Hebrews 10

1 You see, the Law is but a shadow of the good things to come, not their actual matter, so it can never perfect those who approach with the same sacrifices that they offer endlessly, year after year.

The Law, though able to foreshadow the better system which was coming, never had its actual substance. Its priests, with those sacrifices which they offer continuously year after year, can never make those who come to worship perfect.

2 Otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have had no more consciousness of sins, having been cleansed once for all?

Otherwise, would not the offering of these sacrifices have been abandoned, as the worshipers, having been once purified, would have had their consciences clear from sins?

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

But, on the contrary, these sacrifices recall their sins to mind year after year.

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

For the blood of bulls and goats is powerless to remove sins.

5 Therefore, upon coming into the world He[S] says: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but You prepared a body for me;

That is why, when he was coming into the world, the Christ declared – ‘Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you provide for me a body;

6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings You were not pleased.

You take no pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin.

7 Then I said, ‘Yes indeed, I have come to do Your will, O God —thus it is written about me in the scroll of the book.’”

So I said, “See, I have come” (as is written of me in the pages of the book), “To do your will, God.”’

8 First He says, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not desire, nor were You pleased with them” (which are offered according to the Law),

First come the words – ‘You do not desire, nor do you take pleasure in, sacrifices, offerings, burnt offerings, and sacrifices for sin’ (offerings regularly made under the Law),

9 then He says, “Yes indeed, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He removes the first in order to establish the second.

and then there is added – ‘See, I have come to do your will.’ The former sacrifices are set aside to be replaced by the latter.

10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

And it is in the fulfillment of the will of God that we have been purified by the sacrifice, once and for all, of the body of Jesus Christ.

11 Now every priest has stood ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices that can never take away sins;

Every other priest stands day after day at his ministrations, and offers the same sacrifices over and over again – sacrifices that can never take sins away.

12 but He Himself, having offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, sat down at God's right.

But, this priest, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, which should serve for all time, ‘took his seat at the right hand of God,’

13 Since that time He is waiting until His enemies are placed as a footstool for His feet,

and has since then been waiting ‘for his enemies to be put as a stool for his feet.’

14 because by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

By a single offering he has made perfect for all time those who are being purified.

15 Now the Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this, after having foreseen it:

We have also the testimony of the Holy Spirit. For, after saying –

16 “‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,’ says the Lord, ‘I will put my laws on their hearts and I will write them on their minds,

‘“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,” says the Lord; “I will impress my laws on their hearts, and will inscribe them on their minds,”’

17 and I will not at all remember their sins and lawless deeds.’”

then we have – ‘And their sins and their iniquities I will no longer remember.’

18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

And, when these are forgiven, there is no further need of an offering for sin.

19 Therefore, brothers, having courage to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,

Therefore, friends, since we may enter the sanctuary with confidence, in virtue of the blood of Jesus,

20 by a new and living way that He inaugurated for us, through the curtain, that is to say, His flesh,

by the way which he inaugurated for us – a new and living way, a way through the sanctuary curtain (that is, his human nature);

21 and having a Great Priest over the house of God,

and, since we have in him ‘a great priest set over the house of God,’

22 let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts having been sprinkled from an evil conscience and our body having been washed with clean water.

let us draw near to God in all sincerity of heart and in perfect faith, with our hearts purified by the sprinkled blood from all consciousness of wrong, and with our bodies washed with pure water.

23 Let us hold fast the confession of the Hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Let us maintain the confession of our hope unshaken, for he who has given us his promise will not fail us.

24 And let us contemplate one another, for the stirring up of love and good works,

Let us vie with one another in a rivalry of love and noble actions.

25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves (like some are doing), but exhorting one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

And let us not, as some do, cease to meet together; but, on the contrary, let us encourage one another, and all the more, now that you see the day drawing near.

26 Because, if we deliberately keep on sinning after having received the real knowledge of the Truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

Remember, if we sin willfully after we have gained a full knowledge of the truth, there can be no further sacrifice for sin;

27 just a certain fearful anticipation of judgment and fierce fire that is ready to consume the hostiles.

there is only a fearful anticipation of judgment, and a burning indignation which will destroy all opponents.

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

When someone disregarded the Law of Moses, they were, on the evidence of two or three witnesses, put to death without pity.

29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be deemed worthy who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has regarded as unholy the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?

How much worse then, think you, will be the punishment deserved by those who have trampled underfoot the Son of God, who have treated the blood that rendered the covenant valid – the blood by which they were purified – as if it were not holy, and who have outraged the Spirit of love?

30 For we know Him who said, “‘Vengeance is up to me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will repay.’” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”

We know who it was that said – ‘It is for me to avenge, I will requite’; and again – ‘The Lord will judge his people.’

31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God!

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

32 However, remember those earlier days in which, having been enlightened, you endured a great struggle of sufferings:

Call to mind those early days in which, after you had received the light, you patiently underwent a long and painful conflict.

33 partly being publicly exposed to both insults and oppression, and partly siding with those who were so treated.

Sometimes, in consequence of the taunts and injuries heaped on you, you became a public spectacle; and sometimes you suffered through having shown yourselves to be the friends of people who were in the same position in which you had been.

34 Indeed, you also shared in the suffering of my chains; you even accepted the plundering of your possessions with joy, knowing that you have for yourselves a better and enduring possession in the heavens.

For you not only sympathised with those who were in prison, but you even took the confiscation of your possessions joyfully, knowing, as you did, that you had in yourselves a greater possession and a lasting one.

35 So do not throw away your confidence, which has a great recompense.

Do not, therefore, abandon the confidence that you have gained, for it has a great reward awaiting it.

36 You need perseverance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

You still have need of patient endurance, in order that, when you have done God’s will, you may obtain the fulfillment of his promise.

37 For in a very little while: “He who is coming will come and will not delay.

‘For there is indeed but a very little while before he who is coming will have come, without delay;

38 Now the righteous one will live by faith, yet if he backs away, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

and through faith the righteous will find life, but, if anyone draws back, my heart can find no pleasure in them.’

39 But we are not of those who back away into ruin, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

But we do not belong to those who draw back, to their ruin, but to those who have faith, to the saving of their souls.