| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship. | 1The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. |
| 2For otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have been purified once for all and so have no further consciousness of sin? | 2If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. |
| 3But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year. | 3But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. |
| 4For the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins. | 4For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. |
| 5So when he came into the world, he said, "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me. | 5That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. |
| 6"Whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings you took no delight in. | 6You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. |
| 7"Then I said, 'Here I am: I have come--it is written of me in the scroll of the book--to do your will, O God.'" | 7Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God— as is written about me in the Scriptures.’” |
| 8When he says above, "Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings you did not desire nor did you take delight in them" (which are offered according to the law), | 8First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). |
| 9then he says, "Here I am: I have come to do your will." He does away with the first to establish the second. | 9Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. |
| 10By his will we have been made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. | 10For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. |
| 11And every priest stands day after day serving and offering the same sacrifices again and again--sacrifices that can never take away sins. | 11Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. |
| 12But when this priest had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand of God, | 12But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. |
| 13where he is now waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. | 13There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. |
| 14For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy. | 14For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy. |
| 15And the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us, for after saying, | 15And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says, |
| 16"This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord. I will put my laws on their hearts and I will inscribe them on their minds," | 16“This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” |
| 17then he says, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no longer." | 17Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” |
| 18Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. | 18And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. A Call to Persevere |
| 19Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, | 19And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. |
| 20by the fresh and living way that he inaugurated for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, | 20By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. |
| 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, | 21And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, |
| 22let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. | 22let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. |
| 23And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. | 23Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. |
| 24And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, | 24Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. |
| 25not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near. | 25And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. |
| 26For if we deliberately keep on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins is left for us, | 26Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. |
| 27but only a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire that will consume God's enemies. | 27There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. |
| 28Someone who rejected the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. | 28For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. |
| 29How much greater punishment do you think that person deserves who has contempt for the Son of God, and profanes the blood of the covenant that made him holy, and insults the Spirit of grace? | 29Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. |
| 30For we know the one who said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." | 30For we know the one who said, “I will take revenge. I will pay them back.” He also said, “The LORD will judge his own people.” |
| 31It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. | 31It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. |
| 32But remember the former days when you endured a harsh conflict of suffering after you were enlightened. | 32Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. |
| 33At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and afflictions, and at other times you came to share with others who were treated in that way. | 33Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. |
| 34For in fact you shared the sufferings of those in prison, and you accepted the confiscation of your belongings with joy, because you knew that you certainly had a better and lasting possession. | 34You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever. |
| 35So do not throw away your confidence, because it has great reward. | 35So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! |
| 36For you need endurance in order to do God's will and so receive what is promised. | 36Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. |
| 37For just a little longer and he who is coming will arrive and not delay. | 37“For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. |
| 38But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I take no pleasure in him. | 38And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.” |
| 39But we are not among those who shrink back and thus perish, but are among those who have faith and preserve their souls. | 39But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved. |
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