HEBREWS

Hebrews Chapter 9

1 ¶ Now the first covenant also had an earthly sanctuary, and laws governing worship.

2 For a tabernacle was erected; the lamp stand, the table, and the showbread were in the first room; which is called the holy place.

3 Behind the second curtain, was a room called the most holy place;

4 Which had a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant overlaid entirely with gold, in which was a golden pot containing manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

5 And above it the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; concerning which we cannot go into detail right now.

6 But when it was set up this way, the priests regularly entered the first part, to serve God.

7 While the high priest alone entered the second part, once a year, and never without taking blood, which he offered for himself, and for the sins of the people:

8 ¶ The Holy Spirit was showing by this, that the way into the most holy place had not yet been disclosed, while the first tabernacle remained in place:

9 This is an illustration for the present time, in accord with which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, yet cannot bring the worshipper to the real goal, in regard to the conscience;

10 But deal only with food and drink, and various washings, and regulations for the body, imposed until the time of completion.

11 Christ then arrived as a high priest of the good things about to come, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with human hands, that is to say, not a part of this creation;

12 And it was not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood that he entered once for all into the holy place, obtaining eternal redemption for us.

13 For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on the unclean, sanctifies in regard to cleanness of the flesh:

14 How 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?

15 ¶ And because of this he is the mediator of a new testament, so that since a death has taken place that redeems them from sins committed under the first testament, those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

16 For where there is a will and testament, the death of the one who made the will must be established.

17 For a testament is only in force after someone has died: it is never in force while the one who made it is still living.

18 Hence even the first testament was not put into effect without blood.

19 For when Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves and of goats, together with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,

20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament that God designed for you.

21 In the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle, and everything used in worship, with blood.

22 In fact, according to the law almost everything is cleansed by blood; and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

23 ¶ Therefore, the earthly copies of things in the heavens had to be purified in that way; but the heavenly things themselves needed better sacrifices than these.

24 For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary, that is only a type of the true one; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

25 Nor did he enter heaven in order to offer himself often, as does the high priest who enters into the sanctuary every year with blood that is not his own;

26 Otherwise he would have had to suffer many times since the world was made: but now he has appeared once at the close of history to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

27 And as men are appointed to die once, and after that the judgment:

28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are expecting him.