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11-14 For now Christ has come among us, the High Priest of the good things which were to come, and has passed through a greater and more perfect tent which no human hand has made (for it was no part of this world of ours). It was not with goats’ or calves’ blood but with his own blood that he entered once and for all into the holy of holies, having won for us men eternal reconciliation with God. And if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a burnt heifer were, when sprinkled on the unholy, sufficient to make the body pure, then how much more will the blood of Christ himself, who in his eternal spirit offered himself to God as the perfect sacrifice, purify your souls from the deeds of death, that you may serve the living God!

The death of Christ gives him power to administer the new agreement

15-20 Christ is consequently the administrator of an entirely new agreement, having the power, by virtue of his death, to redeem transgressions committed under the first agreement: to enable those who obey God’s call to enjoy the promises of the eternal inheritance. For, as in the case of a will, the agreement is only valid after death. While the testator lives, a will has no legal power. And indeed we find that even the first agreement of God’s will was not put into force without the shedding of blood. For when Moses had told the people every command of the Law he took calves’ and goats’ blood with water and scarlet wool, and sprinkled both the book and all the people with a sprig of hyssop, saying: ‘This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you’.

21-22 Moses also sprinkled with blood the tent itself and all the sacred vessels. And you will find that in the Law almost all cleansing is made by means of blood—as the common saying has it: “No shedding of blood, no remission of sin.”

Christ has achieved the real appearance before God for us

23-28 It was necessary for the earthly reproductions of heavenly realities to be purified by such methods, but the actual heavenly things could only be made pure in God’s sight by higher sacrifices than these. Christ did not therefore enter into any holy places made by human hands (however truly these may represent heavenly realities), but he entered Heaven itself to make his appearance before God as High Priest on our behalf. There is no intention that he should offer himself regularly, like the High Priest entering the holy of holies every year with the blood of another creature. For that would mean that he would have to suffer death every time he entered Heaven from the beginning of the world! No, the fact is that now, at this point in time, the end of the present age, he has appeared once and for all to abolish sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as surely as it is appointed for all men to die and after that pass to their judgment, so it is certain that Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many and after that, to those who look for him, he will appear a second time, not this time to deal with sin, but to bring them to full salvation.

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The Blood of Christ

11 But when Christ came as high priest(A) of the good things that are now already here,[a](B) he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle(C) that is not made with human hands,(D) that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves;(E) but he entered the Most Holy Place(F) once for all(G) by his own blood,(H) thus obtaining[b] eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls(I) and the ashes of a heifer(J) sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit(K) offered himself(L) unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences(M) from acts that lead to death,[c](N) so that we may serve the living God!(O)

15 For this reason Christ is the mediator(P) of a new covenant,(Q) that those who are called(R) may receive the promised(S) eternal inheritance(T)—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.(U)

16 In the case of a will,[d] it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.(V) 19 When Moses had proclaimed(W) every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves,(X) together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people.(Y) 20 He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”[e](Z) 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood,(AA) and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.(AB)

23 It was necessary, then, for the copies(AC) of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one;(AD) he entered heaven itself,(AE) now to appear for us in God’s presence.(AF) 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place(AG) every year with blood that is not his own.(AH) 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world.(AI) But he has appeared(AJ) once for all(AK) at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.(AL) 27 Just as people are destined to die once,(AM) and after that to face judgment,(AN) 28 so Christ was sacrificed once(AO) to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time,(AP) not to bear sin,(AQ) but to bring salvation(AR) to those who are waiting for him.(AS)

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 9:11 Some early manuscripts are to come
  2. Hebrews 9:12 Or blood, having obtained
  3. Hebrews 9:14 Or from useless rituals
  4. Hebrews 9:16 Same Greek word as covenant; also in verse 17
  5. Hebrews 9:20 Exodus 24:8