For every high priest ^ataken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in ^bthings pertaining to God, in order to ^coffer both gifts and sacrifices ^dfor sins; 2 ^1ahe can deal gently with the ^bignorant and ^cmisguided, since he himself also is ^2dbeset with weakness; 3 and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices ^afor sins, ^bas for the people, so also for himself. 4 And ^ano one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even ^bas Aaron was.

5 So also Christ ^adid not glorify Himself so as to become a ^bhigh priest, but He who ^csaid to Him,“^dYOU ARE MY SON,TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”; 6 just as He says also in another passage,“^aYOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVERACCORDING TO ^bTHE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.” 7 ¹In the days of His flesh, ^2aHe offered up both prayers and supplications with ^bloud crying and tears to the One ^cable to save Him ³from death, and He ⁴was heard because of His ^dpiety. 8 Although He was ^aa Son, He learned ^bobedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made ^aperfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, 10 being designated by God as ^aa high priest according to ^bthe order of Melchizedek.

11 Concerning ¹him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though ¹by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you ^athe ^2belementary principles of the ^coracles of God, and you have come to need ^dmilk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an ^ainfant. 14 But solid food is for ^athe mature, who because of practice have their senses ^btrained to ^cdiscern good and evil.