Hebrews 10

1 For the Law having a shadow of the good things coming—not the very image of the matters, every year, by the same sacrifices that they offer continually, is never able to make perfect those coming near,

The law is just a shadow of the good that was to come, and not the actual reality. So it can never through the repeated sacrifices offered year after year make right those who come to worship God.

2 since, would they not have ceased to be offered, because of those serving having no more conscience of sins, having been purified once?

Otherwise wouldn't the sacrifices have stopped being offered? If the worshipers had been made clean once and for all, they wouldn't have had guilty consciences any longer.

3 But in those [sacrifices] is a remembrance of sins every year,

But in fact those sacrifices remind people of sins year after year,

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

because it's impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to remove sins.

5 For this reason, coming into the world, He says, “Sacrifice and offering You did not will, and a body You prepared for Me;

That's why when Christ came into the world he said, “You didn't want sacrifices or offerings, but you did prepare a body for me.

6 in burnt-offerings, and concerning sin-offerings, You did not delight.

Burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin gave you no pleasure.

7 Then I said, Behold, I come (in a volume of the scroll it has been written concerning Me), to do, O God, Your will”;

Then I said, ‘God, see I've come to do what you want me to do, just as it says about me in the book.’”

8 saying above, “Sacrifice, and offering, and burnt-offerings, and concerning sin-offering You did not will, nor delight in” (which are offered according to the Law),

As mentioned above, “You didn't want sacrifices or offerings, and burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin gave you no pleasure,” (even though they are offered in accordance with the law's requirements).

9 then He said, “Behold, I come to do, O God, Your will”; He takes away the first that He may establish the second;

Then he said, “See, I've come to do what you want.” He gets rid of the first agreement so he can set up the second,

10 in which will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all,

through which we all are made holy through Jesus Christ offering his body once and for all time.

11 and every priest, indeed, has daily stood serving, and offering the same sacrifices many times, that are never able to take away sins.

Every priest officiates in the services day after day, again and again offering the same sacrifices that can never remove sins.

12 But He, having offered one sacrifice for sin—to the end, sat down at the right hand of God—

But this Priest, after he had offered for sins a single sacrifice that lasts forever, sat down at God's right hand.

13 as to the rest, expecting until He may place His enemies [as] His footstool,

Now he waits until all his enemies are conquered, becoming like a footstool for him.

14 for by one offering He has perfected to the end those being sanctified;

For by a single sacrifice he has set right forever those who are being made holy.

15 and the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after that He has said before,

As the Holy Spirit also tells us, for having said,

16 “This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD, giving My laws on their hearts, and I will write them on their minds,”

“This is the agreement that I will make with them later on, says the Lord. I will put my laws inside them, and I will write them in their minds.” Then he adds,

17 and, “I will remember their sins and their lawlessness no more”;

“I won't remember their sins and lawlessness anymore.”

18 and where [there is] forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.

Once free from such things, sin offerings are no longer needed.

19 Having, therefore, brothers, boldness for the entrance into the holy places, by the blood of Jesus,

Now we have the confidence, brothers and sisters, to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus.

20 which [is] the way He initiated for us—new and living, through the veil, that is, His flesh—

Through his life and death, he opened up a brand-new, living way through the veil to God.

21 and a Great Priest over the house of God,

Since we have such a great priest placed in charge over the house of God,

22 may we draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having the hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having the body bathed with pure water;

let us come close to God with sincere minds, totally trusting in him. Our minds have been sprinkled to purify them from our evil way of thinking, and our bodies have been washed clean by pure water.

23 may we hold fast the unwavering profession of the hope (for He who promised [is] faithful),

So let us hold onto the hope we're telling others about, never hesitating, for God who promised is trustworthy.

24 and may we consider to provoke one another to love and to good works,

Let's think about how we can motivate one another to love and to do what is good.

25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as [is] a custom of some, but exhorting, and so much the more as you see the Day coming near.

We should not give up meeting together, as some have done. In fact we should be encouraging one another, especially as you see the End approaching.

26 For [if] we are sinning willingly after receiving the full knowledge of the truth—there remains no more sacrifice for sins,

For if we deliberately go on sinning after we've understood the truth, there's no longer any sacrifice for sins.

27 but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery zeal, about to devour the opposers;

All that's left is fear, expecting the impending judgment and the terrible fire that destroys those who are hostile to God.

28 anyone having set aside a law of Moses dies without mercies on the basis of two or three witnesses.

Someone who rejects the law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

29 Of how much worse punishment will he be counted worthy who trampled on the Son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant a common thing, by which he was sanctified, and having insulted the Spirit of grace?

How much worse do you think someone will deserve their punishment if they have trampled underfoot the Son of God, if they have disregarded the blood that sealed the agreement and makes us holy, treating it as ordinary and trivial, and have abused the Spirit of grace?

30 For we have known Him who is saying, “Vengeance [is] Mine, I will repay, says the LORD”; and again, “The LORD will judge His people.”

We know God, and he said, “I will make sure that justice is done; I will give people what they deserve.” He also said, “The Lord will judge his people.”

31 [It is] fearful to fall into [the] hands of [the] living God.

It's terrifying to come under the power of the living God.

32 But call to your remembrance the former days, in which, having been enlightened, you endured much conflict of sufferings;

Just remember the past when, after you understood the truth, you experienced a great deal of suffering.

33 this indeed, being made spectacles with both insults and afflictions, now this, having become partners of those so living,

Sometimes you were made a spectacle of, being insulted and attacked; at other times you stood in solidarity with those who were suffering.

34 for you also sympathized with my bonds, and the robbery of your goods you received with joy, knowing that you have in yourselves a better substance in the heavens, and an enduring one.

You showed your sympathy for those in prison, and took it cheerfully when your possessions were confiscated, knowing that you have something better coming that will truly last.

35 You may not cast away, then, your boldness, which has great repayment of reward,

So don't lose your confidence in God—it will be richly rewarded.

36 for you have need of patience, that having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

You need to be patient so that having done what God wants, you'll receive what he has promised.

37 “For yet [in] a very, very little [while], He who is coming will come, and will not linger,”

“In just a little while he will come, as he said—he won't delay.

38 but, “The righteous will live by faith; and if he may draw back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”

Those who do what is right will live by trusting in God, and if they draw back from their commitment, I won't be pleased with them.”

39 But we are not of those drawing back to destruction, but of those believing to a preserving of soul.

But we're not the kind of people who draw back and end up being lost. We are those who trust in God to save us.