Hebrews 9

1 Now indeed even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and an earthly sanctuary.

Now the first agreement had its rules of worship, and a holy order.

2 For a tabernacle was prepared. In the first part were the lamp stand, the table, and the show bread, which is called the Holy Place.

For the first Tent was made ready, having in it the vessels for the lights and the table and the ordering of the bread; and this is named the holy place.

3 After the second veil was the tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies,

And inside the second veil was the place which is named the Holy of holies;

4 having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which was a golden pot holding the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;

Having a vessel of gold in it for burning perfumes, and the ark of the agreement, which was covered with gold and which had in it a pot made of gold for the manna, and Aaron's rod which put out buds, and the stones with the writing of the agreement;

5 and above it cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat, of which things we can’t speak now in detail.

And over it were the winged ones of glory with their wings covering the mercy-seat; about which it is not possible now to say anything in detail.

6 Now these things having been thus prepared, the priests go in continually into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the services,

Now while these things were in existence, the priests went into the first Tent at all times, for prayer and the making of offerings.

7 but into the second the high priest alone, once in the year, not without blood, which he offers for himself and for the errors of the people.

But only the high priest went into the second, once a year, not without making an offering of blood for himself and for the errors of the people:

8 The Holy Spirit is indicating this, that the way into the Holy Place wasn’t yet revealed while the first tabernacle was still standing.

The Holy Spirit witnessing by this that the way into the holy place had not at that time been made open, while the first Tent was still in being;

9 This is a symbol of the present age, where gifts and sacrifices are offered that are incapable, concerning the conscience, of making the worshiper perfect,

And this is an image of the present time; when the offerings which are given are not able to make the heart of the worshipper completely clean,

10 being only (with foods and drinks and various washings) fleshly ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation.

Because they are only rules of the flesh, of meats and drinks and washings, which have their place till the time comes when things will be put right.

11 But Christ having come as a high priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation,

But now Christ has come as the high priest of the good things of the future, through this greater and better Tent, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this world,

12 nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption. (aiōnios g166)

And has gone once and for ever into the holy place, having got eternal salvation, not through the blood of goats and young oxen, but through his blood. (aiōnios g166)

13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh,

For if the blood of goats and oxen, and the dust from the burning of a young cow, being put on the unclean, make the flesh clean:

14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without defect to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (aiōnios g166)

How much more will the blood of Christ, who, being without sin, made an offering of himself to God through the Holy Spirit, make your hearts clean from dead works to be servants of the living God? (aiōnios g166)

15 For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, since a death has occurred for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, that those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. (aiōnios g166)

And for this cause it is through him that a new agreement has come into being, so that after the errors under the first agreement had been taken away by his death, the word of God might have effect for those who were marked out for an eternal heritage. (aiōnios g166)

16 For where a last will and testament is, there must of necessity be the death of him who made it.

Because where there is a testament, there has to be the death of the man who made it.

17 For a will is in force where there has been death, for it is never in force while he who made it lives.

For a testament has effect after death; for what power has it while the man who made it is living?

18 Therefore even the first covenant has not been dedicated without blood.

So that even the first agreement was not made without blood.

19 For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,

For when Moses had given all the rules of the law to the people, he took the blood of goats and young oxen, with water and red wool and hyssop, and put it on the book itself and on all the people,

20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.”

Saying, This blood is the sign of the agreement which God has made with you.

21 He sprinkled the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry in the same way with the blood.

And the blood was put on the Tent and all the holy vessels in the same way.

22 According to the law, nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission.

And by the law almost all things are made clean with blood, and without blood there is no forgiveness.

23 It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things in the heavens should be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

For this cause it was necessary to make the copies of the things in heaven clean with these offerings; but the things themselves are made clean with better offerings than these.

24 For Christ hasn’t entered into holy places made with hands, which are representations of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;

For Christ did not go into a holy place which had been made by men's hands as the copy of the true one; but he went into heaven itself, and now takes his place before the face of God for us.

25 nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy place year by year with blood not his own,

And he did not have to make an offering of himself again and again, as the high priest goes into the holy place every year with blood which is not his;

26 or else he must have suffered often since the foundation of the world. But now once at the end of the ages, he has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (aiōn g165)

For then he would have undergone a number of deaths from the time of the making of the world: but now he has come to us at the end of the old order, to put away sin by the offering of himself. (aiōn g165)

27 Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment,

And because by God's law death comes to men once, and after that they are judged;

28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

So Christ, having at his first coming taken on himself the sins of men, will be seen a second time, without sin, by those who are waiting for him, for their salvation.