Hebrews 9

The Arrangement and Ritual of the Earthly Sanctuary

1 Now the first covenant,t in fact, had regulations for worship and its earthly sanctuary.2 For a tent was prepared, the outer one,t which containedt the lampstand, the table, and the presentation of the loaves; thist is called the holy place.3 And after the second curtain there was a tent called the holy of holies.4 It contained the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered entirely with gold. In this arkt were the golden urn containing the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.5 And above the arkt were the cherubims of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Now is not the time to speak of these things in detail.6 So with these things prepared like this, the priests enter continually into the outer tentt as they perform their duties.7 But only the high priest enters once a year into the inner tent,t and not without blood that he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.t8 The Holy Spirit is making clear that the way into the holy place had not yet appeared as long as the old tabernaclet was standing.9 This was a symbol for the time then present, when gifts and sacrifices were offered that could not perfect the conscience of the worshiper.

10 They served only for matters of food and drinkt and various washings; they are external regulationss imposed until the new order came.t

Christ’s Service in the Heavenly Sanctuary

11 But now Christ has comet as the high priest of the good things to come. He passed through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation,12 and he entered once for all into the most holy place not by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood, and so he himself securedt eternal redemption.13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow sprinkled on those who are defiled consecrated them and provided ritual purity,t

14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify ours consciences from dead works to worship the living God.
15 And so he is the mediatort of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance he has promised,t since he diedt to set them free from the violations committed under the first covenant.16 For where there is a will, the death of the one who made it must be proven.t17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it carries no force while the one who made it is alive.18 So even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood.s19 For when Moses had spoken every command to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,20 and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that God has commanded you to keep.”ts21 And both the tabernacle and all the utensils of worship he likewise sprinkled with blood.22 Indeed according to the law almost everything was purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.23 So it was necessary for the sketchest of the things in heaven to be purified with these sacrifices,t but the heavenly things themselves requiredt better sacrifices than these.24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands – the representationt of the true sanctuaryt – but into heaven itself, and he appears now in God’s presence for us.25 And he did not enter to offert himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the sanctuary year after year with blood that is not his own,26 for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the consummation of the ages to put away sin by his sacrifice.27 And just as peoplet are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment,t

28 so also, after Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many,s to those who eagerly await him he will appear a second time, not to bear sint but to bring salvation.t

Hebrews 10

Concluding Exposition: Old and New Sacrifices Contrasted

1 For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship.t2 For otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have been purified once for all and so havet no further consciousness of sin?3 But in those sacrificest there is a reminder of sins year after year.4 For the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins.t

5 So when he came into the world, he said,
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me.

6 “Whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings you took no delight in.

7 “Then I said, ‘Here I am:tI have come – it is written of me in the scroll of the book – to do your will, O God.’”s
8 When he says above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sin-offeringsyou did not desire nor did you take delight in them”s (which are offered according to the law),9 then he says, “Here I am:I have come to do your will.”s He does away witht the first to establish the second.10 By his willt we have been made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.11 And every priest stands day after dayt serving and offering the same sacrifices again and again – sacrifices that can never take away sins.12 But when this priestt had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hands of God,13 where he is now waitingtuntil his enemies are made a footstool for his feet.s14 For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy.15 And the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us, for after saying,t16 “This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord. I will puttmy laws on their hearts and I will inscribe them on their minds,”s17 then he says,t “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no longer.”s

18 Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

Drawing Near to God in Enduring Faith

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters,t since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,20 by the fresh and living way that he inaugurated for ust through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,s21 and since we have a great priestt over the house of God,22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings,t because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil consciences and our bodies washed in pure water.23 And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy.24 And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works,t

25 not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the days drawing near.t
26 For if we deliberately keep on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins is left for us,t27 but only a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a furytsof fire that will consume God’s enemies.ts28 Someone who rejected the law of Moses was put to deatht without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.s29 How much greater punishment do you think that person deserves who has contempt fort the Son of God, and profanest the blood of the covenant that made him holy,t and insults the Spirit of grace?30 For we know the one who said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,”s and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”s

31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32 But remember the former days when you endured a harsh conflict of suffering after you were enlightened.33 At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and afflictions, and at other times you came to share with others who were treated in that way.34 For in fact you shared the sufferings of those in prison,s and you accepted the confiscation of your belongings with joy, because you knew that you certainlyt had a better and lasting possession.35 So do not throw away your confidence, because itt has great reward.36 For you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised.t37 For just a little longers and he who is coming will arrive and not delay.s38 But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, Ittake no pleasure in him.s

39 But we are not among those who shrink back and thus perish, but are among those who have faith and preserve their souls.t

Hebrews 11

People Commended for Their Faith

1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.2 For by it the people of oldt received God’s commendation.t3 By faith we understand that the worldst were set in order at God’s command,t so that the visible has its origin in the invisible.s4 By faith Abel offered God a greater sacrifice than Cain, and through his faitht he was commended as righteous, because God commended him for his offerings. And through his faitht he still speaks, though he is dead.5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death, and he was not to be found because God took him up. For before his removal he had been commended as having pleased God.6 Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

7 By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, with reverent regardt constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family. Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, and he went out without understanding where he was going.9 By faith he lived as a foreignert in the promised land as though it were a foreign country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were fellow heirst of the same promise.10 For he was looking forward to the city with firm foundations,t whose architect and builder is God.11 By faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was too old,t he received the ability to procreate,t because he regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy.12 So in fact childrent were fathered by one man – and this one as good as dead – like the number of stars in the sky and like the innumerable grains of sandton the seashore.s13 These all died in faith without receiving the things promised,t but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreignerst on the earth.14 For those who speak in such a way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.15 In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.16 But as it is,t they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He had received the promises,t yet he was ready to offer upt his only son.18 God had told him, “Through Isaac descendants will carry on your name,”ts19 and he reasonedt that God could even raise him from the dead, and in a senset he received him back from there.20 By faith also Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future.21 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped as he leaned on his staff.t

22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life,t mentioned the exodus of the sons of Israels and gave instructions about his burial.ts
23 By faith, when Moses was born, his parents hid himt for three months, because they saw the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.24 By faith, when he grew up, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,25 choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to enjoy sin’s fleeting pleasure.26 He regarded abuse suffered for Christt to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for his eyes were fixed ont the reward.27 By faith he left Egypt without fearing the king’s anger, for he persevered as though he could see the one who is invisible.28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood,ts so that the one who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if on dry ground, but when the Egyptians tried it, they were swallowed up.30 By faith the walls of Jerichos fell after the people marched around themt for seven days.

31 By faith Rahab the prostitute escaped the destruction oft the disobedient, because she welcomed the spies in peace.
32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets.33 Through faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice,t gained what was promised,ts shut the mouths of lions,34 quenched raging fire,t escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness,t became mighty in battle, put foreign armies to flight,35 and women received back their dead raised to life.t But others were tortured, not accepting release, to obtain resurrection to a better life.t36 And others experienced mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.37 They were stoned, sawed apart,s murdered with the sword; they went about in sheepskins and goatskins; they were destitute, afflicted, ill-treated38 (the world was not worthy of them); they wandered in deserts and mountains and caves and openings in the earth.39 And these all were commendeds for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised.t

40 For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us.t