Hebrews 10

1 For the law having a shadow of the coming good things — 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,

For the law is only a shadow of the good things to come, not the real forms of those things themselves. Those who approach God can never be made perfect by the same sacrifices that the priests continually bring year after year.

2 since, would they not have ceased to be offered, because of those serving having no more conscience of sins, having once been purified?

Otherwise, would the sacrifices not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed one time and would no longer have any consciousness of sin.

3 but in those [sacrifices] is a remembrance of sins every year,

But with those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year.

4 for it is impossible for blood of bulls and goats to take 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 didst not will, and a body Thou didst prepare for me,

When Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you did not desire, but a body you have prepared for me;

6 in burnt-offerings, and concerning sin-offerings, Thou didst not delight,

with burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not take pleasure.

7 then I said, Lo, I come, (in a volume of the book it hath been written concerning me, ) to do, O God, Thy will;'

Then I said, 'See, here I am— as it is written about me in the scroll— to do your will.'”

8 saying above — 'Sacrifice, and offering, and burnt-offerings, and concerning sin-offering Thou didst not will, nor delight in,' — which according to the law are offered —

First he said, “It was neither sacrifices, nor offerings, nor whole burnt offerings, nor sacrifices for sin that you desired. Nor did you take pleasure in them.” These are sacrifices that are offered according to the law.

9 then he said, 'Lo, I come to do, O God, Thy will;' he doth take away the first that the second he may establish;

Then he said, “See, here I am to do your will.” He takes away the first practice in order to establish the second practice.

10 in the which will we are having been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once,

By that will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11 and every priest, indeed, hath stood daily serving, and the same sacrifices many times offering, that are never able to take away sins.

Day after day every priest stands and performs his service to God. He offers the same sacrifices again and again—sacrifices that can never take away sins.

12 And He, for sin one sacrifice having offered — to the end, did sit down on the right hand of God, —

But when Christ offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.

13 as to the rest, expecting till He may place his enemies [as] his footstool,

He is waiting until his enemies are made a stool for his feet.

14 for by one offering he hath perfected to the end those sanctified;

For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

15 and testify to us also doth the Holy Spirit, for after that He hath said before,

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us. First he said,

16 'This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, giving My laws on their hearts, and upon their minds I will write them,'

“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.

17 and 'their sins and their lawlessness I will remember no more;'

Their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no longer.”

18 and where forgiveness of these [is], there is no more offering for sin.

Now where there is forgiveness for these, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

19 Having, therefore, brethren, boldness for the entrance into the holy places, in the blood of Jesus,

Therefore, brothers, we have confidence to enter into the most holy place by the blood of Jesus.

20 which way he did initiate for us — new and living, through the vail, that is, his flesh —

That is the new and living way that he has opened for us through the curtain, that is, by means of his flesh.

21 and a high priest over the house of God,

Because we have a great priest over the house of God,

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;

let us approach with true hearts in the full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

23 may we hold fast the unwavering profession of the hope, (for faithful [is] He who did promise),

Let us also hold tightly to the confession of our hope without wavering, because God, who has promised, is faithful.

24 and may we consider one another to provoke to love and to good works,

Let us consider how to motivate one another to love and good deeds.

25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as a custom of certain [is], but exhorting, and so much the more as ye see the day coming nigh.

Let us not stop meeting together, as some have done. Instead, encourage one another more and more, and all the more as you see the day coming closer.

26 For we — wilfully sinning after the receiving the full knowledge of the truth — no more for sins doth there remain a sacrifice,

For if we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, a sacrifice for sins no longer exists.

27 but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery zeal, about to devour the opposers;

Instead, there is only a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume God's enemies.

28 any one who did set at nought a law of Moses, apart from mercies, by two or three witnesses, doth die,

Anyone who has rejected the law of Moses dies without mercy at the testimony of two or three witnesses.

29 of how much sorer punishment shall he be counted worthy who the Son of God did trample on, and the blood of the covenant did count a common thing, in which he was sanctified, and to the Spirit of the grace did despite?

How much worse punishment do you think one deserves who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, who treated the blood of the covenant as unholy—the blood by which he was sanctified—and insulted the Spirit of grace?

30 for we have known Him who is saying, 'Vengeance [is] Mine, I will recompense, saith the Lord;' and again, 'The Lord shall judge His people;' —

For we know the one who said, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will pay back.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”

31 fearful [is] the falling into the hands of a living God.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

32 And call to your remembrance the former days, in which, having been enlightened, ye did endure much conflict of sufferings,

But remember the former days, after you were enlightened, how you endured a great struggle in suffering.

33 partly both with reproaches and tribulations being made spectacles, and partly having become partners of those so living,

You were exposed to public ridicule by insults and persecution, and you were sharing with those who went through such suffering.

34 for also with my bonds ye sympathised, and the robbery of your goods with joy ye did receive, knowing that ye have in yourselves a better substance in the heavens, and an enduring one.

For you had compassion on those who were prisoners, and you accepted with joy the seizure of your possessions. You knew that you yourselves had a better and everlasting possession.

35 Ye may not cast away, then, your boldness, which hath great recompense of reward,

So do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

36 for of patience ye have need, that the will of God having done, ye may receive the promise,

For you need patience, so that you may receive what God has promised, after you have done his will.

37 for yet a very very little, He who is coming will come, and will not tarry;

“For in a very little while, the one who is coming will indeed come and not delay.

38 and 'the righteous by faith shall live,' and 'if he may draw back, My soul hath no pleasure in him,'

My righteous one will live by faith. If he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.”

39 and we are not of those drawing back to destruction, but of those believing to a preserving of soul.

But we are not any of those who turn back to destruction. Instead, we are some of those who have faith for keeping our soul.