New Living Translation

New King James Version

Old Rules about Worship

That first covenant between God and Israel had regulations for worship and a place of worship here on earth.

1

The Earthly Sanctuary

Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary.

2

There were two rooms in that Tabernacle.a In the first room were a lampstand, a table, and sacred loaves of bread on the table. This room was called the Holy Place.

2

For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the [a]sanctuary;

3

Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second roomb called the Most Holy Place.

3

and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All,

4

In 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.

4

which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;

5

Above 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.

5

and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

6

When these things were all in place, the priests regularly entered the first roomc as they performed their religious duties.

6

Limitations of the Earthly Service

Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services.

7

But 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.

7

But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance;

8

By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacled and the system it represented were still in use.

8

the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.

9

This 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.

9

It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience —

10

For 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.

10

concerned only with foods and drinks, various [b]washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.

11

Christ Is the Perfect Sacrifice

So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come.e 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.

11

The Heavenly Sanctuary

But Christ came as High Priest of the good things [c]to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.

12

With 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.

12

Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

13

Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity.

13

For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, [d]sanctifies for the [e]purifying of the flesh,

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Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deedsf 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.

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how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without [f]spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

15

That 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.

15

And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

16

Now when someone leaves a will,g it is necessary to prove that the person who made it is dead.h

16

The Mediator’s Death Necessary

For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

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The 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.

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For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.

18

That is why even the first covenant was put into effect with the blood of an animal.

18

Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood.

19

For after Moses had read each of God’s commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats,i along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God’s law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool.

19

For when Moses had spoken every [g]precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,

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Then he said, “This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you.”j

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saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.”

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And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship.

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Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry.

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In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.

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And according to the law almost all things are [h]purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no [i]remission.

23

That 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.

23

Greatness of Christ’s Sacrifice

Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be [j]purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

24

For 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.

24

For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are [k]copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;

25

And 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.

25

not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another —

26

If 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 agek to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice.

26

He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

27

And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,

27

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

28

so 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.

28

so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Parallel

New Living Translation

New King James Version

Hebrews 9

Hebrews 9