Hebrews Chapter 9
The Earthly Tabernacle
1 Now truly, even the first [covenant] had regulations for worship and an earthly holy place.
2 For a tent was completely prepared. The outer part [had] in it the candlestick, the table, and the showbread. This is the Holy Place.
3 Behind the second curtain of the tent is [the place] called the Holy of Holies,
4 Having the golden alter of incense and the ark of the covenant, which was totally covered with gold [containing] the golden jar that held manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.
5 Over it [were] the cherubim of glory whose shadow covered the mercy seat concerning which we cannot now speak in detail.
6 Now after these things were completely prepared, the priests always went into the outer tent doing the service [of God].
7 But only the high priest [goes] into the inner tent and then only once a year, and never without blood which he brought for himself and for the errors of the people.
8 The Holy Spirit making it evident that while the first tent was still standing the way into the Holy of Holies was not yet open.
9 This was a symbol for the present time, in which both gifts and sacrifices that are offered cannot make the conscience of the one who serves perfect,
10 Since [they dealt
with] only foods, drinks, various washings, and regulations [for the]
body imposed [on them] until the time things would be straightened out.
Jesus Is Priest of Heavenly Tabernacle
11 But now Christ has come as a High Priest of the good things to come through a greater and more perfect tent, not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.
12 He entered the Holy of Holies only one time, not with the blood of goats and calves but through his own blood, to obtain eternal redemption.
13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on the ceremonially unclean [people], for [the purpose of] sanctifying the flesh, makes [them] ceremonially clean,
14 Then how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? [Compare 1 Peter 3:21]
15 For this reason, he is the mediator of the new covenant, so that those who are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance by a death for redemption from the violations under the first covenant.
16 For where there is a will, there must also be the death of the testator.
17 For a will [is] in force after death, seeing that it is not binding while the testator lives.
18 That is why not even the first [covenant] was initiated without blood.
19 For after Moses had spoken every rule to all the people as the law commanded, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop and sprinkled both the book and all the people.
20 He said, “This [is] the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.”
21 Likewise, he sprinkled blood both on the tent and all the utensils of the religious service.
22 In fact, according to the law nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood, [there] is no forgiveness.
23 Therefore, it was necessary that the copies of the heavenly things should be purified with these but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ did not enter into the Holy of Holies of human construction, [which is] a copy of the original, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us,
25 Not, however, that he should offer himself frequently, like the high priest enters the Holy of Holies every year with blood not his own,
26 For then he would have had to suffer many times from the foundation of the world. But now at the end of the world, he has appeared one time to annul sin by the sacrifice of himself.
27 As it is appointed for people to die one time, and after that The Judgment,
28
So Christ was offered one time to bear the sins of many, and for those
who look for him, he will appear the second time not to deal with sin
but for salvation.
Hebrews Chapter 10
Earthly Sacrifices Do Not Cleanse Sin
1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, not the thing itself, can never with those sacrifices, which they continually offer year after year, make those who come perfect.
2 For wouldn’t they have stopped being offered? Because once purified, those serving should have no more consciousness of sins.
3 But in those [sacrifices there is] a recollection of sins every year,
4 Because [it is] impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Messiah’s Sacrifice Cleanses From Sin
5 For this reason when he came into the world, he said, “Sacrifice and offering is not what you want, but you have prepared a body for me.
6 “You were not pleased with burnt offerings or sin-offerings.
7 “Then I said, ‘Look! I am here (in the scroll of the book it is written about me) to do your will, O God.’” [Compare Psalm 40]
8 When he said above, “Sacrifice, offering, burnt offerings, and sin-offerings you didn’t want nor were pleased [with them].” ([Referring] to those offered by the law).
9 He then said, “See, I have come to do your will, O God.” He abolishes the first, so that he may establish the second.
10 By that will we have been sanctified from the guilt of sin through the one-time sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ.
11 Every priest stands day after day doing service and offering the same sacrifices over and over, which can never take away sins.
12 He [Jesus] himself, however, after he had offered one permanent sacrifice for sins, sat down on the right hand of God,
13 From then on waiting until his enemies are made his footstool.
14 For by one sacrifice, he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
15 The Holy Spirit is also a witness to us, because after what he had said previously,
16 “This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days,’ says the Lord, ‘I will put my laws into their heart, and I write them in their minds,
17 “’And I will no longer remember their sins and lawless actions.’” [Jeremiah 31:33-34]
18 Now where [there is] forgiveness of these, there [is] no more sacrifice for sin.
Messiah’s Blood Was the Acceptable Sacrifice
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter into the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus,
20 By a new and living way which he has initiated for us through the curtain, that is, his flesh,
21 [Having] a High Priest over the house of God,
22 Let us come near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, [because] our hearts have been sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us tightly hold on to the confession of hope without wavering, for the one who promised is faithful.
24 Let us keep considering one another in order to stimulate love and good works.
25
Do not forsake our meeting together as [is] the practice of some, but
encourage [each other] and more so as you see the Day coming,
Our Faith Must Continue
26 Because, if we keep on sinning deliberately after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there doesn’t remain any more sacrifice for sins,
27 Only a certain fearful expectation of judgment and indignation of fire which will devour the adversaries.
28 Anyone who despised Moses’ law died without compassion on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserving the one who has spurned the Son of God and has considered the blood of the covenant, with which he was sanctified, an unholy thing and has insulted the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him who has said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay,” says the Lord. And in addition, “The Lord will judge his people.” [Deuteronomy 32:35-36]
31 [It is] a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32 But remember the past days, in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle of hardship.
33 At times, you were viewed with scorn, both with insults and persecutions, and at times, you were associated with those who were treated this way.
34 For you had compassion on me in my imprisonment and with joy allowed the stealing of your possessions, knowing in yourselves that you have better and enduring possessions in heaven.
35 Therefore, do not throw away your boldness, which has great reward.
36 You need perseverance, so that, after doing God’s will, you will receive the promise.
37 For besides, in a little while, he, who will come, will come, and will not delay.
38 Now the just will live by faith, but if he turns back, my soul will not be pleased with him. [Habakkuk 2:3-4]
39 But we are not those who turn back into eternal ruin but of those who have faith for preserving the soul.
Hebrews Chapter 11
Faith Defined and Examples
1 Now faith is the foundation of the things we hope for, the evidence of the things we cannot see.
2 For by it the elders received a good testimony.
3 It is through faith that we understand that the universe was established into systematic order by the word of God, so that the things that we see did not come into existence from things that are visible.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he gave witness that he was righteous—God testifying about his offering. By it―even though he is dead―he continues to speak.
5 By faith Enoch was taken away without experiencing death and was not found, because God had taken him away, and before he was taken away, he had the testimony that he pleased God.
6 For without faith, [it is] impossible to please [God], because the one who comes to God must believe that he exists and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.
7 By faith Noah was warned by God concerning things never seen yet. So, fearing [God] he built an ark for the saving of his family. By this, he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness, which comes by faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place which he would later receive as an inheritance, obeyed and left, even though he did not know where he was going.
9 By faith he lived as a foreigner in the Promised Land living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise,
10 Because he looked for a city whose designer and builder is God, [a city] with foundations.
11 By faith Sarah also received the miracle to conceive offspring and delivered a child when she was too old, because she considered him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore, there was born from one, and him as good as dead, as many as the multitude of stars of the sky and like the innumerable sands of the seashore.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises but anticipating them. They were convinced about them, welcomed [them], and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 Now, they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 Truly, if they kept thinking about the [country] from where they came, they would have the chance to return.
16 But now they desire a better [country], that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
17 By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18 Of whom it was said, “That through Isaac will be descendants be named.”
19 Reasoning that God was able to raise [him], even from the dead, from where, figuratively speaking, he did receive him.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both sons of Joseph and worshiped [leaning] on the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, mentioned the departure of the children of Israel and gave instructions concerning his bones.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
25 Having preferred to suffer affliction with the people of God instead of enjoying the pleasures of sin for a short time,
26 Considering being insulted for the sake of Christ to be greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, because he kept focusing on the future reward.
27 By faith he left Egypt without fearing the king’s wrath, because he was unshakable as if seeing him who is invisible.
28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn would touch them.
29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as if on dry land, which when the Egyptians attempted to do drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho collapsed, after they went around them seven days.
31 By faith Rahab, the harlot, was not killed with those who refused to believe, because she had received the spies with peace.
32 What more can I say? There is not enough time for me to speak about Gideon, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets.
33 Who, through faith, overcame kingdoms, did what was right, received the promises, shut lion’s mouths,
34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned back foreign armies.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, so they might obtain a better resurrection.
36 Others experienced derision and whipping, and after that chains and the dungeon.
37 They were stoned; they were sawn in two, were cruelly tempted, and were slain with the sword. They wandered around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, afflicted, [and] tormented.
38 (Of whom the world was not worthy), they wandered in deserts and mountains; [they lived] in caves and holes in the earth.
39 These all, having received a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise.
40 God having provided something better for us, in order that they would not become perfect without us.
Hebrews Chapter 12
Let Us Persevere To The End
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded with such a great throng of witnesses, let us get rid of every hindrance and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race that lies before us.
2 Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of [our] faith, who instead of the joy setting before him patiently persevered the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.
3
Therefore, carefully think about him who persevered such a
contradiction of sinners against him, lest you become weary and faint in
your souls.
God’s Discipline
4 You have not yet resisted, striving against sin, to the point of bloodshed.
5 Have you forgotten the encouragement which speaks to you like children? “My child do not despise the Lord’s training, nor despair when rebuked by him.
6 “For whom the Lord loves, he trains and punishes.” [Proverbs 3:11-12]
7 If you calmly endure discipline, God treats you as children, because what child is [there] whom the father doesn’t discipline?
8 But if you are without any training, of which all are partakers, then you are illegitimate, not children.
9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who trained [us], and we gave [them] great respect. Will we not much more be under the authority to the Father of our spirits and live?
10 Truly, they disciplined us for only a few days according to what seemed best to them, but he for our benefit, so that we may be partakers of his holiness.
11 Now no training at the time seems joyous but joyless, nevertheless, after it is all over, it produces the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.
12 For this reason, lift the hands which hang down and those feeble knees,
13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest what is lame become dislocated, instead let it be healed.
Warning To Not Falter
14 Pursue peace with all, as well as holiness. Without [holiness] no one will see the Lord.
15 Beware lest anyone comes short of God’s grace, that no root of bitterness springing up troubles [you] and through it many become defiled,
16 Lest any be a fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for a single meal gave away his birthright.
17
For you know that afterwards when he would have inherited the blessing,
he was rejected, because he could find no opportunity to reverse [what
had happened] even though he sought it carefully with tears.
We Do Not Come To The Mountain of Fear
18 For you have not come to a physical mountain with its burning fire, blackness, gloom, violent winds,
19 Trumpet blast, and spoken words, which when they heard, the hearers begged that the message wouldn’t be spoken to them anymore.
20 For they could not tolerate what was commanded, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be killed by stoning or spearing.” [Exodus 20:19]
21 So terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I’m terrified and shaking.” [Exodus 19:13]
We Come To The Mountain of Joy
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the City of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable group of angels,
23 To the joyful gathering and assembly of the firstborn (whose names are written in heaven), to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just people made perfect,
24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and the sprinkling of blood that speaks better than Abel’s.
Do Not Reject God’s Warning
25 Beware, that you don’t refuse him who speaks, because if they didn’t escape him who spoke on earth, how much more will we not escape if we turn away from him who [speaks] from heaven.
26 His voice shook the world then, but now he has promised, “Yet once more, I [will] shake, not only the earth, but also heaven.” [Exodus 19:18 and Haggai 2:6]
27 Now this quote, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of shakable things that are made, so that those things which cannot be shaken will stay in place.
28 Therefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us keep holding on to grace through which we can serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear,
29 Because our God [is] a consuming fire.
Hebrews Chapter 13
Various Rules and Requests
1 Let brotherly love continue.
2 Do not forget to be hospitable to strangers, because in doing so some have unknowingly been hospitable to angels.
3 Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them. [Remember] those who are mistreated, as though your body is being [mistreated] also.
4 Let marriage be honored by all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness. Be satisfied with what you have, because he has said, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” [Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:5, and 1 Chronicles 28:20]
6 So then, we can boldly say, “The Lord is my helper,” and “I will not be afraid of what anyone will do to me.“ [Psalm 37:25, Psalm 27:1, and Psalm 118:6]
7 Remember those leading you, who spoke the word of God to you. Imitate their faith. Carefully think about the outcome of their way of life.
8 Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, today, and forever!
9 Do not be carried away with various and strange teachings. For [it is] a good thing that the heart be stabilized by grace, not with foods that have not benefited those who follow [those rules].
10 We have an altar from which, those serving The Tabernacle, have no right to eat.
11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the Holy Place by the High Priest for sin, are burned outside the camp.
12 For this reason, Jesus also, so he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate.
13 Therefore, let us go out to him, outside the camp, and sharing his reproach.
14 For here we have no permanent city, but we are looking for one to come.
15 Therefore, through him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of [our] lips confessing [this] to his name.
16 Do not forget to do good and share, because with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
17 Be persuadable by those who lead you and yield yourselves, because they watch over your souls as those who must give an answer [and] so that they may do it with joy and not grieving, because that would not be profitable for you.
18 Pray for us, because we are confident that we have a good conscience and are always wanting to live doing what is right.
19 I beg [you] even more to do this, so that I may be quickly restored to you.
Blessing and Prayer
20 Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
21 Bring you to perfection in every good work to do his will, doing in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.
22 Brothers, I urge you to allow this message of encouragement, for I have written to you a brief letter.
23 Know that [our] brother Timothy is set free; with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you.
24 Greet your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.
25 Grace [be] with all of you. Amen.