Hebrews 10
1 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.
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 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?
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 sins are recalled to memory year after 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 the 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 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.
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 whole burnt-offerings and in sin-offerings Thou hast taken no pleasure.
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, 'I have come--in the roll of the book it is written concerning Me--to do Thy will, O God.'"
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 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--
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 He then adds, "I have come to do Thy will." He does away with the first in order to 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 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.
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 while every priest stands ministering, day after day, and constantly offering the same sacrifices--though such can never rid us of our 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 this Priest, on the contrary, after offering for sins a single sacrifice of perpetual efficacy, took His seat at God's right hand,
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 waiting from that time onward until His enemies be put as a footstool under His feet.
From now on, he is waiting for [God] to completely subdue [all] Christ’s enemies [MTY].
14 For by a single offering He has for ever completed the blessing for those whom He is setting free from sin.
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 gives us His testimony; for when He had said,
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: 'I will put My laws upon their hearts and 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 He adds, "And their sins and offences I will remember no longer."
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 But where these have been forgiven no further offering for sin is required.
When [God] has forgiven someone’s sins, that person does not [need to make] any more offerings [to atone for his sin]!
19 Since then, brethren, we have free access to the Holy place through 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 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--
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 since we have a great Priest who has authority over the house of God,
Christ is a great priest [who rules over us, who are] God’s people [MTY].
22 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.
[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 Let us hold firmly to an unflinching avowal of our hope, for He is faithful who gave us the promises.
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 let us bestow thought on one another with a view to arousing one another to brotherly love and right conduct;
[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 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.
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 wilfully persist in sin after having received the full knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains in reserve any other 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 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.
Instead, we must fearfully expect that [God will] judge and angrily [punish] his enemies in a furious fire [MET].
28 Any one who bids defiance to the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony 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 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?
[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 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."
[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 an awful thing to fall into the hands of the ever-living God.
It will be a terrible thing if God who is all-powerful [MTY] seizes and punishes you [IDM]!
32 But continually recall to mind the days now past, when on being first enlightened you went through a great conflict and many 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 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.
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 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.
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 Therefore do not cast from you your confident hope, for it will receive a vast 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 stand in need of patient endurance, so that, as the result of having done the will of God, you may receive the promised blessing.
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 there is still but a short time and then "The coming One will come and will not delay.
[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 it is by faith that My righteous servant shall live; and if he shrinks back, My soul takes 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 people who shrink back and perish, but are among those who believe and gain possession of their souls.
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.
