Hebrews 9

1 [To continue]: In the first [covenant, God] regulated how people [should perform] rituals, and [he told them to make] [MTY] a sanctuary.

[Even] the first, indeed, therefore, used to have righteous appointments of divine service, even the holy ritual well arranged.

2 [That sanctuary] was a tent that [the Israelites] set up. In its outer room there was the lampstand and the table [on which they put] the bread that [the priests] presented [to God. That room] was called ‘the holy place’.

For a tent was prepared, the first, in which were both the lampstand and the table and the setting forth of the loaves, —the which is called the Holy place;

3 Behind the curtain inside [the holy place] there was [another] room. That was called ‘the very holy place’.

But, after the second veil, a tent, that which is called Most Holy:

4 It had an altar, [made from] gold, [for burning] incense. [It also had the chest which they called] the chest of the covenant. All its sides were covered with gold. In it was the golden pot which contained [pieces of the food they called] manna. [That was the food with which God miraculously fed the people before they entered the promised land]. In the chest there was also Aaron’s walking stick that budded [to prove that he was God’s true priest]. In the chest were also the stone tablets [on which God had written] the Ten Commandments.

Having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant covered around on every side with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and the rod of Aaron that sprouted, and the tables of the covenant;

5 On top of [the chest] were [figures of] winged creatures [that symbolized God’s] glory. Their [wings] overshadowed the chest’s lid where [the high priest sprinkled the blood] (to [atone for/to forgive]) [those who had sinned. I] do not [need] to write about these things in detail now.

But, over-above it, Cherubim of glory overshadowing the propitiatory: —concerning which things, it is not now [needful] to be speaking, particularly.

6 After all those things were prepared {After they had prepared all those things like that} [in the two rooms of the tent], the [Jewish] priests habitually went into the outer [room of the] tent to perform their rituals.

Now, these things having been thus prepared, into the first tent, indeed, continually do the priests enter, the divine services completing;

7 But into the inner room, only the Supreme Priest [went], once a year. He always took [LIT] the blood [of animals that they had slaughtered]. He offered them [to God] for his own [sins] and for the sins that other people had committed. They included sins that they did not realize [were sinful].

But, into the second, once for all in the year, only the high-priest, not without blood, which he offered for himself and the ignorances of the people:

8 By those things the Holy Spirit indicated that [just like God] did not reveal the way [for ordinary people] to enter into the inner room while the outer room still existed [MET], [similarly he did not reveal the way for ordinary people to enter the presence of God while the Jewish system of offering sacrifices was in effect].

The Holy Spirit making this evident—that, not yet, hath been manifested, the way through the Holy place, so long as the first tent hath a standing.

9 [The things that the priests did inside the outer room] [MTY] symbolized [what was true] during the time [when the first covenant was in effect]. According to [the first covenant] (OR, [In that outer room]), [priests] offered gifts and other sacrifices to God. But [by offering them], the people who brought them were unable to make themselves feel that they were no longer guilty for having sinned.

The which is a similitude for the present season, according to which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which cannot, as to the conscience, perfect him that rendereth the divine service: —

10 [They brought those gifts and made those sacrifices] according to [regulations concerning] things to eat and drink, and [according to rules that required people to] wash various things. [God] declared that those regulations about our bodies were to be in effect until [he put into effect the new covenant]; that was a better system.

Only as to eatings, and drinkings, and diversified immersions, —righteous-appointments of the flesh, which, until a season of rectifying, are in force.

11 But when Christ came as our Supreme Priest, [he brought] the good things that are now available. When he appeared, [he went into God’s presence in heaven. That is like a] [MET] very great and perfect tent not made by humans {which no human made} [SYN]; that is, it is not part of the world [God] created. It was better [than the tent Moses set up here on earth].

But, when Christ approached, as high-priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tent, not made by hand, that is, not of this creation, —

12 [When a Supreme Priest goes into the inner room in the tent each year, he takes] goats’ blood and calves’ blood [to offer as a sacrifice]. But Christ did not [do that. It was as though] he went into that very holy place only once, taking his own blood with him. By doing that, he eternally redeemed us. (aiōnios g166)

Nor yet through blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood he entered once for all into the Holy place, age-abiding redemption discovering. (aiōnios g166)

13 The priests sprinkle on people goats’ blood and bulls’ blood and [the water that has been filtered through] the ashes of a [red] heifer that has been [completely burned. By performing that ritual, they can ritually] cleanse the bodies of those who are [ceremonially] unclean. Furthermore, performing those rituals enabled people to have fellowship with God again.

For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the profaned, halloweth unto the purity of the flesh,

14 [So, because we know what] Christ [accomplished when] his blood flowed [when he died for us] [PRS, MTY], we will be very certain that we are not guilty [of having] done those things [that those who are spiritually] dead do. [As a result], we can serve God, who is all-powerful. [The priests always offer to God animals] with no defects. Similarly, when Christ offered himself [as a sacrifice] to God, he was sinless [MET]. He did that as a result of [God’s] eternal Spirit [helping him]. (aiōnios g166)

How much rather shall the blood of the Christ, who through an age-abiding spirit offered himself unspotted unto God, purify our conscience from dead works, to the rendering of divine-service, unto a Living God? (aiōnios g166)

15 [By] dying [for us], [Christ] ([redeemed/] free from the penalty for their sins) even those who disobeyed the [conditions of] (OR, [during the time of]) the first covenant. So, [because] no [one could be made perfect by obeying the old covenant], now Christ establishes [between God and people] a new covenant. He does that in order that those whom God has chosen may eternally have [the blessings that God] has promised them. (aiōnios g166)

And, for this cause, of a new covenant, is he mediator, —to the end that, death coming to pass for the redemption of the transgressions against the first covenant, the called might receive the promise of the age-abiding inheritance; (aiōnios g166)

16 A covenant [is like a will. In the case of a will], [in order to put its provisions into effect], someone must prove that the one who made it has died.

For, where a covenant is, it is necessary for, the death, to be brought in, of him that hath covenanted;

17 A will goes into effect [only when the one who makes the will] has died. It is not in effect when the one who made it is still alive.

For, a covenant over dead persons, is firm, —since it is not then of force when he is living that hath covenanted.

18 And so [God] put the first covenant into effect only [LIT] by means of [animals’] blood that was shed [when they were slaughtered].

Whence, not even the first, apart from blood, hath been consecrated;

19 After Moses had declared to all the Israelites everything that God commanded in the laws [that God gave him], he took calves’ and goats’ blood [mixed] with water. He [dipped into it] scarlet wool [that he tied around] a sprig of hyssop. Then he sprinkled [with some of the blood] the scroll itself containing God’s laws. Then he sprinkled [more of that blood on all the] people,

For, when every commandment according to the law had been spoken by Moses unto all the people, taking the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, both, the scroll itself, and all the people, he sprinkled;

20 saying to them, “This is the blood [which brings into effect] the covenant that God commanded that you [obey].”

Saying—This, is the blood of the covenant which, God, hath sent in command unto you:

21 Likewise, he sprinkled with that blood the tent and every object that they used in performing rituals.

Yea, the tent also, and all the utensils of the public ministry, with blood, in like manner, he sprinkled:

22 It was by [sprinkling] blood that they [ritually] cleansed almost everything. That was what [was stated in] God’s laws. If blood is not shed [when people offer a sacrifice, God] cannot forgive [the person who is making the sacrifice].

And, nearly, all things, with blood, are purified, according to the law, and, apart from blood-shedding, cometh no remission.

23 So, by rituals like that, it was necessary for [the priests] to cleanse the things that symbolized what Christ does [MTY] in heaven. But God has to [consecrate] the [people who will enter] [MTY] heaven [by means of] better sacrifices than those.

It was indeed therefore necessary for the glimpses of the things in the heavens with these to be purified; but, the heavenly things themselves, with better sacrifices than these.

24 Christ did not enter a sanctuary that humans made. That one only represented the true [sanctuary]. Instead, he entered heaven itself, in order to now be in God’s presence [to plead with] God for us.

For, not into a Holy place made by hand, entered Christ, —counterpart of the real [Holy place]; but, into the heaven itself, now, to be plainly manifested before the face of God in our behalf; —

25 The [Jewish] Supreme Priest enters the very holy place once every year, taking blood that is not his own, [to offer it as a sacrifice]. But when Christ entered heaven, it was not in order to offer himself repeatedly like that.

Nor yet that, ofttimes, he should be offering himself, —just as the high-priest entereth into the Holy place, year by year, with alien blood; —

26 [If that were so], he would have needed to suffer [and shed his blood] repeatedly since [the time when God] created the world. But instead, in this final age, [Christ] has appeared once in order that by sacrificing himself he could cause [that people] no longer will be [punished for their] sins. (aiōn g165)

Else had it been needful for him, ofttimes, to suffer, from the foundation of the world; but, now, once for all, upon a conjunction of the ages, for a setting aside of sin through means of his sacrifice, hath he been made manifest; (aiōn g165)

27 All people must die once, and after that [God] will judge them [for their sins].

And, inasmuch as it is in store for men—once for all to die, but after this, judgment,

28 Likewise, when Christ [died], [God] offered him once to be a sacrifice, to punish him instead of the many [people who had] sinned. He will come [to earth] a second time, not [in order to sacrifice himself again for those who] have sinned, but in order to [complete] his saving those who expectantly wait for him.

Thus, the Christ also, once for all having been offered, for the bearing of the sins, of many, a second time, apart from sin, will appear, to them who for him are ardently waiting—unto salvation.