Hebrews, 9

1. The first covenant also had its laws governing worship and its sanctuary, a sanctuary on this earth.

1. Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary.

2. There was a tent which comprised two compartments: the first, in which the lamp-stand, the table and the loaves of permanent offering were kept, was called the Holy Place;

2. For a tent was prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence; it is called the Holy Place.

3. then beyond the second veil, a second compartment which was called the Holy of Holies

3. Behind the second curtain stood a tent called the Holy of Holies,

4. to which belonged the gold altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant, plated all over with gold. In this were kept the gold jar containing the manna, Aaron's branch that grew the buds, and the tables of the covenant.

4. having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, which contained a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

5. On top of it were the glorious winged creatures, overshadowing the throne of mercy. This is not the time to go into detail about this.

5. above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

6. Under these provisions, priests go regularly into the outer tent to carry out their acts of worship,

6. These preparations having thus been made, the priests go continually into the outer tent, performing their ritual duties;

7. but the second tent is entered only once a year, and then only by the high priest who takes in the blood to make an offering for his own and the people's faults of inadvertence.

7. but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood which he offers for himself and for the errors of the people.

8. By this, the Holy Spirit means us to see that as long as the old tent stands, the way into the holy place is not opened up;

8. By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary is not yet opened as long as the outer tent is still standing

9. it is a symbol for this present time. None of the gifts and sacrifices offered under these regulations can possibly bring any worshipper to perfection in his conscience;

9. (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper,

10. they are rules about outward life, connected with food and drink and washing at various times, which are in force only until the time comes to set things right.

10. but deal only with food and drink and various ablutions, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.

11. But now Christ has come, as the high priest of all the blessings which were to come. He has passed through the greater, the more perfect tent, not made by human hands, that is, not of this created order;

11. But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)

12. and he has entered the sanctuary once and for all, taking with him not the blood of goats and bull calves, but his own blood, having won an eternal redemption.

12. he entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

13. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkled on those who have incurred defilement, may restore their bodily purity.

13. For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh,

14. How much more will the blood of Christ, who offered himself, blameless as he was, to God through the eternal Spirit, purify our conscience from dead actions so that we can worship the living God.

14. how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

15. This makes him the mediator of a new covenant, so that, now that a death has occurred to redeem the sins committed under an earlier covenant, those who have been called to an eternal inheritance may receive the promise.

15. Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred which redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant.

16. Now wherever a will is in question, the death of the testator must be established;

16. For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.

17. a testament comes into effect only after a death, since it has no force while the testator is still alive.

17. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.

18. That is why even the earlier covenant was inaugurated with blood,

18. Hence even the first covenant was not ratified without blood.

19. and why, after Moses had promulgated all the commandments of the Law to the people, he took the calves' blood, the goats' blood and some water, and with these he sprinkled the book itself and all the people, using scarlet wool and hyssop;

19. For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, 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. saying as he did so: This is the blood of the covenant that God has made with you.

20. saying, "This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you."

21. And he sprinkled both the tent and all the liturgical vessels with blood in the same way.

21. And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship.

22. In fact, according to the Law, practically every purification takes place by means of blood; and if there is no shedding of blood, there is no remission.

22. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

23. Only the copies of heavenly things are purified in this way; the heavenly things themselves have to be purified by a higher sort of sacrifice than this.

23. Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

24. It is not as though Christ had entered a man-made sanctuary which was merely a model of the real one; he entered heaven itself, so that he now appears in the presence of God on our behalf.

24. For Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

25. And he does not have to offer himself again and again, as the high priest goes into the sanctuary year after year with the blood that is not his own,

25. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the Holy Place yearly with blood not his own;

26. or else he would have had to suffer over and over again since the world began. As it is, he has made his appearance once and for all, at the end of the last age, to do away with sin by sacrificing himself.

26. for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

27. Since human beings die only once, after which comes judgement,

27. And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment,

28. so Christ too, having offered himself only once to bear the sin of many, will manifest himself a second time, sin being no more, to those who are waiting for him, to bring them salvation.

28. so Christ, 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.