New Testament

The Letter to the Hebrews

The Letter to the Hebrews is the nineteenth of the 27 books of the New Testament: 13 chapters and 303 verses.

About Hebrews · Homily on Christ

Hebrews is less a letter than a magnificent sermon on why there is no going back from Christ: greater than angels, than Moses, than the temple priesthood — the true high priest who entered the sanctuary once for all with his own blood. Its author is unknown; the ancient Church itself noted that God alone knows who wrote it, while long associating it with Paul's circle. It was written for believers, likely of Jewish background, tempted under pressure to drift from their confession, and it answers with warning, with the great roll call of faith, and with a call to endure.

Hebrews in Bless
Testament	New Testament — book 19 of 27, 65 of 73 in the Bible
Canon	Protocanonical (in every Christian canon)
Chapters	13
Verses	303, as Bless numbers them
Latin	Clementine Vulgate, every chapter
Bp. Challoner	Summaries of all 13 chapters · 28 notes
Catechism	99 paragraphs cite it

Chapter by chapter

All 13 chapters, in brief.

Bishop Richard Challoner’s summary of each chapter, from his revision of the Douay-Rheims (1749–52). Open a chapter for the full text.

Hebrews 1
14 verses
God spoke of old by the prophets, but now by his Son, who is incomparably greater than the angels.
Hebrews 2
18 verses
The transgression of the precepts of the Son of God is far more condemnable than of those of the Old Testament given by angels.
Hebrews 3
19 verses
Christ is more excellent than Moses. Wherefore we must adhere to him by faith and obedience.
Hebrews 4
16 verses
The Christian's rest. We are to enter into it through Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 5
14 verses
The office of a high priest. Christ is our high priest.
Hebrews 6
20 verses
He warns them of the danger of falling by apostasy and exhorts them to patience and perseverance.
Hebrews 7
28 verses
The priesthood of Christ according to the order of Melchisedech excels the Levitical priesthood and puts an end both to that and to the law.
Hebrews 8
13 verses
More of the excellence of the priesthood of Christ and of the New Testament.
Hebrews 9
28 verses
The sacrifices of the law were far inferior to that of Christ.
Hebrews 10
39 verses
Because of the insufficiency of the sacrifices of the law, Christ our high priest shed his own blood for us, offering up once for all the sacrifice of our redemption. He exhorts them to perseverance.
Hebrews 11
40 verses
What faith is. Its wonderful fruits and efficacy demonstrated in the fathers.
Hebrews 12
29 verses
Exhortation to constancy under their crosses. The danger of abusing the graces of the New Testament.
Hebrews 13
25 verses
Divers admonitions and exhortations.

Bp. Richard Challoner · chapter summaries

In the comments

What the saints said.

11 quotations from 10 saints linked to passages of Hebrews in Bless. Each names the work it comes from.

St. Gregory the Great · on Hebrews 4:12

On this theme

The Holy Scriptures grow with the one who reads them.

Homilies on Ezekiel, I.7, c. 593

St. John Vianney · on Hebrews 5:1

On this theme

The priest is not a priest for himself; he is a priest for you.

Catechism on the Priesthood, c. 1850

St. Augustine of Hippo · on Hebrews 6:19

On this theme

Hope has for its object only what is good, only what is future, and only what affects the one who hopes.

Enchiridion, 8, c. 421

St. Clement of Rome · on Hebrews 9:14

On this theme

Let us fix our gaze on the blood of Christ and realize how precious it is to His Father, since it was poured out for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to the whole world.

Letter to the Corinthians, 7, c. 96

St. Augustine of Hippo · on Hebrews 11:1

On this theme

Understand so that you may believe; believe so that you may understand.

Sermon 43, c. 400

St. Thomas Aquinas · on Hebrews 11:1

Attributed

To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary; to one without faith, no explanation is possible.

Popular saying, source unconfirmed

5 more, on the chapter pages

Hebrews 11:3St. Anselm
Hebrews 12:1St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Hebrews 12:6St. Thomas More
Hebrews 13:2St. Benedict of Nursia
Hebrews 13:8St. Teresa of Ávila

Coming up

Read at Mass.

From October 29, 2026 to October 28, 2027, Hebrews is read at the principal Mass on 36 days in the US calendar. The next 8 readings:

Date	Celebration	Reading	Citation
Fri, Dec 25, 2026	The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)	Second Reading	Hebrews 1:1-6
Fri, Jan 1, 2027	Mary, the Holy Mother of God	Alleluia	Hebrews 1:1-2
Sat, Jan 2, 2027	Sts. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church	Alleluia	Hebrews 1:1-2
Mon, Jan 11, 2027	Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	Hebrews 1:1-6
Tue, Jan 12, 2027	Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	Hebrews 2:5-12
Wed, Jan 13, 2027	Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	Hebrews 2:14-18
Thu, Jan 14, 2027	Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	Hebrews 3:7-14
Fri, Jan 15, 2027	Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	Hebrews 4:1-5, 11
Sat, Jan 16, 2027	Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	Hebrews 4:12-16
Mon, Jan 18, 2027	Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time	Alleluia	Hebrews 4:12
Mon, Jan 18, 2027	Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	Hebrews 5:1-10
Tue, Jan 19, 2027	Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	Hebrews 6:10-20
Wed, Jan 20, 2027	Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	Hebrews 7:1-3, 15-17
Thu, Jan 21, 2027	St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr	First Reading	Hebrews 7:25—8:6
Fri, Jan 22, 2027	Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children	First Reading	Hebrews 8:6-13
Sat, Jan 23, 2027	Saturday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	Hebrews 9:2-3, 11-14
Wed, Jan 27, 2027	Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	Hebrews 10:11-18
Thu, Jan 28, 2027	St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church	First Reading	Hebrews 10:19-25
Fri, Jan 29, 2027	Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	Hebrews 10:32-39
Sat, Jan 30, 2027	Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19
Mon, Feb 1, 2027	Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	Hebrews 11:32-40
Tue, Feb 2, 2027	Presentation of the Lord	Second Reading	Hebrews 2:14-18
Wed, Feb 3, 2027	Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	Hebrews 12:4-7, 11-15
Thu, Feb 4, 2027	Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	Hebrews 12:18-19, 21-24

Citations as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar (principal Mass, first option). Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.