< Hebrews 8 >

1 Now the sum of the whole is this, we have a High Priest, who is seated on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven:
Now in connexion with what we have been saying the chief point is that we have a High Priest who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God's Majesty in the heavens,
2 And he is the minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which God hath pitched, and not man.
and ministers in the Holy place and in the true tabernacle which not man, but the Lord pitched.
3 For every high priest is established, to offer oblations and sacrifices; and therefore, it was proper that this one should also have something to offer.
Every High Priest, however, is appointed to offer both bloodless gifts and sacrifices. Therefore this High Priest also must have some offering to present.
4 And if he were on earth, he would not be a priest; because there are priests there, who offer oblations agreeably to the law:
If then He were still on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since here there are already those who present the offerings in obedience to the Law,
5 namely they, who minister in the emblem and shadow of the things in heaven: as it was said to Moses, when he was about to build the tabernacle, See, and make every thing according to the pattern which was showed thee in the mount.
and serve a copy and type of the heavenly things, just as Moses was divinely instructed when about to build the tabernacle. For God said, "See that you make everything in imitation of the pattern shown you on the mountain."
6 But now, Jesus the Messiah hath received a ministry which is better than that: as also the covenant, of which he is made the Mediator, is better, and is given with better promises than the former.
But, as a matter of fact, the ministry which Christ has obtained is all the nobler a ministry, in that He is at the same time the negotiator of a sublimer covenant, based upon sublimer promises.
7 For, if the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no place for this second one.
For if that first Covenant had been free from imperfection, there would have been no attempt to introduce another.
8 For he chideth them and saith: Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will complete with the family of the house of Israel, and with the family of the house of Judah, a new covenant;
For, being dissatisfied with His people, God says, "'There are days coming,' says the Lord, 'When I will establish with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new Covenant--
9 not like the covenant which I gave to their fathers, in the day when I took them by the hand, and brought them out of the land of Egypt; and because they continued not in my covenant, I also rejected them, saith the Lord.
a Covenant unlike the one which I made with their forefathers on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out from the land of Egypt; for they would not remain faithful to that.' 'So I turned from them,' says the Lord.
10 But this is the covenant which I will give to the family of the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord: I will put my law in their minds, and inscribe it on their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.
'But this is the Covenant that I will covenant with the house of Israel after those days,' says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds and will write them upon their hearts. And I will indeed be their God and they shall be My People.
11 And one shall not teach his fellow-citizen, nor his brother, nor say: Know thou the Lord: because they shall all know me, from the youngest of them to the oldest.
And there shall be no need for them to teach each one his fellow citizen and each one his brother, saying, Know the Lord. For all will know Me from the least of them to the greatest;
12 And I will forgive them their iniquity; and their sins will I remember no more.
Because I will be merciful to their wrongdoings, and their sins I will remember no longer.'"
13 In that he said a New Covenant, he made the first old; and that which is old and decaying, is near to dissolution.
By using the words, "a new Covenant," He has made the first one obsolete; but whatever is decaying and showing signs of old age is not far from disappearing altogether.

< Hebrews 8 >