Hebrews 5

A high priest who understands

Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.a ²He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. ³This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.

⁴And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was. ⁵In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.”b ⁶And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”c ⁷During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.d

⁸Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he sufferede ⁹and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey himf ¹⁰and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Milk and solid food

¹¹We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand.g ¹²In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!h ¹³Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.i

¹⁴But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.j