< Hebrews 10 >

1 For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near.
For, since the Law exhibits only an outline of the blessings to come and not a perfect representation of the things themselves, the priests can never, by repeating the same sacrifices which they continually offer year after year, give complete freedom from sin to those who draw near.
2 Or else wouldn’t they have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins?
For then would not the sacrifices have ceased to be offered, because the consciences of the worshippers--who in that case would now have been cleansed once for all--would no longer be burdened with sins?
3 But in those sacrifices there is a yearly reminder of sins.
But in those sacrifices sins are recalled to memory year after year.
4 For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.
For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Therefore when he comes into the world, he says, “You didn’t desire sacrifice and offering, but you prepared a body for me.
That is why, when He comes into the world, He says, "Sacrifice and offering Thou has not desired, but a body Thou hast prepared for Me.
6 You had no pleasure in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin.
In whole burnt-offerings and in sin-offerings Thou hast taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of me) to do your will, O God.’”
Then I said, 'I have come--in the roll of the book it is written concerning Me--to do Thy will, O God.'"
8 Previously saying, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you didn’t desire, neither had pleasure in them” (those which are offered according to the law),
After saying the words I have just quoted, "Sacrifices and offerings or whole burnt-offerings and sin-offerings Thou hast not desired or taken pleasure in" --all such being offered in obedience to the Law--
9 then he has said, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He takes away the first, that he may establish the second,
He then adds, "I have come to do Thy will." He does away with the first in order to establish the second.
10 by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
It is through that divine will that we have been set free from sin, through the offering of Jesus Christ as our sacrifice once for all.
11 Every priest indeed stands day by day serving and offering often the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins,
And while every priest stands ministering, day after day, and constantly offering the same sacrifices--though such can never rid us of our sins--
12 but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God,
this Priest, on the contrary, after offering for sins a single sacrifice of perpetual efficacy, took His seat at God's right hand,
13 from that time waiting until his enemies are made the footstool of his feet.
waiting from that time onward until His enemies be put as a footstool under His feet.
14 For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
For by a single offering He has for ever completed the blessing for those whom He is setting free from sin.
15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,
And the Holy Spirit also gives us His testimony; for when He had said,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,” says the Lord, “I will put my laws on their heart, I will also write them on their mind;” then he says,
"'This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those days,' says the Lord: 'I will put My laws upon their hearts and will write them on their minds;'"
17 “I will remember their sins and their iniquities no more.”
He adds, "And their sins and offences I will remember no longer."
18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
But where these have been forgiven no further offering for sin is required.
19 Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus,
Since then, brethren, we have free access to the Holy place through the blood of Jesus,
20 by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh,
by the new and ever-living way which He opened up for us through the rending of the veil--that is to say, of His earthly nature--
21 and having a great priest over God’s house,
and since we have a great Priest who has authority over the house of God,
22 let’s draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and having our body washed with pure water,
let us draw near with sincerity and unfaltering faith, having had our hearts sprinkled, once for all, from consciences oppressed with sin, and our bodies bathed in pure water.
23 let’s hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering; for he who promised is faithful.
Let us hold firmly to an unflinching avowal of our hope, for He is faithful who gave us the promises.
24 Let’s consider how to provoke one another to love and good works,
And let us bestow thought on one another with a view to arousing one another to brotherly love and right conduct;
25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
not neglecting--as some habitually do--to meet together, but encouraging one another, and doing this all the more since you can see the day of Christ approaching.
26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins,
For if we wilfully persist in sin after having received the full knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains in reserve any other sacrifice for sins.
27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries.
There remains nothing but a certain awful expectation of judgement, and the fury of a fire which before long will devour the enemies of the truth.
28 A man who disregards Moses’ law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses.
Any one who bids defiance to the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29 How much worse punishment do you think he will be judged worthy of who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?
How much severer punishment, think you, will he be held to deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, has not regarded as holy that Covenant-blood with which he was set free from sin, and has insulted the Spirit from whom comes grace?
30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance belongs to me. I will repay,” says the Lord. Again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
For we know who it is that has said, "Vengeance belongs to Me: I will pay back;" and again, "The Lord will be His people's judge."
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
It is an awful thing to fall into the hands of the ever-living God.
32 But remember the former days, in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings:
But continually recall to mind the days now past, when on being first enlightened you went through a great conflict and many sufferings.
33 partly, being exposed to both reproaches and oppressions, and partly, becoming partakers with those who were treated so.
This was partly through allowing yourselves to be made a public spectacle amid reproaches and persecutions, and partly through coming forward to share the sufferings of those who were thus treated.
34 For you both had compassion on me in my chains and joyfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an enduring one in the heavens.
For you not only showed sympathy with those who were imprisoned, but you even submitted with joy when your property was taken from you, being well aware that you have in your own selves a more valuable possession and one which will remain.
35 Therefore don’t throw away your boldness, which has a great reward.
Therefore do not cast from you your confident hope, for it will receive a vast reward.
36 For you need endurance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.
For you stand in need of patient endurance, so that, as the result of having done the will of God, you may receive the promised blessing.
37 “In a very little while, he who comes will come and will not wait.
For there is still but a short time and then "The coming One will come and will not delay.
38 But the righteous one will live by faith. If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”
But it is by faith that My righteous servant shall live; and if he shrinks back, My soul takes no pleasure in him."
39 But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the saving of the soul.
But we are not people who shrink back and perish, but are among those who believe and gain possession of their souls.

< Hebrews 10 >