being a priest!’” So, just as {Jesus serves as a greater priest because} God guaranteed what he said {when he made him a priest},
(vv20-21)
What oath did God swear concerning Jesus?
God swore that Jesus would be a priest forever.
Hebrews 7:22
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:22ULT:
and according to so much more, Jesus has become a guarantor of a better covenant.
UST:
so also there is a better agreement, which Jesus guarantees.
Of what is Jesus the guarantee?
Jesus is the guarantee of a better covenant.
Hebrews 7:23
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:23ULT:
And the ones, on the one hand, having become priests are many, since by death they are prevented {from} continuing,
UST:
Further, each one {of the descendants of Levi} died and so could not continue {to serve as a priest}. Because of that, there have been many {descendants of Levi} who have served as priests.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 7:24
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:24ULT:
but he, on the other hand, since he remains forever, has the permanent priesthood,
UST:
However, Jesus will never die. Because of that, he will always serve as a priest.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 7:25
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:25ULT:
because of which he is also able to save completely the ones approaching God through him, always living to intercede on behalf of them.
UST:
Because {he always serves as a priest}, he can fully rescue anyone who, because of what he has done, goes closer to God. {He can do that because} he will never die and thus can always ask God to help them.
Why is Jesus able to completely save those who draw near to God through him?
Jesus is able to completely save those who draw near to God through him because he always lives to intercede for them.
Hebrews 7:26
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:26ULT:
For such a high priest was indeed suitable for us: holy, innocent, pure, separated from the sinners, and having become higher than the heavens;
UST:
Jesus is exactly the kind of ruling priest that we need. He honors God, he does not think about what is evil, and he does not do what would defile him. He is not one of the people who sin, and he now lives in the highest heaven.
What four attributes does Jesus have that make him the right priest for believers?
Jesus is holy, innocent, pure, and separated from sinners.
What offering did Jesus need to make for his own sins?
Jesus did not need to make any offering for his own sins, because he is sinless.
Hebrews 7:27
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:27ULT:
who does not have each day a need, even as the high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first on behalf of his own sins {and} then {on behalf of} those of the people, for he did this, having offered himself once and never again.
UST:
Now each {descendant of Levi who serves as a} ruling priest has to present sacrifices {to God} every day. First, he presents a sacrifice to take away his own sins, and after that he presents a sacrifice to take away the sins of the rest of the Israelites. However, Jesus {took away everyone’s sins} when he presented himself {as a sacrifice} one time, so he does not need {to present many sacrifices}.
What offering did Jesus make for the sins of the people?
Jesus offered up himself once for the sins of the people.
Hebrews 7:28
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 7:28ULT:
For the law appoints {as} high priests men having weakness, but the word of the swearing of an oath, which {came} after the law, {appoints} a Son, having been made perfect forever.
UST:
In the end, God commanded through Moses that some people should serve as priests, but these priests are weak {and die}. In contrast, when God guaranteed what he said, which he did after he had commanded {those things through Moses}, he enabled his Son {to serve} always as the most effective {priest}.
How is Jesus different from the priests who were appointed through the Law?
The priests who were appointed through the Law were weak, but Jesus has been made perfect forever.
Hebrews 8
Hebrews 8:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 8:1ULT:
Now the point concerning the things being said {is this}: We have such a high priest who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
UST:
Here is the main idea that I am writing about: a ruling priest like the one I have described is serving for us. He has gone to be with God {the Father} in the heavenly places, and he has begun to rule.
Where is the believers’ high priest sitting?
The believers’ high priest is sitting at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.
Hebrews 8:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 8:2ULT:
a servant of the holy {place} and the true tabernacle that the Lord, not a man, set up.
UST:
He serves in the Most Holy Place and in the most real sacred tent. The Lord {God}, not any human, made {this sanctuary}.
Where is the true tabernacle?
The true tabernacle is in the heavens.
Hebrews 8:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 8:3ULT:
For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, because of which {it is} necessary also for this one to have something that he might offer.
UST:
Now God makes people ruling priests so that they can present sacrifices. Because {that is what ruling priests do}, Jesus too needed to present a sacrifice.
What is necessary for every priest to have?
Every priest must have something to offer.
Hebrews 8:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 8:4ULT:
Now if indeed he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, {since} there are the ones offering the gifts according to the law;
UST:
So, because the priests {who are descendants of Levi already} present sacrifices {on earth} as God commanded, Jesus would not be serving as a priest were he on earth {right now}.
Where were the priests who offered gifts according to the Law?
The priests who offered gifts according to the Law were on the earth.
Hebrews 8:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 8:5ULT:
who serve an example and a shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses had been warned, being about to complete the tabernacle, for he says, “See that you will make everything according to the type that was shown to you on the mountain.”
UST:
Those priests do what God requires {in a sanctuary that} models the heavenly {sanctuary}. {You can tell that this is true,} because God revealed it to Moses when Moses was going to have the Israelites construct the sacred tent. {At that time,} God spoke to him, “Make sure that everything {about the sacred tent} matches the original {sanctuary} that I revealed to you {when you were with me} on Mount Sinai!”
What did the priests on earth serve?
The priests on earth served an example and a shadow of the heavenly things.
According to what pattern was the earthly tabernacle built?
The earthly tabernacle was built according to the pattern God showed Moses on the mountain.
Hebrews 8:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 8:6ULT:
But now he has obtained a far superior ministry, in as much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been legislated on better promises.
UST:
But here is what is true {about Jesus}: he serves in a much better way {than the descendants of Levi do}. In the same way, the agreement that God has made with his people through Jesus is greater {than the agreement that God made with the Israelites}. That is because God promised greater things when he made this new agreement.
Why does Christ have a superior priestly ministry?
Christ has a superior priestly ministry because he is the mediator of a better covenant, established on better promises.
Hebrews 8:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 8:7ULT:
For if that first {covenant} would have been faultless, no place would have been sought {for} a second one.
UST:
Now {you can tell that} the agreement that God made with the Israelites was not perfect, because God chose to make another agreement.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 8:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 8:8ULT:
For finding fault with them, he says, “Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, {when} I will complete a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;
UST:
{You can tell that the first agreement was not perfect,} because God declared that the Israelites did not perfectly keep that agreement when he said, “Here is what I say to you: Pay attention! Soon I will make a new agreement with all my people from both the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah.
What did God promise when he found fault with the people under the first covenant?
God promised to make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
Hebrews 8:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 8:9ULT:
not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day {when} I grasped their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not continue in my covenant, and I did not care about them, says the Lord.
UST:
{That agreement will} not be like the agreement that I made with their ancestors when I lovingly delivered them from the land of Egypt. Here is what I say: {It will not be like that agreement,} because they did not keep it, so I abandoned them.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 8:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 8:10ULT:
For this {is} the covenant that I will covenant with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord, putting my laws into their mind, and I will write them on their hearts, and I will be to them as God, and they will be to me as a people.
UST:
This is the kind of agreement that I will make with my people, the Israelites, very soon. Here is what I say: I will enable them to understand and obey my laws. I will be the God whom they worship, and they will be the people whom I care for.
What did God say he would do in the new covenant?
God said he would put his laws into the people’s minds, and write them on their hearts.
Hebrews 8:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 8:11ULT:
And they will certainly not teach each one his fellow citizen, and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
UST:
No one will ever have to instruct another Israelite, ‘Trust and worship the Lord God.’ {That is} because all my people will trust and worship me, no matter how important or unimportant they are.
In the new covenant, who will know the Lord?
In the new covenant, all will know the Lord, from the least to the greatest.
Hebrews 8:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 8:12ULT:
For I will be merciful toward their unrighteousness, and their sins I will certainly not remember any longer.”
UST:
{That will happen} because I will mercifully forgive them for the wrong things that they have done. I will never again punish them for the sins that they have committed.”
What did God say he would do with the people’s sins in the new covenant?
God said he would remember the people’s sins no more.
Hebrews 8:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 8:13ULT:
By saying “new,” he has made the first obsolete, and {what} is being made obsolete and growing old {is} near disappearing.
UST:
When God uses the word “new,” he means that the earlier {agreement with the Israelites} is now old. Further, what is old will soon cease to exist.
In announcing a new covenant, what did God make the first covenant?
In announcing a new covenant, God made the first covenant obsolete, growing old and disappearing.
Hebrews 9
Hebrews 9:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:1ULT:
Now indeed the first {covenant} had regulations for worship and the earthly holy {place},
UST:
As for the earlier {agreement that God made with Israel}, it required people to worship God in a specific way in a sanctuary on earth.
What was the place of worship for the first covenant? (9:1-2)
The place of worship for the first covenant was the earthly holy place which was called the “tabernacle.”
Hebrews 9:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:2ULT:
for a tabernacle was prepared, the first one, in which {were} both the lampstand and the table, and the presentation of the loaves, which is called “Holy,”
UST:
The sanctuary that the Israelites set up was a sacred tent {that had two sections}. They called the outer section the Holy Place. In it, {they put} a stand for lamps and a table on which they laid out {special} bread.
What was located in the holy place of the earthly tabernacle?
In the holy place of the earthly tabernacle were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of the presence.
Hebrews 9:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:3ULT:
and behind the second curtain {was} a tent which is called “the Holy of Holies,”
UST:
The inner section was on the other side of an inner cloth hanging. They called this {inner section} the Most Holy Place.
What was located in the most holy place of the earthly tabernacle? (9:3-4)
In the most holy place of the earthly tabernacle were the altar for incense and the ark of the covenant.
Hebrews 9:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:4ULT:
having a golden incense altar and the ark of the covenant, having been covered completely all around with gold, in which {was} a golden jar holding the manna, and the rod of Aaron that budded, and the tablets of the covenant,
UST:
In it, they put the altar for incense and the sacred chest, both of which they completely coated with gold. In the sacred chest, {they put} a gold container with manna inside{, the food that God gave the Israelites while they lived in the desert}. {They also put in it} Aaron’s staff that God caused to produce leaves. {They also put in it} the stone slabs {on which Moses wrote the most important parts} of the agreement with God.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 9:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:5ULT:
and above it, cherubim of glory overshadowing the atonement lid, about which things it is not now {the time} to speak according to {each} part.
UST:
On top of the sacred chest, {they put two statues of} glorious spiritual beings with wings. {These statues} cast shadows on the lid for the sacred chest. {However,} now is not the right time to carefully discuss each of these objects.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 9:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:6ULT:
And {when} these things had been thus prepared, the priests always enter into the first tabernacle, performing their services;
UST:
After they had set up all those things, the priests went into the outer section of the sacred tent every day to serve God.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 9:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:7ULT:
but into the second {tent}, once {in} the year only the high priest {enters}, {and} not without blood that he offers on behalf of himself and of the unintentional sins of the people.
UST:
On the other hand, on only one day a year does the {current} ruling priest go into the inner section {of the sacred tent}. He has to take blood {from an animal with him}, which he presents {to God} to take away his own {sins} and the sins that the rest of the Israelites committed by accident.
How often did the high priest enter the Holy of Holies, and what did he do before he entered?
The high priest entered the Holy of Holies once each year, after making a blood sacrifice for himself and the people.
Hebrews 9:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:8ULT:
This {is what} the Holy Spirit is making clear, that the way of the holy {places} {is} not yet to be revealed, the first tabernacle still having a place,
UST:
The Holy Spirit shows {through what the priests do in the sacred tent} that God did not reveal how to enter the {heavenly} Most Holy Place during the time when he required people to use the first section of the {earthly} sacred tent.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 9:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:9ULT:
which {is} a parable for the present time, according to which both gifts and sacrifices are being offered, not being able according to the conscience to perfect the worshiper,
UST:
This {first section of the earthly sacred tent} figuratively describes the time in which those Israelites lived. In that time, priests presented offerings that could not enable the people who brought the offerings to distinguish properly between what is right and what is wrong.
What served as an illustration in the present time for the readers of this letter?
The earthly tabernacle and the gifts and sacrifices being offered there served as an illustration in the present time.
What were the offerings of the earthly tabernacle not able to do?
The offerings of the earthly tabernacle were not able to perfect the worshiper’s conscience.
Hebrews 9:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:10ULT:
only concerning foods and drinks and different baptisms, regulations of the body, being imposed until a time of new order.
UST:
They also followed rules that were only about bodily things, {including rules} about what to eat and drink and how to wash with water often. God gave them these rules to follow until he made a new agreement with his people.
Until when were the regulations of the earthly tabernacle provided?
The regulations of the earthly tabernacle were provided until the new order would be put in place.
Hebrews 9:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:11ULT:
But Christ, having come as a high priest of the good things having come into existence, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by human hands, that is, not of this creation;
UST:
In contrast, when the Messiah began to serve as a ruling priest, {he gave us} the good things that we now have. He passed through the {heavenly} sacred tent that functions better {than the earthly one}. God, not humans, made this sacred tent, and it does not belong on the earth.
What is different about the sacred tent in which Christ serves?
The sacred tent in which Christ serves is more perfect, is not made by human hands, and does not belong to this created world.
Hebrews 9:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:12ULT:
and not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered into the holy {places} once and never again, having himself obtained eternal redemption.
UST:
Then, when he went into the {heavenly} Most Holy Place only one time, he did not present blood from animals that someone sacrificed{, like the priests who are descendants of Levi do}. Instead, he presented his own blood and freed {his people} from their sins forever.
What offering did Christ make, by which he entered the Holy of Holies?
Christ made an offering of his own blood by which he entered the Holy of Holies.
What did Christ’s offering accomplish?
Christ’s offering secured everlasting redemption for everyone.
Hebrews 9:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:13ULT:
For if the blood of goats and bulls and sprinkling ashes of a heifer on the ones that had been defiled sanctifies {them} for the cleansing of their flesh,
UST:
Now {those priests present} blood from animals that someone sacrificed, and they scatter ashes from a female cow, which they have burned, on unclean people. {When the priests do these things,} they really do cleanse the outside of a person.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 9:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:14ULT:
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse yourconscience from dead works to serve the living God!
UST:
{Since that is true,} what the Messiah does with his blood cleanses people much more! He presented himself as a perfect sacrifice to God, and the Spirit who lives forever enabled him to do so. He cleanses the inside of you all, removing what you do that accomplishes nothing and enabling you to do what the only real God requires.
What does Christ’s blood do for the believer?
Christ’s blood cleanses the believer’s conscience from dead deeds to serve the living God.
Hebrews 9:15
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:15ULT:
And for this reason, he is a mediator of a new covenant, so that, a death having happened for redemption of the transgressions {related} to the first covenant, the ones called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
UST:
Because {the Messiah cleanses the inside of people}, God has made a new agreement through him. That way, God gives to those whom he chose what he promised that they would receive forever. {That can happen because Jesus} died to free {his people} from what they did wrong when they disobeyed the agreement that God made with Israel.
Of what is Christ the mediator?
Christ is the mediator of a new covenant.
Hebrews 9:16
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:16ULT:
For where {there is} a covenant, {there is} a necessity for the death of the one having covenanted {it} to be proven.
UST:
Now when someone sets up a will, {which is a type of agreement,} that person needs to die before the will becomes effective.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 9:17
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:17ULT:
For a covenant {is} in force on the basis of the dead, because it never has force when the one covenanting {it} lives.
UST:
In fact, every will is valid only because of a dead person. {That is} because a will is not effective while the person who set it up is alive.
What is required in order for a will to be in force?
A death is required in order for a will to be in force.
Hebrews 9:18
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:18ULT:
So not even the first {covenant} had been inaugurated without blood.
UST:
Much like that, God definitely required {the Israelites to use} blood when he made the agreement with them.
What death was required for the first covenant? (9:18-19)
The death of calves and goats was required for the first covenant.
Hebrews 9:19
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:19ULT:
For every command having been spoken according to the law by Moses to all the people, having taken the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and red wool and hyssop, he sprinkled both the scroll itself and all the people,
UST:
Indeed, after Moses declared everything that God commanded in his law to the Israelites, he picked up {a bowl containing} blood from animals that someone had sacrificed. Then, also using water, red cloth, and parts of a hyssop plant, he scattered the blood on the book {in which he wrote what God commanded} and on all the Israelites.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 9:20
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:20ULT:
saying, “This {is} the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.”
UST:
{When he scattered the blood,} he said to them, “This blood signifies {that} the agreement that God made with you {is now effective}.”
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 9:21
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:21ULT:
And in a similar way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and all the containers of the service.
UST:
Moses likewise scattered blood on the sacred tent and on every tool {that the priests used} to serve God.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 9:22
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:22ULT:
And according to the law, almost everything is cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
UST:
Further, God commanded in Moses’ law that the priests should use blood almost every time they cleansed {people or things}. In fact, God does not forgive anyone unless a priest presents blood {from an animal that someone has sacrificed}.
What cannot happen without the shedding of blood?
Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Hebrews 9:23
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:23ULT:
Therefore {it is} necessary on the one hand {for} the examples of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but on the other hand, the heavenly things themselves, with better sacrifices than these,
UST:
So then, the priests had to sacrifice animals to purify the {earthly} copy of the heavenly {Most Holy Place}. Much like that, {Jesus had to} present an even greater offering {to purify} the heavenly {Most Holy Place} itself.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 9:24
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:24ULT:
for Christ did not enter into holy {places} made with hands—copies of the true ones—but into heaven itself, to be made visible now in the presence of God on our behalf,
UST:
{When he presented that offering,} the Messiah went into the highest heaven, where he reveals himself right now before God to help us. He did not go into a Most Holy Place that humans have made, which is a model of the most real Most Holy Place.
Where does Christ now appear on our behalf?
Christ now appears in heaven itself, in the presence of God, on our behalf.
Hebrews 9:25
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:25ULT:
and not in order to offer himself many times, even as the high priest enters into the holy {places} each year with blood {that is} not his own;
UST:
Further, he {went into the highest heaven} to present himself as an offering only once. That is not what the {earthly} ruling priests do. They go into the Most Holy Place every year {and present} blood from an animal {that someone has sacrificed}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 9:26
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:26ULT:
since it was necessary for him to suffer many times from the foundation of the world. But now he has been revealed once at the end of the ages for the annulment of sin through the sacrifice of himself.
UST:
{If Jesus had actually needed to present himself as an offering more than once,} then he would have needed to die very often since the time when God created everything. But here is what is true {about Jesus}: during this final time period, he presented himself one time only as an offering to make sin powerless.
How many times must Christ offer himself to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself?
Christ offers himself one time, at the end of the ages, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Hebrews 9:27
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:27ULT:
And just as it is appointed to men to die once, and after that, the judgment,
UST:
Humans will each die one time only, and then God will decide whether they are guilty or innocent.
For every person, what happens after their death?
After every person dies, they face the judgment.
Hebrews 9:28
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 9:28ULT:
so also, Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many {people}, will appear for a second time, apart from sin, for salvation to the ones eagerly waiting {for} him.
UST:
Much like that, the Messiah presented himself one time only as an offering to take away many people’s sins. Then, he will come again {to earth}, not {to take away} sins, but to rescue his people, who are persistently expecting him.
For what purpose will Christ appear a second time?
Christ will appear a second time for the salvation of those who wait eagerly for him.
Hebrews 10
Hebrews 10:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:1ULT:
For the law, having a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the image itself of those things—is never able to make perfect the ones approaching with the same sacrifices that they continually bring every year.
UST:
The law {that God gave through Moses} is not itself one of the wonderful things that God will give to his people. Rather, it only points to those wonderful things. So, even though the people who go closer to God always present offerings year after year, doing so never enables them to be what God wants them to be.
What is the law as compared to the realities in Christ?
The law is only a shadow of the realities in Christ.
Hebrews 10:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:2ULT:
Otherwise, would they not have ceased being offered, because the ones serving would no longer have consciousness of sins, having been cleansed once?
UST:
Suppose that {those offerings} actually purified the people who worship God. {In that case,} they would never feel guilty about their sins, and they would stop presenting offerings.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 10:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:3ULT:
But with those {sacrifices} {there is} a reminder of sins every year.
UST:
But {here is what is true about those offerings}: they remind people year after year of their sins.
Of what do the repeated sacrifices made through the law remind the worshipers?
The repeated sacrifices made through the law remind the worshipers of sins committed year after year.
Hebrews 10:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:4ULT:
For {it is} impossible {for} blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
UST:
{Those offerings can only do that,} because blood from animals that someone sacrificed cannot remove people’s sins.
What is it impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to do?
It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Hebrews 10:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:5ULT:
Therefore, entering into the world, he says, “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;
UST:
That is why, when the Messiah came to earth, he spoke {to his Father}, “You did not want {people to present} offerings. Instead, you made a human body ready for me.
What did God prepare for Christ when Christ came into the world?
God prepared a body for Christ.
Hebrews 10:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:6ULT:
{in} whole burnt {offerings} and concerning sin {offerings} nor were you well-pleased {with them}.
UST:
You did not enjoy the sacrifices that people present to take away their sins.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 10:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:7ULT:
Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— {as} it is written about me in a section of a scroll— to do your will, God.’”
UST:
So, I spoke {these words}: ‘Here I am! Someone wrote about me in the Scriptures. I will do what you want {me to do}, my God.’”
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 10:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:8ULT:
{When} he says above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor did you take pleasure in them” (which things are offered according to the law),
UST:
Here is what the Messiah said {to God} first: “You did not want or enjoy the offerings {that people present} or the sacrifices that people present to take away their sins.” Those offerings and sacrifices are the ones that the Israelites present {to God} as he required in the laws {that he gave through Moses}.
What practice did God set aside when Christ came into the world?
God set aside the first practice of the sacrifices offered according to the law.
Hebrews 10:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:9ULT:
then he had said, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second.
UST:
Then, the Messiah said this second: “Here I am! I will do what you want {me to do}.” He abolishes {what he spoke about} first in order to set up {what he spoke about} second.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 10:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:10ULT:
By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and never again.
UST:
Here is what God wanted: Jesus the Messiah presented his body as an offering one time only, and by that {offering}, God set us apart for himself.
What practice did God establish when Christ came into the world?
God established the second practice of the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Hebrews 10:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:11ULT:
And indeed, every priest stands every day serving and repeatedly offering the same sacrifices that never are able to take away sins.
UST:
Now all {earthly} priests have to stand up day after day while they worship God and present many offerings of the same kind. These offerings cannot remove {people’s} sins.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 10:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:12ULT:
But he, having offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, sat down at the right hand of God,
UST:
In contrast, the Messiah presented a single offering that is always effective in taking away sins. Then, he went to be with God {the Father}, where he sits {on the throne} and rules.
For what is Christ waiting as he sits at the right side of God? (10:12-13)
Christ is waiting until his enemies are humbled and made a stool for his feet.
Hebrews 10:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:13ULT:
waiting from then until his enemies might be made a footstool {for} his feet.
UST:
Right now, he remains {there} until God defeats all of his enemies.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 10:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:14ULT:
For by one offering he has perfected for all time the ones being sanctified.
UST:
{The Messiah remains there,} because he presented a single offering, by which he always makes the people whom God is setting apart for himself to be what God wants them to be.
By his one offering, what has Christ done for those sanctified?
Christ has perfected forever those who are sanctified by his one offering.
Hebrews 10:15
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:15ULT:
And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after having said,
UST:
God’s Spirit too confirms to us {that this is true}. Here is what he said first {in the words that I have already quoted}:
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 10:16
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:16ULT:
“This {is} the covenant that I will covenant with them after those days, says the Lord, putting my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their mind.”
UST:
“This is the kind of agreement that I will make with them, very soon. Here is what I say: I will enable them to obey and understand my laws.”
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 10:17
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:17ULT:
And {then}, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will certainly not still remember.”
UST:
Then{, God’s Spirit said this second in the words I have already quoted}: “I will never again punish them for the sinful and disobedient things that they have done.”
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 10:18
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:18ULT:
Now where {there is} forgiveness {for} these things, {there is} no longer sacrifice on behalf of sin.
UST:
When God forgives people for the {sinful and disobedient} things that they have done, no one again presents sacrifices to take away sins.
What is no longer required where there is forgiveness of sins?
Additional sacrifices are no longer required where there is forgiveness of sins.
Hebrews 10:19
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:19ULT:
Therefore, brothers, having confidence to enter the holy {places} by the blood of Jesus,
UST:
So then, fellow believers, we can be totally sure that there is a way into the heavenly Most Holy Place {for us}, because of Jesus’ blood.
Into what place can believers now enter by Jesus’ blood?
Believers can now enter the most holy place by Jesus’ blood.
Hebrews 10:20
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:20ULT:
which has inaugurated for us a fresh and living way through the curtain, that is, his flesh,
UST:
Jesus established that new and effective way for us, which passes through the cloth hanging {into the Most Holy Place}. This {cloth hanging figuratively} represents Jesus {while he lived} on earth.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 10:21
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:21ULT:
and a great priest over the house of God,
UST:
Further, {the Messiah is} a ruling priest {who} works for us, God’s people.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 10:22
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:22ULT:
let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts having been sprinkled clean from a wicked conscience and our body having been washed with pure water.
UST:
{Because those things are true,} we should go closer {to God}, completely serving him and fully believing in him now that he has purified us on the inside and on the outside so that we no longer feel guilty about evil things {that we have done}.
What has been sprinkled and what has been washed in the believer?
The believer’s heart has been sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and his body has been washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:23
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:23ULT:
Let us hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, because the one having promised {is} faithful.
UST:
{God,} who promised {these things to us,} will do what he has said. So, we need to persist in fully believing what we say we confidently expect.
To what must believers hold tightly?
Believers must hold tightly to the confession of their hope.
Hebrews 10:24
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:24ULT:
And let us consider one another to stimulate love and good deeds,
UST:
Further, we need to think about each other, particularly how to encourage each other to love others and to do what is right.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 10:25
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:25ULT:
not abandoning our own meeting together, just as {is} the habit for some {people}, but exhorting {one another}, and so much more in as much as you see that day approaching.
UST:
{We can do that by} always continuing to gather together {to worship God} and encouraging each other, even though some people often do not {do this}. Since we know that Jesus is coming back soon, we should be very eager to do those things.
What must believers do as they see the day drawing near?
Believers must encourage one another more and more as they see the day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:26
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:26ULT:
For if we deliberately keep on sinning after we receive the full knowledge of the truth, a sacrifice on behalf of sins no longer remains,
UST:
{We should do all those things,} because whenever we intentionally and habitually sin once we have completely understood the true {message about Christ}, no one can present any offering that will take away our sins.
What is the expectation of those who deliberately go on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth? (10:26-27)
The expectation of those who deliberately go on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth is judgment and a fiery zeal that consumes God’s enemies.
Hebrews 10:27
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:27ULT:
but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and of fire of zeal {that is} going to consume the adversaries.
UST:
{If we did go on sinning}, all we could do is fearfully wait for God to declare us guilty and, soon after, forcefully punish us as his enemies, {which would be like} flames burning us up.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 10:28
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:28ULT:
Anyone having rejected the law of Moses dies without mercy at {the testimony of} two or three witnesses.
UST:
The Israelites would kill any person who completely stopped obeying the laws that God gave through Moses, as long as at least two or three people confirmed that the person had done that. They would not be merciful to that person.
What does the person deserve who treats the blood of Christ, by which he was sanctified, as something unholy? (10:28-29)
The person who treats the blood of Christ by which he was sanctified as something unholy deserves punishment without mercy beyond the punishment given under the law of Moses.
Hebrews 10:29
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:29ULT:
How much worse punishment do you think will deserve the one having trampled underfoot the Son of God and having considered the blood of the covenant—by which he was sanctified—{as} profane and having insulted the Spirit of grace!
UST:
But now consider people who shame God’s Son. They treat his blood as if it were ordinary, even though God used that blood to make his covenant and set them apart for himself. They make fun of God’s Spirit, who acts graciously. God will rightly punish those people more than {he punished anyone who completely stopped obeying the laws that God gave through Moses}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 10:30
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:30ULT:
For we know the one having said, “Vengeance {is} mine; I will pay back.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
UST:
{We know that is true,} because we have encountered God, who spoke, “I am the one who will punish people when they act against me. I will do so in a way that they deserve.” Further, {he} also {spoke}, “I, the Lord, will decide whether my people are guilty or innocent.”
To whom does vengeance belong?
Vengeance belongs to the Lord.
Hebrews 10:31
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:31ULT:
{It is} a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!
UST:
Those who deserve the only real God to punish them should be afraid!
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 10:32
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:32ULT:
But remember the former days, in which, having been enlightened, you endured a great struggle of sufferings,
UST:
On the other hand, I want you to think about what it was like when you first learned about the good news. During that time, you continued {to trust God} while you firmly withstood what you suffered.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 10:33
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:33ULT:
at {times} indeed being publicly exposed both to reproach and persecution, but at other {times} having become partners of the ones being treated in this way.
UST:
In some cases, people publicly insulted and hurt you. In other cases, you helped other people who experienced those same things.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 10:34
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:34ULT:
For you also sympathized with the prisoners, and you welcomed with joy the seizure of your possessions, knowing yourselves to have a better and abiding possession.
UST:
More specifically, you acted compassionately toward those in jail. Also, you rejoiced even when people took away what you owned. {You did that} because you recognized that God has something greater and more lasting for you.
How had the believers who received this letter reacted to the seizure of their possessions?
The believers had accepted with joy the seizure of their possessions, knowing they had a better and everlasting possession.
Hebrews 10:35
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:35ULT:
So you must not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
UST:
Therefore, continue to be confident {that God will do what he has promised}. God greatly rewards those who are confident in this way.
What must the believer need not throw away so he may receive what God has promised? (10:35-36)
The believer needs to retain his confidence so he may receive what God has promised.
Hebrews 10:36
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:36ULT:
For you have need of endurance so that, having done the will of God, you might obtain the promise.
UST:
As you can see, you need to continue {to trust God}. That way, once you have done what God desires, you will receive what he has promised {to give to you}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 10:37
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:37ULT:
“For yet {in} a very little {while}, the one coming will come and will not delay.
UST:
Here is what a prophet wrote: “Very soon, the person who is going to arrive will arrive. He will not wait a long time.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 10:38
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:38ULT:
But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he would shrink back, my soul is not well-pleased with him.”
UST:
Further, those who serve me righteously will trust {in me} while they are alive. But suppose they stop {trusting in me}. Then, they will not please me.”
How will the righteous live?
The righteous will live by faith.
What does God think of those who shrink back?
God is not pleased with those who shrink back.
Hebrews 10:39
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 10:39ULT:
But we ourselves are not of shrinking back to destruction, but of faith to the preservation of the soul.
UST:
However, we are not those who stop {trusting in God}, whom he will destroy. Rather, we are those who trust {in God}, so he saves us.
What is the author’s expectation for those who received this letter?
The author’s expectation is that those who received this letter will have faith for keeping their souls.
Hebrews 11
Hebrews 11:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:1ULT:
Now faith is assurance of things being hoped {for}, proof of things not being seen.
UST:
When people trust God, it makes them sure that they will receive what they confidently expect. {When people trust God,} it makes them certain about things that they do not see.
What attitude does a person of faith have toward God’s promises that are yet to be fulfilled?
A person of faith confidently expects and has certainty toward God’s promises that are yet to be fulfilled.
Hebrews 11:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:2ULT:
For by this the ancients were commended.
UST:
In fact, because the Israelite ancestors trusted God, he approved of them.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:3ULT:
By faith we understand the ages to have been prepared by the word of God—so that {what} is seen was not made from what is visible.
UST:
Because we trust God, we recognize that, by speaking, God set up everything that exists. So then, the things we see did not come from other things we can see.
From what were the visible things of the universe created?
The visible things of the universe were not made out of things that were visible.
Hebrews 11:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:4ULT:
By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was testified to be righteous, God testifying because of his gifts, and through {faith}, having died, he still speaks.
UST:
Because he trusted God, Adam’s son Abel presented a more acceptable offering to God than did his older brother Cain. Because he trusted God, God approved of him for what he presented and declared that he did what was right. Although Abel died, we can still learn from how he trusted God.
Why did God praise Abel for being righteous?
God praised Abel because Abel by faith offered God a more appropriate sacrifice than Cain did.
Hebrews 11:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:5ULT:
By faith Enoch was transferred, so that he did not see death, and “He was not found, because God transferred him.” For before his transfer, he was reported to have been well-pleasing to God.
UST:
Because Enoch trusted God, God took him {to heaven}, and so he never died. As {Moses wrote,} “No one could find him. That is because God took him {to heaven}.” Now before God took {Enoch to heaven}, he declared that Enoch pleased him.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:6ULT:
Now without faith {it is} impossible to be well-pleasing, for it is necessary for the one coming to God to believe that he exists and is a rewarder of the ones seeking him.
UST:
In fact, people can only please God when they trust him. {That is} because people who go closer to God have to believe that he is real and that he will reward people who want to serve and worship him.
What must one who comes to God believe about God?
One who comes to God must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Hebrews 11:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:7ULT:
By faith Noah, having been warned about the things not yet being seen, having become reverent, built an ark for salvation of his household, through which he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness {which is} according to faith.
UST:
Because he trusted God, Noah honored God {by believing him} when God revealed to him what he could not yet experience. So, Noah built the ark to rescue his family {from the flood that God would send}. Since Noah trusted God {in this way}, he proved that everyone else was guilty. Further, Noah became a person whom God made right with himself because Noah trusted him.
How did Noah demonstrate his faith?
Noah demonstrated his faith by building an ark to save his family according to God’s warning.
Hebrews 11:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:8ULT:
By faith, Abraham, being called, obeyed to go out to a place that he was going to receive for an inheritance and went out, not fully knowing where he is going.
UST:
Because he trusted God, Abraham did what God said when God spoke to him. He left {his home} to travel to a location that God would soon make to be his new home. When he left {his home}, he did not even know exactly where {this new home would be}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:9ULT:
By faith he lived as a foreigner in the land of the promise, having lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the fellow heirs of the same promise,
UST:
Because he trusted God, Abraham stayed in the country that God had promised {to give him}, but it was not yet his country. He lived with Isaac his son and Jacob his grandson in temporary shelters, {even though} God promised to all three of them {that he would give them this country}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:10ULT:
for he was waiting for the city having foundations, whose architect and builder {is} God.
UST:
{Abraham lived like that} because he was looking forward to {living in} the secure and permanent {heavenly} city that God created.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:11ULT:
By faith, even Sarah herself received ability for the conception of an offspring, even beyond the time of full age, since she considered {to be} faithful the one having promised.
UST:
Because he believed, Abraham was able to have a son with {his wife} Sarah even though he was old enough that he could not normally have had a child. {That happened} because he reckoned that God would certainly do what he said.
What promise did Abraham and Sarah receive by faith?
Abraham and Sarah received by faith the power to conceive even when they were too old.
Hebrews 11:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:12ULT:
Therefore, also from one {man}—and he having become dead—these {children} were born, just as the stars of the sky in their great number and countless as the sand along the shore of the sea.
UST:
So then, even though he was very old, Abraham had many descendants, {the Israelites}. {Just as God promised,} there are as many {Israelites} as there are many stars in the sky and as there are many grains of sand on a beach by the ocean.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:13ULT:
According to their faith all these died without receiving the promises, but seeing and greeting them from far off, and having confessed that they are strangers and foreigners on the earth.
UST:
All those people trusted God until they died. {While they lived,} they did not experience what God had promised {to give them}, but they knew that God would soon do what he had promised. They showed everyone that they did not really belong in this world.
What did the ancestors of faith see from far off?
The ancestors of faith saw and welcomed God’s promises from far off.
What did the ancestors of faith consider themselves on the earth?
The ancestors of faith considered themselves strangers and aliens on the earth.
Hebrews 11:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:14ULT:
For those saying such things are making it clear that they seek a homeland.
UST:
Indeed, all people who speak what they spoke {about not belonging in this world} show clearly that they desire {to live in} their own country.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:15
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:15ULT:
And if indeed they had been thinking of that {land} from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.
UST:
But suppose these {faithful people} considered the country they had left {to be their own country}. In that case, they could have gone back there{, but they did not}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:16
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:16ULT:
But now they reach for a better {land}, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he prepared a city for them.
UST:
But here is what is true {about them}: they longed for a greater country that is in heaven. Because of that, it honors God when other people describe him as the God of these people {who trusted him}. {You can tell that this is true,} because God has made a city for them {to live in}.
What has God prepared for those of faith?
God has prepared a heavenly city for those of faith.
Hebrews 11:17
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:17ULT:
By faith Abraham, being tested, had offered Isaac; even the one having welcomed the promises offered up his one and only {son},
UST:
Because he trusted God, when God tested him, Abraham would have presented {his son} Isaac {as an offering}. Indeed, the man to whom God promised {many descendants} was about to present {as an offering} the only child {he and his wife Sarah had}.
What did Abraham believe God would be able to do even as he offered up Isaac his only son? (11:17-19)
Abraham believed God would be able to raise up Isaac from the dead.
Hebrews 11:18
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:18ULT:
to whom it was said, “Through Isaac your offspring will be named,”
UST:
{In fact,} God {had already} said to Abraham, “The many descendants {that I promised to give you} will come from {your son} Isaac.”
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:19
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:19ULT:
having reasoned that God is able to raise up even from the dead, and in a parable, he received him back from there.
UST:
{Abraham acted in this way because} he reckoned that God could make dead people alive again. In fact, in a manner of speaking, Abraham did get Isaac back after he had died.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:20
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:20ULT:
By faith also, concerning coming things, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.
UST:
Because he trusted God, Isaac blessed {his sons} Jacob and Esau, declaring what would happen {to each of them}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:21
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:21ULT:
By faith Jacob, {when} dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped on the end of his staff.
UST:
Because he trusted God, when he was about to die, Jacob blessed both sons of {his son} Joseph. He praised God while he leaned on his walking stick.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:22
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:22ULT:
By faith Joseph, coming to an end, mentioned about the exodus of the sons of Israel and commanded {them} about his bones.
UST:
Because he trusted God, when he was about to die, Joseph spoke about how the Israelites would leave {the land of Egypt}. Also, he commanded {them to take} his bones {with them when they left}.
What did Joseph prophesy by faith when his end was near?
Joseph prophesied of the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt when his end was near.
Hebrews 11:23
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:23ULT:
By faith Moses, having been born, was hidden for three months by his parents because they saw that the little child {was} beautiful, and they were not afraid of the decree of the king.
UST:
Because they trusted God, Moses’ father and mother kept Moses hidden for 13 weeks after he was born. They bravely disobeyed what the king {of Egypt} commanded {about killing the sons of the Israelites}. {They did that} because they could tell that Moses was a good child.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:24
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:24ULT:
By faith Moses, having become great, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.
UST:
Because he trusted God, when he grew up, Moses rejected how he was living as the {adopted} son of one {of the daughters} of the king of Egypt.
What did Moses choose to do by faith when he had grown up? (11:24-26)
Moses chose by faith to share mistreatment with God’s people, considering the disgrace of following Christ as greater riches.
Hebrews 11:25
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:25ULT:
Rather, he chose to suffer evil together with the people of God than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin.
UST:
He decided to experience how people mistreated God’s people rather than to enjoy sinning for a little while.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:26
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:26ULT:
He considered the reproach of the Christ greater riches {than} the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking away toward his reward.
UST:
He reckoned that people insulting him because of the Messiah was more valuable than all the valuable things in {the land of} Egypt. {He thought in this way,} because he focused on how God would reward him.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:27
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:27ULT:
By faith he left Egypt behind, not having feared the wrath of the king, for he endured as if he were seeing the unseen one.
UST:
Because he trusted God, Moses departed from {the land of} Egypt. He was not afraid of {what} the king {would do} while he was angry. {He acted in that way,} because he continued {to trust God as completely} as if he could see God, who is invisible.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:28
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:28ULT:
By faith he has performed the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer {of} the firstborn would not touch them.
UST:
Because he trusted God, Moses led the Israelites in celebrating the {first} Passover festival and spreading blood {from lambs on their doors}. {They did that} so that the spiritual being who killed the eldest children {of the Egyptians} would not kill their {eldest children}.
What did Moses observe by faith in order to save the Israelites’ firstborn sons?
Moses observed the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood by faith in order to save the Israelites’ firstborn sons.
Hebrews 11:29
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:29ULT:
By faith they passed through the Red Sea as if through dry land, which the Egyptians, having taken an attempt, were swallowed up.
UST:
Because they trusted God, the Israelites walked across the Sea of Reeds like {they were walking on} hard ground {when God made a path for them}. Then, when the Egyptians tried to follow, they drowned in the water {when God covered the path}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:30
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:30ULT:
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, having been encircled for seven days.
UST:
Because the Israelites trusted God, he broke down the walls {around the city} of Jericho after the Israelites {repeatedly} marched around the city during one week.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:31
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:31ULT:
By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish together with the ones having disobeyed, having welcomed the spies with peace.
UST:
Because she trusted God, Rahab, who was a prostitute, kept the spies {whom Joshua had sent} safe. {Because she did that,} the Israelites did not kill her when they killed {everyone else who lived in Jericho}, everyone who did not obey {God}.
What did Rahab do by faith which prevented her from perishing?
Rahab by faith received the spies in safety, which prevented her from perishing.
Hebrews 11:32
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:32ULT:
And what more might I say? For the time will fail me, fully relating about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, and also Samuel and the prophets,
UST:
I cannot now say any more about this. Indeed, I do not have the time to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the {other} prophets.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:33
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:33ULT:
who through faith conquered kingdoms, worked justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,
UST:
Because such people trusted God, some of them defeated foreign armies. Others ruled justly. Others received what God had promised. Others kept lions from eating them.
What did some of the ancestors of faith accomplish in war? (11:33-34)
Some of the ancestors of faith conquered kingdoms, escaped the sword, became mighty in war, and caused foreign armies to flee.
Hebrews 11:34
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:34ULT:
extinguished the power of fire, escaped the mouth of the sword, were empowered out of weakness, became strong in battle, {and} routed foreign armies.
UST:
Others stopped fire from burning them. Others survived when someone violently attacked them. Others became powerful when they were weak. Others fought their enemies powerfully. Others completely defeated soldiers from other countries.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:35
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:35ULT:
Women received back their dead by resurrection, but others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;
UST:
Some women experienced how God made their {family members} who had died to become alive again. However, other people experienced how others intentionally hurt them {to make them disobey God}. They kept obeying God despite that. That way, God would make them alive again so that they could never die.
What did some of the ancestors of faith suffer? (11:35-38)
Some of the ancestors of faith suffered torture, mocking, whippings, chains, imprisonments, stoning, sawing in two, death, and destitution.
Hebrews 11:36
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:36ULT:
and others received a trial of mockings and of whippings, and even more of chains and of imprisonment.
UST:
Further, other people suffered when others made fun of them or struck their backs with ropes. Sometimes, rulers even arrested them and put them in jail.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:37
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:37ULT:
They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tried, they died with slaughter of a sword, they went about in sheepskins {and} in goatskins, destitute, oppressed, mistreated;
UST:
People killed these {faithful people} by throwing rocks at them or by cutting them in half. People tempted them {to disobey God}. People killed them with swords. These {faithful people} wandered around wearing only animal skins. They had nothing, and people persecuted them and treated them badly.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:38
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:38ULT:
(of which {people} the world was not worthy), being caused to wander about in deserts and mountains and caves and the holes in the ground.
UST:
{People treated them like that even though} they did not deserve to live in the same place with those who trusted God. {Despite that,} these faithful people had to live in wilderness places, on hills, and in caves in the earth.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 11:39
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:39ULT:
And all these {people}, having been commended because of their faith, did not receive the promise,
UST:
Although God approved of all these people because they trusted him, he did not {yet} give them what he had promised {to give them}.
Despite the faith of these ancestors, what did they not receive in their earthly lives?
Despite the faith of these ancestors, they did not receive in their earthly lives what God had promised them.
Hebrews 11:40
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 11:40ULT:
God having provided something better concerning us, so that without us, they would not be made perfect.
UST:
Rather, God prepared ahead of time to give us something greater {than what those people received while they lived}. That way, only when we and they are all together will we all be what God wants us to be.
With whom will the ancestors of faith receive the promises of God and be perfected?
The ancestors of faith will receive the promises of God and be perfected with the new covenant believers in Christ.
Hebrews 12
Hebrews 12:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:1ULT:
For that very reason, we also, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, having laid aside every weight and the easily entangling sin, let us run with endurance the race that is placed before us,
UST:
So then, because all those people who trusted God are watching us, we need to persevere in trusting God too. To do that, we need to stop sinning and avoid anything else that could hinder us.
Why should the believer throw off the sin that easily entangles him?
The believer should throw off the sin that easily entangles him in order to run with endurance the race placed before him.
Hebrews 12:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:2ULT:
looking away to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of the faith, who, for the joy that is placed before him, endured a cross, despising {its} shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
UST:
We need to focus on Jesus, the one who enables us to trust God at first and then to do so until we die. He himself persevered when he died on the cross, and he did not care that he died shamefully. {He acted in those ways} because he knew that God would make him joyful afterward. Now, he is with God {the Father}, where he sits on the throne and rules.
Why did Jesus endure the cross and despise its shame?
Jesus endured the cross and despised its shame for the joy that was set before him.
Hebrews 12:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:3ULT:
For consider the one that has endured such opposition by sinners against themselves,so that you might not become weary in your souls, giving up.
UST:
You need to think about Jesus, who persevered when sinners quarreled with him, {although} they {only} hurt themselves. That way, you can be strong on the inside and persevere.
How can a believer avoid becoming weary or fainthearted?
By considering Jesus, who endured hateful speech from sinners, a believer can avoid becoming weary or fainthearted.
Hebrews 12:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:4ULT:
You have not yet resisted to the point of blood, struggling against sin,
UST:
So far, you have not died while you oppose {what is evil} and work hard not to sin.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 12:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:5ULT:
and you have completely forgotten the exhortation that instructs you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the discipline of the Lord, nor become weary {when} being reproved by him;
UST:
Further, you have failed to remember what {Solomon} encouraged his children to do, which also applies to you. {Here is what Solomon wrote}: “My child, learn carefully when the Lord trains you. Indeed, persevere when he corrects you.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 12:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:6ULT:
For whom the Lord loves, he disciplines, and he whips every son whom he welcomes.”
UST:
{You should do that,} because the Lord {God} trains everyone he loves. Indeed, he severely corrects every child he calls his own.”
What does the Lord do to those whom he loves and receives?
The Lord disciplines those whom he loves and receives.
Hebrews 12:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:7ULT:
Endure for discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son {is there} whom his father does not discipline?
UST:
You need to persevere so that God can train you. God acts in these ways toward you because you are his children. {You can tell that this is true,} because parents always train their own children.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 12:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:8ULT:
But if you are without discipline, of which all {men} have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not his sons.
UST:
Suppose God did not train you, even though he trained everybody else. In that case, you would not actually be {God’s} children.
What is a person who is without the Lord’s discipline?
A person without the Lord’s discipline is an illegitimate child and not God’s child.
Hebrews 12:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:9ULT:
Furthermore, on the one hand, we had the fathers of our flesh {as} discipliners and we were respectful {of them}; on the other hand, will we not much more be subjected to the Father of the spirits and live?
UST:
Moreover, our human parents trained us when we were children, and we respected them. So, we should accept it even more when our spiritual Father{, God, trains us}. That way, we will live {forever}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 12:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:10ULT:
For indeed, they were disciplining {us} for a few days according to {what} seems {best} to them, but he, to benefit {us}, so that we might share his holiness.
UST:
Further, our human parents trained us for a short time in the ways that they thought were right. However, God our Father {trains us} in the ways that are best {for us}. That way, we become those whom he has set apart, just as he sets himself apart.
Why does God discipline his children?
God disciplines his children for their good, so they can share in his holiness.
Hebrews 12:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:11ULT:
Now every discipline does not seem to be joy at the present, but pain, but afterward it produces the peaceful fruit of righteousness for the ones having been trained by it.
UST:
Whenever God trains us, we hurt rather than rejoice while it is happening. However, once we learn from how God is training us, we are able peacefully to do what is right.
What does discipline produce?
Discipline produces peaceful fruit of righteousness.
Hebrews 12:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:12ULT:
Therefore, make straight the drooping hands and the knees that have been paralyzed,
UST:
Because of all that, you need to prepare yourselves to persevere in trusting God, just like runners prepare their tired bodies to continue running.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 12:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:13ULT:
and make straight paths for your feet, so that the lame might not be dislocated, but rather might be healed.
UST:
You need to focus on trusting and obeying God, just like a runner focuses on running the straightest path. That way, anyone who is spiritually weak will not stop trusting God but will instead trust him more.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 12:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:14ULT:
Pursue peace with all {men}, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord,
UST:
You should seek to live peacefully with everybody. Also, {you should seek} to set yourselves apart for God. Only if you do that will you eventually be with the Lord.
What should believers pursue with all people?
Believers should pursue peace with all people.
Hebrews 12:15
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:15ULT:
carefully watching that no one is falling short from the grace of God, not any root of bitterness is growing up to cause trouble, and by this many might become defiled,
UST:
Make sure that your fellow believers fully receive what God has given you. {Be alert for} anyone who begins to behave resentfully and disturbs {fellow believers}. That may lead many {other believers} to behave that way as well.
What must not grow up and cause trouble and pollute many?
A root of bitterness must not grow up and cause trouble and pollute many.
Hebrews 12:16
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:16ULT:
not any sexually immoral or profane one such as Esau, who in exchange for one meal sold his own birthright.
UST:
{Be alert for} people who have improper sex or do not set themselves apart for God. {These people are} like Esau, who allowed {his younger brother Jacob} to act as the firstborn child in order to get some food {from him}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 12:17
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:17ULT:
For you know that even afterwards, desiring to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, because he found no place {for} repentance, even though he sought it with tears.
UST:
{You should avoid being like Esau,} because you realize what happened to him later. He wanted his father to bless him, but his father refused to do so. As you can see, Esau could not change what he had done, even when he cried while he tried {to change it}.
What happened to Esau when he desired to inherit the blessing with tears after selling his own birthright?
Esau was rejected when he desired to inherit the blessing with tears after selling his own birthright.
Hebrews 12:18
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:18ULT:
For you have not come to {what} can be touched and to a blazing fire and to darkness and to gloom and to a storm
UST:
We have not gone closer to {what the Israelites went closer to when they arrived at Mount Sinai}. {They went closer to a mountain} that they could feel {with their hands}. They saw flames burning, dark clouds, shadows, and a thunderstorm.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 12:19
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:19ULT:
and to a sound of a trumpet and to a voice of words of which the ones having heard begged for not a word to be added to them.
UST:
They heard someone playing a trumpet and God speaking a message. When they heard God speaking, they pleaded for him not to say any more to them.
For what did the Israelites beg at the mountain where God spoke?
The Israelites begged that not another word be spoken to them.
Hebrews 12:20
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:20ULT:
For they could not endure {what} was ordered: “If even an animal might touch the mountain, it must be stoned.”
UST:
{They did that,} because they were afraid when God commanded them, “You must kill all people and animals that touch this mountain. {You must kill them} by throwing rocks at them.”
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 12:21
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:21ULT:
And the thing being made visible was so fearful that Moses said, “I am terrified and trembling.”
UST:
Further, when Moses saw how frightening everything was, he said, “I am shaking because I am afraid!”
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 12:22
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:22ULT:
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the assembly
UST:
In contrast to that, you have gone closer to a heavenly place, Mount Zion. {On this mountain is} the city Jerusalem in heaven that belongs to the only real God. {In the city are} very many spiritual beings who celebrate together.
To where do believers in Christ come instead of the mountain where the Israelites heard the voice of God?
Believers in Christ come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God.
Hebrews 12:23
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:23ULT:
and to the church of the firstborn ones, {who} have been registered in the heavens, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous ones made perfect,
UST:
Also {in the city are} those whose {names} God has recorded in heaven. {They are} God’s people, his special children. {There} also {is} God, the one who decides whether all {people} are guilty or innocent. {There} too {are} those who obeyed God. They died, but God has now made them what he wants them to be.
To what assembly do believers in Christ come?
Believers in Christ come to the assembly of all the firstborn registered in heaven.
To whom do believers in Christ come? (12:23-24)
Believer in Christ come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous, and to Jesus.
Hebrews 12:24
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:24ULT:
and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood speaking better than Abel.
UST:
Also {in the city is} Jesus, through whom God has made a new agreement. {There} also {is} Jesus’ blood, which purifies us. His blood is more effective than Abel’s blood.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 12:25
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:25ULT:
See that you do not refuse the one speaking. For if those did not escape, having refused the one warning {them} on earth, much less we {who} are turning away from the one from heaven,
UST:
Make sure that you obey God, who is speaking to you. Consider how some of the Israelites did not obey what God revealed to them from Mount Sinai. God certainly punished them. Now consider how much more {God will punish any of} us who do not obey what he {reveals to us} from Mount Zion.
What will happen to those who turn away from the one who warns them from heaven?
Those who turn away will not escape from God.
Hebrews 12:26
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:26ULT:
the voice of whom at that time shook the earth, but now he has promised, saying, “Still once I myself will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.”
UST:
When God spoke from Mount Sinai, it made the earth quake. However, at this time he promises, “One more time, I will make the earth and also heaven quake.”
What has God promised to shake?
God has promised to shake the earth and the heaven.
Hebrews 12:27
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:27ULT:
But this {phrase}, “Still once” indicates the removal of the things being shaken, that is, of {the things} created, so that the things not being shaken might remain.
UST:
The words “one more time” mean that God will transform everything that he shakes. {He will do that} just as he created all those things. That way, everything that he does not shake will last forever.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 12:28
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:28ULT:
Therefore, receiving an unshakeable kingdom, let us have gratitude, through which let us serve well-pleasingly to God, with reverence and awe,
UST:
So, we will live in a kingdom that God will not quake. {Because of that,} we should thank God. By doing that, we respectfully worship God in a way that pleases him.
What will the believers receive instead of the things that can be shaken?
The believers will receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
How should believers serve God?
Believers should serve God with reverence and awe.
Hebrews 12:29
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 12:29ULT:
for indeed our God {is} a consuming fire.
UST:
{We should do so respectfully,} because the God we {worship} is {as powerful and dangerous as} a raging fire.
Why should believers worship God in this way?
Believers should worship God in this way because he is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 13
Hebrews 13:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:1ULT:
Let brotherly love continue.
UST:
Persist in loving your fellow believers.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 13:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:2ULT:
Do not neglect hospitality, for through this, some have shown hospitality to angels without knowing {it}.
UST:
Make sure that you are welcoming other people. {You should do that} because some people who welcomed others actually welcomed spiritual beings, although they did not know {that they were spiritual beings}.
What have some done by welcoming strangers?
Some have welcomed angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 13:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:3ULT:
Remember the prisoners, as having been bound with {them}, {and} the ones being mistreated, as yourselves also being in body.
UST:
Be sure to help those who are in jail. {You should help them} as {you would want others to help you} were you in jail with them. {Also, do not forget to help} those whom others treat badly. {You should do that} because you too are humans {who can suffer}.
How should believers remember those in prison?
Believers should remember them as if they were in prison also, and as if their bodies were being mistreated also.
Hebrews 13:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:4ULT:
Marriage {must be} honorable among all, and the marriage bed pure, for God will judge sexually immoral {people} and adulterers.
UST:
All of you should greatly value how God joins people together when they marry. Further, people who marry should have sex only with their spouses. {You should do those things} because God will declare guilty anyone who has sex with a married person or who has improper sex in any way.
What must be respected by all?
Marriage must be respected by all.
What does God do with the sexually immoral and adulterers?
God judges the sexually immoral and adulterers.
Hebrews 13:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:5ULT:
Your manner of life {must be} free from the love of money, being content {with} the things being present, for he himself has said, “I will never leave you, nor never will I forsake you,”
UST:
You should always avoid desiring money. {You can do that} by being happy with whatever you have. {You should behave in this way,} because God has spoken {these words to each of you}: “I will definitely not abandon you. Yes, I will always be with you.”
How can a believer be free from the love of money?
A believer can be free from the love of money because God has said he will never leave nor forsake him.
Hebrews 13:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:6ULT:
so that, being confident, we say, “The Lord {is} my helper, and I will not become afraid. What will a man do to me?”
UST:
Because {God says that,} we boldly speak {these words}: “The Lord {God} is the one who supports me. Because of that, I do not fear anyone. No one can do anything to {hurt} me.”
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 13:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:7ULT:
Remember your leaders, who spoke the Word of God to you, of whom considering the outcome of their conduct, imitate their faith.
UST:
Pay attention to the people who were in charge of your group. I mean the ones who told you about {what} God {has done}. Examine {the good things} that happened because of how they lived. You should imitate how they trusted God.
Who’s faith should believers imitate?
Believers should imitate the faith of those who have led them and who have spoken God’s Word to them.
Hebrews 13:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:8ULT:
Jesus Christ {is} the same yesterday and today and forever.
UST:
Jesus the Messiah has never changed and will never change.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 13:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:9ULT:
Do not be carried away by various and strange teachings. For {it is} good {for} the heart to be confirmed by grace, not by foods with which the ones walking {in them} were not benefitted.
UST:
Do not let other people mislead you by teaching you many kinds of things that do not fit {with the good news}. {You should reject what they teach,} because only what God gives us rightly makes us strong. The food {that we eat} cannot {do that}. In fact, people who act as if {food could do that} gain nothing.
About what kind of strange teachings does the author warn the believers?
The author warns the believers about strange teachings involving rules about food.
Hebrews 13:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:10ULT:
We have an altar from which the ones serving in the tabernacle have no authority to eat.
UST:
We benefit from {Jesus’} offering, {which is greater than the offerings that} the priests presented in the sacred tent. {In fact, those priests} would be unable to participate in Jesus’ offering.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 13:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:11ULT:
For the blood of which animals is brought on behalf of sin by the high priest into the holy {places}, {but} the bodies of these {animals} are burned up outside the camp.
UST:
In the Most Holy Place, the ruling priest would present blood from animals {that he had killed}. {He did that} to take away sins. Someone {then} would completely burn the remains of these animals away from where the Israelites were staying.
Where were the bodies of the animals used for sacrifice in the holy place burned?
The bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp.
Hebrews 13:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:12ULT:
So Jesus also suffered outside the gate, so that he might sanctify the people through his own blood.
UST:
Therefore, Jesus too died away from where people lived {in the city of Jerusalem}. {He did that} to set {God’s} people apart for himself by offering his own blood.
Where did Jesus suffer?
Jesus suffered outside the city gate.
Hebrews 13:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:13ULT:
Let us therefore go to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach.
UST:
So then, we should abandon everything that could separate us from the Messiah. {As we do that,} we should accept it when people insult us like they insulted him.
Where must believers go, and why?
Believers must go to Jesus outside the camp, bearing his disgrace.
Hebrews 13:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:14ULT:
For we do not have a lasting city here, but we are seeking the one coming.
UST:
{We should do that} because, here {on earth}, we do not live in any city that will last forever. Rather, we desire {to live in} the city that God will soon give us.
What permanent city do believers have here on earth?
Believers have no permanent city here on earth. They seek the one coming.
What city do believers seek instead?
Believers seek the city that is to come.
Hebrews 13:15
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:15ULT:
Through him, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips acknowledging his name.
UST:
With Jesus helping us, we should frequently praise God, as if we were presenting offerings to him. We do that when we say that we believe in Jesus.
What sacrifice should believers constantly offer up to God?
Believers should constantly offer up a sacrifice of praise to God.
Hebrews 13:16
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:16ULT:
But let us not neglect the doing of good and sharing, for God is well-pleased with such sacrifices.
UST:
Further, we need to make sure that we help others by giving some of what we have to them. Doing that is like presenting offerings that please God.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 13:17
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:17ULT:
Obey your leaders and submit {to them}, for they keep watch over your souls, as ones {who} will give account, in order that they might do this with joy and not {with} groaning, for this {would be} unprofitable to you.
UST:
Those who are in charge of your group {know that} God considers them responsible for you, and so they always focus on taking care of you. Because of that, you should respectfully do what they require. That way, they can {lead your group} joyfully instead of sadly. Indeed, {if they led sadly,} that would not help you at all.
What attitude should believers have toward their leaders?
Believers should obey and submit to their leaders.
Hebrews 13:18
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:18ULT:
Pray for us, for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.
UST:
Please ask God to help me and those with me. {I ask that} because we are sure that we are not guilty. Indeed, we always want to behave properly.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 13:19
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:19ULT:
But I encourage {you} even more to do this, so that I will be restored to you soon.
UST:
I urge you still more to ask God to send me back to you quickly.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 13:20
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:20ULT:
Now the God of peace, the one having brought up from the dead ones the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, by the blood of the eternal covenant,
UST:
God is the one who makes his people peaceful. He made our Lord Jesus alive again after he had died. Jesus is like a powerful sheepherder who leads us, his sheep. {God made him alive again} because Jesus used his own blood to make {the new} covenant that will last forever.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 13:21
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:21ULT:
may he prepare you in every thing good to do his will, working in us {what} {is} well-pleasing before him, through Jesus Christ, to whom {be} the glory forever {and} ever. Amen.
UST:
We pray that God will provide you with all {his} good {gifts}. That way, you can do what he wants you to do. In fact, he works through Jesus the Messiah to enable us to do what pleases him. So, let us honor God forever! May it be so!
What does God work in the believer?
God works in the believer that which is well pleasing in God’s sight.
Hebrews 13:22
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:22ULT:
Now I encourage you, brothers, bear with the word of exhortation, for only through a few {words} I have written to you.
UST:
I have sent you a short letter. So, I ask you, fellow believers, to please consider carefully what I have said to encourage you.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 13:23
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:23ULT:
Know that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I will see you if he comes soon.
UST:
I want you to be aware that {the authorities} have released Timothy, our fellow believer. If he arrives here quickly, we will visit you together.
With whom will the author come when he visits the believers?
The author will come with Timothy when he visits the believers.
Hebrews 13:24
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:24ULT:
Greet all your leaders and all the saints. The ones from Italy greet you.
UST:
Say hello to everyone who is in charge of your group. Also, {say hello to} all God’s people. The {believers} who are from the country of Italy say hello to you.
(There are no questions for this verse)
Hebrews 13:25
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: Hebrews 13:25ULT:
Grace {be} with all of you.
UST:
{I pray that God will} be gracious to you all.
(There are no questions for this verse)