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,
Just like a shadow vaguely represents the thing that it is a shadow of, the laws that God [gave Moses] only poorly represent [MET] the good things that were to come later. Those laws were not all the good things themselves that God has promised. So, by offering the same kinds of sacrifices every year, people [PRS] who approach God can never become (perfect/all that God intends them to be).
2 since, would they not have ceased to be offered, because of those serving having no more conscience of sins, having been purified once?
If God had removed the guilt for having sinned of those who brought the sacrifices, they would not feel that they were still guilty. So they would certainly have stopped offering those sacrifices! [RHQ]
3 But in those [sacrifices] is a remembrance of sins every year,
But rather, the fact that they offer those sacrifices each year reminds them that they are still guilty for their sins.
4 for it is impossible for blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
The principle is that blood of animals such as bulls or goats can never remove the guilt of those who have sinned.
5 For this reason, coming into the world, He says, “Sacrifice and offering You did not will, and a body You prepared for Me;
So, as [Christ] was coming into the world, he spoke [to his Father about offering himself as a sacrifice for people’s sin. The Psalmist wrote this that Christ said]: It is not sacrifices and offerings that you [(sg)] have wanted, but you have prepared for me a body [to serve you].
6 in burnt-offerings, and concerning sin-offerings, You did not delight.
Animals that are completely burned up as sacrifices have not pleased you, and [other sacrifices that atone] for those who have sinned have not pleased you.
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 [because of this], I said, “My God, (listen!/here I am!) I have come [here] in order to do what you want me [to do], [just like] has been written {as they have written} about me in the Scriptures.”
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),
First, [Christ] said, “It is not sacrifices and offerings and animals that [the priests] have completely burned up and other [offerings to atone for] those who have sinned that you have really wanted. They have not pleased you.” [Christ said that even though] those things were offered {they offered all those things} according to the laws [God gave Moses]!
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, [concerning his offering himself as a sacrifice to atone for people’s sin], he said, “Listen! I have come [here] to do what you want me [to do]!” In that way Christ got rid of the first [way of atoning for sin], in order to establish the second [way of atoning for] sin.
10 in which will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all,
Because of Jesus Christ [doing what God] wanted him to do, we have been dedicated to {[he] has set us apart for} God by his offering his own body only once [as a sacrifice, a sacrifice that will not need to be repeated].
11 and every priest, indeed, has daily stood serving, and offering the same sacrifices many times, that are never able to take away sins.
As every [Jewish] priest stands daily [in front of the altar], he performs rituals and offers the same kind of sacrifices that could never remove [the guilt from anyone who] sinned [MTY].
12 But He, having offered one sacrifice for sin—to the end, sat down at the right hand of God—
But [Christ] offered a sacrifice that [will be adequate] forever, and he offered it only one time! Then he sat down [to rule] with God at the place of highest honor [MTY].
13 as to the rest, expecting until He may place His enemies [as] His footstool,
From now on, he is waiting for [God] to completely subdue [all] Christ’s enemies [MTY].
14 for by one offering He has perfected to the end those being sanctified;
By offering himself once, he has provided that those whom [God] has set apart will be eternally made (perfect/all that God intends them to be).
15 and the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after that He has said before,
The Holy Spirit also confirms to us [that this is true]. First the Lord says:
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,”
When the time [MTY] [when the first covenant that God made] with my people has ended, I will make a new covenant with them [MTY]. I will do like this for them: I will cause them to understand my laws and I will cause them to obey them (OR, enable them to know them sincerely).
17 and, “I will remember their sins and their lawlessness no more”;
Then [the Lord said]: [I will forgive them for] their [DOU] sins, and I will [consider] that they are no longer [guilty for] having sinned.
18 and where [there is] forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.
When [God] has forgiven someone’s sins, that person does not [need to make] any more offerings [to atone for his sin]!
19 Having, therefore, brothers, boldness for the entrance into the holy places, by the blood of Jesus,
So, my fellow believers, because we [trust in what Jesus accomplished when] his own blood [flowed for us], we can confidently go into [God’s very presence] that was [symbolized] by the very holy place [in the tent] [MTY].
20 which [is] the way He initiated for us—new and living, through the veil, that is, His flesh—
Jesus enabled us to go into [God’s presence] by making a new and effective way. [Specifically], he [offered] his body [as a sacrifice] for us [in order that nothing would stop us] from entering [God’s presence, just like] [MET] the curtain [of the very holy place prevented people from entering God’s presence].
21 and a Great Priest over the house of God,
Christ is a great priest [who rules over us, who are] God’s people [MTY].
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;
[Just like the priests] were sprinkled {[as Moses] sprinkled [the priests]} [with blood] [MET] to symbolize that they were no longer guilty for having sinned, we also no longer are [guilty for having done] evil. [Just like the priests ceremonially] washed their bodies with pure water [to prepare themselves to serve God], we are allowing [God] to continually make us pure. So, we [(inc)] must approach [God] sincerely by confidently trusting [in him].
23 may we hold fast the unwavering profession of the hope (for He who promised [is] faithful),
We must unwaveringly keep holding tight [to what we believe. Since God] faithfully [does all] he promised [to do], we must confidently expect [him to keep doing that].
24 and may we consider to provoke one another to love and to good works,
[Since God] faithfully [does all that] he promised [to do], let us consider how each of us can motivate other believers, in order that [believers] will love each other, and in order that each one will do good things.
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 must not stop assembling ourselves [to worship the Lord], as some people have done. Instead, each one of us must encourage/exhort other believers. [Let us do that] even more since we know that the day [that the Lord will return] [MTY] is near.
26 For [if] we are sinning willingly after receiving the full knowledge of the truth—there remains no more sacrifice for sins,
[We(inc) must do those things], because if we deliberately and habitually sin after we have known the true [message about Christ], no other sacrifice will remove our guilt for having sinned in that way.
27 but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery zeal, about to devour the opposers;
Instead, we must fearfully expect that [God will] judge and angrily [punish] his enemies in a furious fire [MET].
28 anyone having set aside a law of Moses dies without mercies on the basis of two or three witnesses.
Everyone who rejected the laws [that God gave] Moses was mercilessly killed when [at least] two or three people testified that they had done that.
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?
[That was severe punishment]. But [Christ] is (God’s Son/the man who is also God). His blood, by means of which [he put into effect] the new covenant, is sacred. Because of [Christ’s] [MTY] blood [flowing for us when he died], [God] freed us from our guilt. So, you can be sure [RHQ] that anyone who shows contempt for [those truths] and who insults the Spirit of God, the one who acts with kindness toward us in a way we do not deserve, deserves to be punished even worse than [those Israelis were punished] [MET]!
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 can be sure of that] (OR, [need to think about that carefully]) since we know that God said, “I myself will get revenge on those who sinned, and I will punish them as they deserve [DOU].” [Moses wrote], “The Lord will judge his people.”
31 [It is] fearful to fall into [the] hands of [the] living God.
It will be a terrible thing if God who is all-powerful [MTY] seizes and punishes you [IDM]!
32 But call to your remembrance the former days, in which, having been enlightened, you endured much conflict of sufferings;
Recall previous times when you [first] understood [MET] [the message about Christ]. You endured a hard struggle, but you [continued to trust him] when you suffered [because you believed in Christ].
33 this indeed, being made spectacles with both insults and afflictions, now this, having become partners of those so living,
At times you were publicly insulted {people publicly insulted you} and you suffered {people persecuted you}. But you showed great concern for those who were treated like that.
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 not only were kind to those who were in prison [because they believed in Christ], but you also accepted it joyfully when [unbelievers] took away your possessions. You accepted it because you yourselves knew very well that you have eternal possessions [in heaven] that are much better [than those that they took from you]!
35 You may not cast away, then, your boldness, which has great repayment of reward,
So, do not become discouraged [when they cause you to suffer] {[you are persecuted]}, because [if you continue to trust in God], he will greatly reward you.
36 for you have need of patience, that having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.
You must patiently continue [to trust in him] in order that, because of your doing what God wants you to do, he will give you what he has promised.
37 “For yet [in] a very, very little [while], He who is coming will come, and will not linger,”
[You must do that] since [a prophet wrote] in the Scriptures [that God said about the Messiah], In just a short time the one [I promised] would come will surely come; he will not delay coming.
38 but, “The righteous will live by faith; and if he may draw back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”
But those whom I have summoned, who [act] righteously, must continually live trusting in me, because if they, in a cowardly manner, cease [to trust in me], I (will not be pleased/will be angry) with them.
39 But we are not of those drawing back to destruction, but of those believing to a preserving of soul.
But we are not ones who in a cowardly manner stop [trusting in God], with the result that God will severely punish us. Instead, we are ones who trust in him, with the result that [God] will save us [SYN] eternally.
