Hebrews 9

1 The former system had instructions as to how to worship, and an earthly sanctuary.

It is true that even the first covenant had its regulations for divine worship, and its sanctuary – though only a material one.

2 The first room in the Tabernacle housed the candlestick, the table, and the sacred bread. This was called the Holy Place.

For a tent was constructed, with an outer part which contained the stand for the lamps, and the table, and the consecrated bread. This is called the sanctuary.

3 Past the second veil in the Tabernacle was the room called the Most Holy Place.

The part of the tent behind the second curtain is called the inner sanctuary.

4 This contained the golden altar of incense, the gold-covered “agreement chest.” Inside this were the golden pot containing manna, Aaron's rod that had produced buds, and the stone inscriptions of the agreement.

In it is the gold incense-altar, and the ark containing the covenant, completely covered with gold. In the ark is a gold casket containing the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets on which the covenant was written;

5 Above this were the glorious angel cherubim covering the place of reconciliation. We can't discuss all of this in detail now.

while above it, and overshadowing the cover on which atonement was made, are the cherubim of the presence. Now is not the time to discuss these things in detail.

6 Once all of this had been set up, the priests would go in regularly to the first room of the Tabernacle to perform their duties.

Such, then, was the arrangement of the tent. Into the outer part priests are constantly going, in the discharge of their sacred duties;

7 But only the high priest went into the second room, and only once a year. Even then he had to make a sacrifice involving blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins of ignorance.

but into the inner only the high priest goes, and that but once a year, and never without taking the blood of a victim, which he offers on his own behalf, and on behalf of the errors of the people.

8 By this the Holy Spirit indicated that the way into the true Most Holy Place hadn't been revealed while the first Tabernacle still existed.

By this the Holy Spirit is teaching that the way into the sanctuary was hidden, as long as the outer part of the tent still remained.

9 This is an illustration for us in the present, showing us that the gifts and sacrifices that are offered can't make the worshiper's conscience clear.

For that was only a type, to continue down to the present time; and, in keeping with it, both gifts and sacrifices are offered, though incapable of satisfying the conscience of the worshiper;

10 They're just religious regulations—about food and drink, and various ceremonies involving washing—which were put in place until the time of God's new way of relating to him.

the whole system being concerned only with food and drink and various ablutions – external ceremonials imposed until the coming of the new order.

11 Christ has come as a high priest of all the good experiences we now have. He went into the greater, more complete Tabernacle that wasn't made by human hands—not part of this created world.

But, when Christ came, he appeared as high priest of that better system which was established; and he entered through that nobler and more perfect tent, not made by human hands – that is to say, not a part of this present creation.

12 He didn't enter through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood. He entered once, for all time, into the Most Holy Place, setting us free forever. (aiōnios g166)

Nor was it with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, that he entered, once and for all, into the sanctuary, and obtained our eternal deliverance. (aiōnios g166)

13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a cow sprinkled on those who are ritually unclean make the body ceremonially clean,

For, if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, purify those who have been defiled (as far as ceremonial purification goes),

14 how much more does the blood of Christ—who offered himself in his sinless life to God through the eternal Spirit—clean your consciences from your past sinful lives so you can serve the living God? (aiōnios g166)

how much more will the blood of the Christ, who, through his eternal Spirit, offered himself up to God, as a victim without blemish, purify our consciences from a lifeless formality, and fit us for the service of the living God! (aiōnios g166)

15 This is why he is the mediator of a new agreed relationship. Since a death has occurred to set them free from the sins committed under the first agreed relationship, now those who are called can receive the promise of an eternal inheritance. (aiōnios g166)

And that is why he is the intermediary of a new covenant; in order that, as a death has taken place to effect a deliverance from the offences committed under the first covenant, those who have received the call may obtain the eternal inheritance promised to them. (aiōnios g166)

16 For a will to be implemented, the person who made it must be dead.

Whenever such a covenant as a will is in question, the death of the testator must of necessity be alleged.

17 A will is only valid when there's been a death—and is never applied while the person who made it is still alive.

For such a covenant takes effect only on death, it does not come into force as long as the testator is alive.

18 That's why the first agreement was established with blood.

This explains why even the first covenant was not ratified without the shedding of blood.

19 After Moses had given all the commandments of the law to everyone, he took the blood of calves and goats, and together with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, sprinkled the book itself and all the people.

For, when every command had been announced to all the people by Moses in accordance with the Law, he took the blood of the calves and of the goats, with water, scarlet wool, and a bunch of hyssop, and sprinkled even the book of the Law, as well as all the people,

20 He said to them, “This is the blood of the agreed relationship that God has told you he wants with you.”

saying, as he did so – ‘This is the blood that renders valid the covenant which God has commanded to be made with you.’

21 Moses sprinkled the blood in the same way on the Tabernacle and everything used in worship.

And in the same way he also sprinkled with the blood the tent and all the things that were used in public worship.

22 According to ceremonial law, almost everything is made clean with blood, and without shedding blood nothing is made ritually free from the stain of sin.

Indeed, under the Law, almost everything is purified with blood; and, unless blood is shed, no forgiveness is to be obtained.

23 So if the copies of what is in heaven needed to be cleansed in this way, the things in heaven needed cleansing by better sacrifices.

While, then, it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly realities to be purified by such means as these, the heavenly realities themselves required better sacrifices.

24 For Christ hasn't entered a Most Holy Place constructed by human beings that is only a pattern of the original. He has entered heaven itself, and now appears on our behalf, speaking for us in God's presence.

For it was not into a sanctuary made by human hands, which merely foreshadowed the true one, that Christ entered, but into heaven itself, so that he might now appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

25 This was not to repeatedly offer himself, like a high priest has to enter the Most Holy Place year after year, offering blood that is not his own.

Nor yet was it to offer himself may times, as year after year the high priest entered the sanctuary with an offering of blood – but not his own blood;

26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. No: just this one time at the end of the present age he came to remove sin by sacrificing himself. (aiōn g165)

for then Christ would have had to undergo death many times since the creation of the world. But now, once and for all, at the close of the age, he has appeared, in order to abolish sin by the sacrifice of himself. (aiōn g165)

27 Just as human beings die only once, and then are judged,

And, as it is ordained for people to die but once (death being followed by judgment),

28 so too for Christ—having been sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people, he will come again, not to deal with sin, but to save those who wait for him.

so it is with the Christ. He was offered up once and for all, to bear away the sins of many; and the second time he will appear – but without any burden of sin – to those who are waiting for him, to bring salvation.