Hebrews 8

1 Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this: we have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

The main point of what we're saying is this: We have just such a high priest who is seated at the right hand of God, who sits in majesty on his throne in heaven.

2 a servant of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, not man.

He serves in the sanctuary, the true Tabernacle that was set up by the Lord and not by human beings.

3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer.

Since it's the responsibility of every high priest to offer gifts and sacrifices, this high priest must also have something to offer.

4 For if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, seeing there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law,

Now if he was here on earth, he wouldn't be a priest at all, because there are already priests to present the offerings that the law requires.

5 who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses was warned by God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for he said, “See, you shall make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain.”

The place they serve is a copy, a mere shadow of what is in heaven. That's what God told Moses when he was going to set up the Tabernacle: “Be careful to make everything according to the blueprint you were shown on the mountain.”

6 But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which on better promises has been given as law.

But Jesus has been given a far better ministry just as he is the one who mediates a far better agreed relationship between us and God, which is based on much better promises.

7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.

If that first agreement had been perfect, then a second wouldn't have been necessary.

8 For finding fault with them, he said, “Behold, the days are coming”, says the Lord, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;

Pointing out their failings, God told his people, “Pay attention, says the Lord, because the days are coming when I will make a new agreement with the people of Israel and Judah.

9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not continue in my covenant, and I disregarded them,” says the Lord.

This will not be like the agreement I made with their forefsathers when I led them by the hand out of the land of Egypt. For they didn't keep their part of the agreed relationship, so I gave up on them, says the Lord.

10 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says the Lord: “I will put my laws into their mind; I will also write them on their heart. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

The relationship I promise to the house of Israel is this: After that time, says the Lord, I will place my laws inside them, and write them in their minds. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

11 They will not teach every man his fellow citizen and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all will know me, from their least to their greatest.

No one will need to teach their neighbor, and no one will need to teach anyone in their family, telling them, ‘You ought to know the Lord.’ For everyone will know me, from the smallest to the greatest.

12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more.”

I will be merciful when they do wrong, and I will forget about their sins.”

13 In that he says, “A new covenant”, he has made the first obsolete. But that which is becoming obsolete and grows aged is near to vanishing away.

By saying, “A new agreed relationship,” he makes the first agreement out-of-date. The one that's old and worn out has almost disappeared.