Hebrews 10

1 For the law is only a shadow of the good things to come, not the realities themselves. It can never, by the same sacrifices offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.

For the law, being only a poor copy of the future good things, and not the true image of those things, is never able to make the people who come to the altar every year with the same offerings completely clean.

2 If it could, would not the offerings have ceased? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt the guilt of their sins.

For if this had been possible, would there not have been an end of those offerings, because the worshippers would have been made completely clean and would have been no longer conscious of sins?

3 Instead, those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins,

But year by year there is a memory of sins in those offerings.

4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Because it is not possible for the blood of oxen and goats to take away sins.

5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me.

So that when he comes into the world, he says, You had no desire for offerings, but you made a body ready for me;

6 In burnt offerings and sin offerings You took no delight.

You had no joy in burned offerings or in offerings for sin.

7 Then I said, ‘Here I am, it is written about Me in the scroll: I have come to do Your will, O God.’”

Then I said, See, I have come to do your pleasure, O God (as it is said of me in the roll of the book).

8 In the passage above He says, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not desire, nor did You delight in them” (although they are offered according to the law).

After saying, You had no desire for offerings, for burned offerings or offerings for sin (which are made by the law) and you had no pleasure in them,

9 Then He adds, “Here I am, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second.

Then he said, See, I have come to do your pleasure. He took away the old order, so that he might put the new order in its place.

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

By that pleasure we have been made holy, by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for ever.

11 Day after day every priest stands to minister and to offer again and again the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

And every priest takes his place at the altar day by day, doing what is necessary, and making again and again the same offerings which are never able to take away sins.

12 But when this Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.

But when Jesus had made one offering for sins for ever, he took his place at the right hand of God;

13 Since that time, He waits for His enemies to be made a footstool for His feet,

And has been waiting there from that time, till all who are against him are made a foot-rest for his feet.

14 because by a single offering He has made perfect for all time those who are being sanctified.

Because by one offering he has made complete for ever those who are made holy.

15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First He says:

And the Holy Spirit is a witness for us: for after he had said,

16 “This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their hearts and inscribe them on their minds.”

This is the agreement which I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws in their hearts, writing them in their minds; he said,

17 Then He adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”

And I will keep no more memory of their sins and of their evil-doings.

18 And where these have been forgiven, an offering for sin is no longer needed.

Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no more offering for sin.

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,

So then, my brothers, being able to go into the holy place without fear, because of the blood of Jesus,

20 by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body,

By the new and living way which he made open for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

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

And having a great priest over the house of God,

22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Let us go in with true hearts, in certain faith, having our hearts made free from the sense of sin and our bodies washed with clean water:

23 Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.

Let us keep the witness of our hope strong and unshaking, for he is true who has given his word:

24 And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds.

And let us be moving one another at all times to love and good works;

25 Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Not giving up our meetings, as is the way of some, but keeping one another strong in faith; and all the more because you see the day coming near.

26 If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains,

For if we do evil on purpose after we have had the knowledge of what is true, there is no more offering for sins,

27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.

But only a great fear of being judged, and of the fire of wrath which will be the destruction of the haters of God.

28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

A man who has gone against the law of Moses is put to death without pity on the word of two or three witnesses:

29 How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

But will not the man by whom the Son of God has been crushed under foot, and the blood of the agreement with which he was washed clean has been taken as an unholy thing, and who has had no respect for the Spirit of grace, be judged bad enough for a very much worse punishment?

30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.”

For we have had experience of him who says, Punishment is mine, I will give reward. And again, The Lord will be judge of his people.

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

We may well go in fear of falling into the hands of the living God.

32 Remember the early days that you were in the light. In those days, you endured a great conflict in the face of suffering.

But give thought to the days after you had seen the light, when you went through a great war of troubles;

33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to ridicule and persecution; at other times you were partners with those who were so treated.

In part, in being attacked by angry words and cruel acts, before the eyes of everyone, and in part, in being united with those who were attacked in this way.

34 You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, knowing that you yourselves had a better and permanent possession.

For you had pity on those who were in prison, and had joy in the loss of your property, in the knowledge that you still had a better property and one which you would keep for ever.

35 So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward.

So do not give up your hope which will be greatly rewarded.

36 You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.

For, having done what was right in God's eyes, you have need of waiting before his word has effect for you.

37 For, “In just a little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay.

In a very little time he who is coming will come; he will not be slow.

38 But My righteous one will live by faith; and if he shrinks back, I will take no pleasure in him.”

But the upright man will be living by his faith; and if he goes back, my soul will have no pleasure in him.

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

But we are not of those who go back to destruction; but of those who have faith even to the salvation of the soul.