Hebrews 10

1 For the law, having in a shadow of the destined good things, not the very image of the things, they can never, with the same sacrifices which year by year they offer evermore, make them who approach, perfect;

For, since the Law exhibits only an outline of the blessings to come and not a perfect representation of the things themselves, the priests can never, by repeating the same sacrifices which they continually offer year after year, give complete freedom from sin to those who draw near.

2 Else would they not, in that case, have ceased being offered, by reason of those rendering the divine service having no further conscience at all of sins, being once for all purified?

For then would not the sacrifices have ceased to be offered, because the consciences of the worshippers--who in that case would now have been cleansed once for all--would no longer be burdened with sins?

3 But, in them, is a recalling to mind of sins, year by year,

But in those sacrifices sins are recalled to memory year after year.

4 For it is impossible for blood of bulls and goats to be taking away sins.

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

5 Wherefore, coming into the world, he saith: Sacrifice and offering, thou willedst not, but, a body, hast thou fitted for me, —

That is why, when He comes into the world, He says, "Sacrifice and offering Thou has not desired, but a body Thou hast prepared for Me.

6 In whole-burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sins, thou didst not delight:

In whole burnt-offerings and in sin-offerings Thou hast taken no pleasure.

7 Then, said I—Lo! I am come, —in the heading of the scroll, it is written concerning me, —to do, O God, thy will.

Then I said, 'I have come--in the roll of the book it is written concerning Me--to do Thy will, O God.'"

8 Higher up, saying—Sacrifices, and offerings, and whole-burnt-offerings, and sacrifices for sins, thou willedst not, neither delightedst in, —the which, according to the law, are offered,

After saying the words I have just quoted, "Sacrifices and offerings or whole burnt-offerings and sin-offerings Thou hast not desired or taken pleasure in" --all such being offered in obedience to the Law--

9 Then, hath he said—Lo! I am come! to do, thy will: —he taketh away the first, that, the second, he may establish:

He then adds, "I have come to do Thy will." He does away with the first in order to establish the second.

10 By which will, we have been made holy, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all.

It is through that divine will that we have been set free from sin, through the offering of Jesus Christ as our sacrifice once for all.

11 And, every priest, indeed, standeth daily publicly ministering, and the same sacrifices ofttimes offering, the which never can clear away sins;

And while every priest stands ministering, day after day, and constantly offering the same sacrifices--though such can never rid us of our sins--

12 But this priest, having offered one sacrifice for sins evermore, sat down on the right hand of God:

this Priest, on the contrary, after offering for sins a single sacrifice of perpetual efficacy, took His seat at God's right hand,

13 As for the rest, waiting—until his foes be made his footstool;

waiting from that time onward until His enemies be put as a footstool under His feet.

14 For, by one offering, hath he perfected for evermore, them who are being made holy.

For by a single offering He has for ever completed the blessing for those whom He is setting free from sin.

15 But even the Holy Spirit beareth us witness; for, after having said—

And the Holy Spirit also gives us His testimony; for when He had said,

16 This is the covenant which I will covenant unto them after these days, saith the Lord, —Giving my laws upon their hearts, upon their understandings also, will I inscribe them,

"'This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those days,' says the Lord: 'I will put My laws upon their hearts and will write them on their minds;'"

17 [He] also [saith] —of their sins, and of their lawlessnesses, I will in nowise be mindful any more.

He adds, "And their sins and offences I will remember no longer."

18 But, wherever a remission of these is, there is, no further, offering, for sins.

But where these have been forgiven no further offering for sin is required.

19 Having therefore, brethren, freedom of speech for the entrance through the Holy place, by the blood of Jesus,

Since then, brethren, we have free access to the Holy place through the blood of Jesus,

20 Which entrance he hath consecrated for us, as a way recent and living, through the veil, that is, his flesh, —

by the new and ever-living way which He opened up for us through the rending of the veil--that is to say, of His earthly nature--

21 And having a great priest over the house of God,

and since we have a great Priest who has authority over the house of God,

22 Let us approach with a genuine heart, in full assurance of faith, having been sprinkled, as to our hearts, from an evil conscience, and bathed, as to our bodies, with pure water;

let us draw near with sincerity and unfaltering faith, having had our hearts sprinkled, once for all, from consciences oppressed with sin, and our bodies bathed in pure water.

23 Let us hold fast the confession of the hope without wavering, —for, faithful, is he that hath promised;

Let us hold firmly to an unflinching avowal of our hope, for He is faithful who gave us the promises.

24 And let us attentively consider one another, to provoke unto love and noble works, —

And let us bestow thought on one another with a view to arousing one another to brotherly love and right conduct;

25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, according to the custom of some, but exhorting, and by so much the more as this, by as much as ye behold, the day, drawing near.

not neglecting--as some habitually do--to meet together, but encouraging one another, and doing this all the more since you can see the day of Christ approaching.

26 For, if, by choice, we be sinning, after the receiving of the full-knowledge of the truth, no longer, for sins, is there left over, a sacrifice,

For if we wilfully persist in sin after having received the full knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains in reserve any other sacrifice for sins.

27 But some fearful reception of judgment and fiery jealousy, about to devour the opposers.

There remains nothing but a certain awful expectation of judgement, and the fury of a fire which before long will devour the enemies of the truth.

28 Any one having set aside a law of Moses, apart from compassions, upon [the testimony of] two or three witnesses, dieth:

Any one who bids defiance to the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be accounted worthy, who hath trampled underfoot the Son of God, and, the blood of the covenant, hath esteemed, a profane thing, by which he had been made holy, and, unto the Spirit of favour, hath offered wanton insult?

How much severer punishment, think you, will he be held to deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, has not regarded as holy that Covenant-blood with which he was set free from sin, and has insulted the Spirit from whom comes grace?

30 For we know him that hath said—To me, belongeth avenging, I, will recompense; and again—The Lord will judge his people.

For we know who it is that has said, "Vengeance belongs to Me: I will pay back;" and again, "The Lord will be His people's judge."

31 A fearful thing [it is] to fall into the hands of a Living God!

It is an awful thing to fall into the hands of the ever-living God.

32 But be calling to mind the former days, in which, once ye were illuminated, a great combat of sufferings, ye endured; —

But continually recall to mind the days now past, when on being first enlightened you went through a great conflict and many sufferings.

33 Partly, indeed, because, both with reproaches and tribulations, ye were being made a spectacle, but, partly, because, into fellowship with them who were so involved, ye were brought; —

This was partly through allowing yourselves to be made a public spectacle amid reproaches and persecutions, and partly through coming forward to share the sufferings of those who were thus treated.

34 For, even with them who were in bonds, ye sympathised, and, unto the seizure of your goods, with joy, ye bade welcome, —knowing that ye have yourselves, for a better possession and an abiding.

For you not only showed sympathy with those who were imprisoned, but you even submitted with joy when your property was taken from you, being well aware that you have in your own selves a more valuable possession and one which will remain.

35 Do not, then, cast away your freedom of speech, —the which hath a great recompense.

Therefore do not cast from you your confident hope, for it will receive a vast reward.

36 For, of endurance, ye have need, in order that, the will of God having done, Ye may bear away, the promise.

For you stand in need of patient endurance, so that, as the result of having done the will of God, you may receive the promised blessing.

37 For, yet a little while, how short! how short! The Coming One will be here, and will not tarry;

For there is still but a short time and then "The coming One will come and will not delay.

38 But, my righteous one, by faith, shall live, and, if he draw back, my soul delighteth not in him.

But it is by faith that My righteous servant shall live; and if he shrinks back, My soul takes no pleasure in him."

39 We, however, are not of a drawing back unto destruction, but, of faith, unto an acquisition of life.

But we are not people who shrink back and perish, but are among those who believe and gain possession of their souls.