AUV(i)
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since He could not make a vow by anyone greater, He vowed by Himself,
14 saying [Gen. 22:16-17], “I will certainly bless you and will multiply [your descendants].”
15 And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham received what [God] had promised.
16 For people make vows by someone greater [than themselves], and an argument is settled when someone takes an oath [that he is telling the truth].
17 Since God wanted to show conclusively to those who would inherit the promise [i.e., Abraham and all of his spiritual descendants], how unchangeable His purpose was, He confirmed it with an oath.
18 He did this so that by two unchangeable things [i.e., His promise and His oath], (and it is impossible for God to lie), we, who have fled [to God] for refuge, could be greatly encouraged to take hold of the hope set before us [i.e., the hope of never ending life].