Hebrews 9
9
Old Rules about Worship
1That first covenant between God and Israel had regulations for worship and a place of worship here on earth. 2There were two rooms in that Tabernacle.#9:2 Or tent; also in 9:11, 21. In the first room were a lampstand, a table, and sacred loaves of bread on the table. This room was called the Holy Place. 3Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second room#9:3 Greek second tent. called the Most Holy Place. 4In that room were a gold incense altar and a wooden chest called the Ark of the Covenant, which was covered with gold on all sides. Inside the Ark were a gold jar containing manna, Aaron’s staff that sprouted leaves, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5Above the Ark were the cherubim of divine glory, whose wings stretched out over the Ark’s cover, the place of atonement. But we cannot explain these things in detail now.
6When these things were all in place, the priests regularly entered the first room#9:6 Greek first tent. as they performed their religious duties. 7But only the high priest ever entered the Most Holy Place, and only once a year. And he always offered blood for his own sins and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle#9:8 Or the first room; Greek reads the first tent. and the system it represented were still in use.
9This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. 10For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established.
Christ Is the Perfect Sacrifice
11So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come.#9:11 Some manuscripts read that are about to come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 12With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.
13Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds#9:14 Greek from dead works. so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. 15That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.
16Now when someone leaves a will,#9:16a Or covenant; also in 9:17. it is necessary to prove that the person who made it is dead.#9:16b Or Now when someone makes a covenant, it is necessary to ratify it with the death of a sacrifice. 17The will goes into effect only after the person’s death. While the person who made it is still alive, the will cannot be put into effect.
18That is why even the first covenant was put into effect with the blood of an animal. 19For after Moses had read each of God’s commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats,#9:19 Some manuscripts do not include and goats. along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God’s law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool. 20Then he said, “This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you.”#9:20 Exod 24:8. 21And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship. 22In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.
23That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals.
24For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. 25And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. 26If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age#9:26 Greek the ages. to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice.
27And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, 28so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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Hebrews 9
9
1The first therefore also indeed had ordinances of service, and the sanctuary, a worldly one. 2For a tabernacle was set up; the first, in which were both the candlestick and the table and the exposition of the loaves, which is called Holy; 3but after the second veil a tabernacle which is called Holy of holies, 4having a golden censer, and the ark of the covenant, covered round in every part with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, and the rod of Aaron that had sprouted, and the tables of the covenant; 5and above over it the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy-seat; concerning which it is not now the time to speak in detail. 6Now these things being thus ordered, into the first tabernacle the priests enter at all times, accomplishing the services; 7but into the second, the high priest only, once a year, not without blood, which he offers for himself and for the errors of the people:
8the Holy Spirit shewing this, that the way of the holy of holies has not yet been made manifest while as yet the first tabernacle has its standing; 9the which is an image for the present time, according to which both gifts and sacrifices, unable to perfect as to conscience him that worshipped, are offered, 10consisting only of meats and drinks and divers washings, ordinances of flesh, imposed until the time of setting things right. 11But Christ being come high priest of the good things to come, by the better and more perfect tabernacle not made with hand, (that is, not of this creation,) 12nor by blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, has entered in once for all into the holy of holies, having found an eternal redemption. 13For if the blood of goats and bulls, and a heifer's ashes sprinkling the defiled, sanctifies for the purity of the flesh, 14how much rather shall the blood of the Christ, who by the eternal Spirit offered himself spotless to God, purify your conscience from dead works to worship the living God?
15And for this reason he is mediator of a new covenant, so that, death having taken place for redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, the called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16(For where there is a testament, the death of the testator must needs come in. 17For a testament is of force when men are dead, since it is in no way of force while the testator is alive.) 18Whence neither the first was inaugurated without blood. 19For every commandment having been spoken according to the law by Moses to all the people; having taken the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, he sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20saying, This is the blood of the covenant which God has enjoined to you. 21And the tabernacle too and all the vessels of service he sprinkled in like manner with blood; 22and almost all things are purified with blood according to the law, and without blood-shedding there is no remission.
23 It was necessary then that the figurative representations of the things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with sacrifices better than these. 24For the Christ is not entered into holy places made with hand, figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God for us: 25nor in order that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy places every year with blood not his own; 26since he had then been obliged often to suffer from the foundation of the world. But now once in the consummation of the ages he has been manifested for the putting away of sin by his sacrifice. 27And forasmuch as it is the portion of men once to die, and after this judgment; 28thus the Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear to those that look for him the second time without sin for salvation.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.