| New Living Translation | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1That first covenant between God and Israel had regulations for worship and a place of worship here on earth. | 1Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary. |
| 2There were two rooms in that Tabernacle. In the first room were a lampstand, a table, and sacred loaves of bread on the table. This room was called the Holy Place. | 2For there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread; this is called the holy place. |
| 3Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second room called the Most Holy Place. | 3Behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, |
| 4In that room were a gold incense altar and a wooden chest called the Ark of the Covenant, which was covered with gold on all sides. Inside the Ark were a gold jar containing manna, Aaron’s staff that sprouted leaves, and the stone tablets of the covenant. | 4having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant; |
| 5Above the Ark were the cherubim of divine glory, whose wings stretched out over the Ark’s cover, the place of atonement. But we cannot explain these things in detail now. | 5and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but of these things we cannot now speak in detail. |
| 6When these things were all in place, the priests regularly entered the first room as they performed their religious duties. | 6Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle performing the divine worship, |
| 7But only the high priest ever entered the Most Holy Place, and only once a year. And he always offered blood for his own sins and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. | 7but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. |
| 8By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle and the system it represented were still in use. | 8The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing, |
| 9This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. | 9which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, |
| 10For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established. Christ Is the Perfect Sacrifice | 10since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation. |
| 11So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. | 11But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; |
| 12With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. | 12and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. |
| 13Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. | 13For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, |
| 14Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. | 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? |
| 15That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant. | 15For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. |
| 16Now when someone leaves a will, it is necessary to prove that the person who made it is dead. | 16For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. |
| 17The will goes into effect only after the person’s death. While the person who made it is still alive, the will cannot be put into effect. | 17For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. |
| 18That is why even the first covenant was put into effect with the blood of an animal. | 18Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. |
| 19For after Moses had read each of God’s commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God’s law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool. | 19For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, |
| 20Then he said, “This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you.” | 20saying, "THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT WHICH GOD COMMANDED YOU." |
| 21And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship. | 21And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. |
| 22In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. | 22And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. |
| 23That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals. | 23Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. |
| 24For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. | 24For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; |
| 25And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. | 25nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. |
| 26If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. | 26Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. |
| 27And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, | 27And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, |
| 28so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him. | 28so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. |
| Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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