Hebrews 9

1 The former system had instructions as to how to worship, and an earthly sanctuary.

Then verily the first [covenant] had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.

2 The first room in the Tabernacle housed the candlestick, the table, and the sacred bread. This was called the Holy Place.

For there was a tabernacle made; the first, in which [was] the candlestick, and the table, and the show-bread; which is called the sanctuary.

3 Past the second veil in the Tabernacle was the room called the Most Holy Place.

And after the second vail, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;

4 This contained the golden altar of incense, the gold-covered “agreement chest.” Inside this were the golden pot containing manna, Aaron's rod that had produced buds, and the stone inscriptions of the agreement.

Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid around with gold, in which [was] the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

5 Above this were the glorious angel cherubim covering the place of reconciliation. We can't discuss all of this in detail now.

And over it the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy-seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

6 Once all of this had been set up, the priests would go in regularly to the first room of the Tabernacle to perform their duties.

Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service [of God]:

7 But only the high priest went into the second room, and only once a year. Even then he had to make a sacrifice involving blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins of ignorance.

But into the second [went] the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and [for] the errors of the people:

8 By this the Holy Spirit indicated that the way into the true Most Holy Place hadn't been revealed while the first Tabernacle still existed.

The Holy Spirit this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while the first tabernacle was yet standing:

9 This is an illustration for us in the present, showing us that the gifts and sacrifices that are offered can't make the worshiper's conscience clear.

Which [was] a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;

10 They're just religious regulations—about food and drink, and various ceremonies involving washing—which were put in place until the time of God's new way of relating to him.

[Which stood] only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed [on them] until the time of reformation.

11 Christ has come as a high priest of all the good experiences we now have. He went into the greater, more complete Tabernacle that wasn't made by human hands—not part of this created world.

But Christ being come a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

12 He didn't enter through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood. He entered once, for all time, into the Most Holy Place, setting us free forever. (aiōnios g166)

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood; he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us]. (aiōnios g166)

13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a cow sprinkled on those who are ritually unclean make the body ceremonially clean,

For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctify to the purifying of the flesh:

14 how much more does the blood of Christ—who offered himself in his sinless life to God through the eternal Spirit—clean your consciences from your past sinful lives so you can serve the living God? (aiōnios g166)

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (aiōnios g166)

15 This is why he is the mediator of a new agreed relationship. Since a death has occurred to set them free from the sins committed under the first agreed relationship, now those who are called can receive the promise of an eternal inheritance. (aiōnios g166)

And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they who are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance. (aiōnios g166)

16 For a will to be implemented, the person who made it must be dead.

For where a testament [is], there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

17 A will is only valid when there's been a death—and is never applied while the person who made it is still alive.

For a testament [is] of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

18 That's why the first agreement was established with blood.

Hence even the first [testament] was not dedicated without blood.

19 After Moses had given all the commandments of the law to everyone, he took the blood of calves and goats, and together with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, sprinkled the book itself and all the people.

For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and all the people,

20 He said to them, “This is the blood of the agreed relationship that God has told you he wants with you.”

Saying, This [is] the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined to you.

21 Moses sprinkled the blood in the same way on the Tabernacle and everything used in worship.

Moreover, he sprinkled likewise with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.

22 According to ceremonial law, almost everything is made clean with blood, and without shedding blood nothing is made ritually free from the stain of sin.

And almost all things are by the law cleansed with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

23 So if the copies of what is in heaven needed to be cleansed in this way, the things in heaven needed cleansing by better sacrifices.

[It was] therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

24 For Christ hasn't entered a Most Holy Place constructed by human beings that is only a pattern of the original. He has entered heaven itself, and now appears on our behalf, speaking for us in God's presence.

For Christ hath not entered into the holy places made with hands, [which are] the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

25 This was not to repeatedly offer himself, like a high priest has to enter the Most Holy Place year after year, offering blood that is not his own.

Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;

26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. No: just this one time at the end of the present age he came to remove sin by sacrificing himself. (aiōn g165)

For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (aiōn g165)

27 Just as human beings die only once, and then are judged,

And as it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment:

28 so too for Christ—having been sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people, he will come again, not to deal with sin, but to save those who wait for him.

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and to them that look for him he will appear the second time without sin to salvation.