Hebrews, 10

1. So, since the Law contains no more than a reflection of the good things which were still to come, and no true image of them, it is quite incapable of bringing the worshippers to perfection, by means of the same sacrifices repeatedly offered year after year.

1. For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices which are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near.

2. Otherwise, surely the offering of them would have stopped, because the worshippers, when they had been purified once, would have no awareness of sins.

2. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered? If the worshipers had once been cleansed, they would no longer have any consciousness of sin.

3. But in fact the sins are recalled year after year in the sacrifices.

3. But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin year after year.

4. Bulls' blood and goats' blood are incapable of taking away sins,

4. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.

5. and that is why he said, on coming into the world: You wanted no sacrifice or cereal offering, but you gave me a body.

5. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings thou hast not desired, but a body hast thou prepared for me;

6. You took no pleasure in burnt offering or sacrifice for sin;

6. in burnt offerings and sin offerings thou hast taken no pleasure.

7. then I said, 'Here I am, I am coming,' in the scroll of the book it is written of me, to do your will, God.

7. Then I said, `Lo, I have come to do thy will, O God,' as it is written of me in the roll of the book."

8. He says first You did not want what the Law lays down as the things to be offered, that is: the sacrifices, the cereal offerings, the burnt offerings and the sacrifices for sin, and you took no pleasure in them;

8. When he said above, "Thou hast neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law),

9. and then he says: Here I am! I am coming to do your will. He is abolishing the first sort to establish the second.

9. then he added, "Lo, I have come to do thy will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second.

10. And this will was for us to be made holy by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ made once and for all.

10. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11. Every priest stands at his duties every day, offering over and over again the same sacrifices which are quite incapable of taking away sins.

11. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

12. He, on the other hand, has offered one single sacrifice for sins, and then taken his seat for ever, at the right hand of God,

12. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,

13. where he is now waiting till his enemies are made his footstool.

13. then to wait until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet.

14. By virtue of that one single offering, he has achieved the eternal perfection of all who are sanctified.

14. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

15. The Holy Spirit attests this to us, for after saying:

15. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

16. No, this is the covenant I will make with them, when those days have come. the Lord says: In their minds I will plant my Laws writing them on their hearts,

16. "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,"

17. and I shall never more call their sins to mind, or their offences.

17. then he adds, "I will remember their sins and their misdeeds no more."

18. When these have been forgiven, there can be no more sin offerings.

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

19. We have then, brothers, complete confidence through the blood of Jesus in entering the sanctuary,

19. Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,

20. by a new way which he has opened for us, a living opening through the curtain, that is to say, his flesh.

20. by the new and living way which he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,

21. And we have the high priest over all the sanctuary of God.

21. and since we have a great priest over the house of God,

22. So as we go in, let us be sincere in heart and filled with faith, our hearts sprinkled and free from any trace of bad conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

22. let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

23. Let us keep firm in the hope we profess, because the one who made the promise is trustworthy.

23. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful;

24. Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works.

24. and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

25. Do not absent yourself from your own assemblies, as some do, but encourage each other; the more so as you see the Day drawing near.

25. not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

26. If, after we have been given knowledge of the truth, we should deliberately commit any sins, then there is no longer any sacrifice for them.

26. For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

27. There is left only the dreadful prospect of judgement and of the fiery wrath that is to devour your enemies.

27. but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries.

28. Anyone who disregards the Law of Moses is ruthlessly put to death on the word of two witnesses or three;

28. A man who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy at the testimony of two or three witnesses.

29. and you may be sure that anyone who tramples on the Son of God, and who treats the blood of the covenant which sanctified him as if it were not holy, and who insults the Spirit of grace, will be condemned to a far severer punishment.

29. How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by the man who has spurned the Son of God, and profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace?

30. We are all aware who it was that said: Vengeance is mine; I will pay them back. And again: The Lord will vindicate his people.

30. For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people."

31. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32. Remember the great challenge of the sufferings that you had to meet after you received the light, in earlier days;

32. But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings,

33. sometimes by being yourselves publicly exposed to humiliations and violence, and sometimes as associates of others who were treated in the same way.

33. sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.

34. For you not only shared in the sufferings of those who were in prison, but you accepted with joy being stripped of your belongings, knowing that you owned something that was better and lasting.

34. For you had compassion on the prisoners, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.

35. Do not lose your fearlessness now, then, since the reward is so great.

35. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

36. You will need perseverance if you are to do God's will and gain what he has promised.

36. For you have need of endurance, so that you may do the will of God and receive what is promised.

37. Only a little while now, a very little while, for come he certainly will before too long.

37. "For yet a little while, and the coming one shall come and shall not tarry;

38. My upright person will live through faith but if he draws back, my soul will take no pleasure in him.

38. but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him."

39. We are not the sort of people who draw back, and are lost by it; we are the sort who keep faith until our souls are saved.

39. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and keep their souls.