Hebrews 9:15-28

Expanded Bible

¹⁵ For this reason Christ ·brings a new agreement from God to his people [^Lis the mediator of a new covenant/contract]. Those who are called by God can now receive the eternal ·blessings [inheritance] he has promised. They can have those things because Christ died to ·set them free [redeem them] from the ·sins [transgressions; violations] committed under the first agreement [covenant; contract].

¹⁶ When there is a ·will [last will and testament; ^Cthe same Greek word translated “agreement” in v. 15; the author develops his illustration from the various meanings of the word], it must be proven that the one who wrote that ·will [last will and testament] is dead. ¹⁷ [^LFor; Because] A ·will [last will and testament] ·means nothing [carries no force] while the person is alive; it can ·be used [take effect] only after the person dies. ¹⁸ This is why even the first ·agreement [covenant; contract; ^Cthe same Greek word as “will” in vv. 16–17] could not ·begin [be inaugurated/put into effect] without blood [^Cthe death of a sacrificial animal]. ¹⁹ First, Moses told all the people every command in the law. Next he took the blood of calves^[a] and mixed it with water. Then he used ·red [scarlet] wool and a branch of the hyssop plant to sprinkle it on the book of the law and on all the people. ²⁰ He said, “This is the blood ·that begins [that seals/confirms; ^Lof] the ·Agreement [Covenant; Contract] that God commanded you to ·obey [keep; Ex. 24:8].” ²¹ In the same way, Moses sprinkled the blood on the ·Holy Tent [^TTabernacle] and over all the ·things [vessels; utensils] used in worship. ²² The law says that almost everything must be ·made clean [purified; cleansed] by blood, and sins cannot be forgiven without ·blood to show death [the shedding of blood; ^Csignifying death to pay the penalty of sin].

Christ’s Death Takes Away Sins

²³ So the ·copies [symbols; models; prototypes] of the real things in heaven had to be ·made clean [purified; cleansed] by animal sacrifices. But the real things in heaven need much better sacrifices. ²⁴ [^LFor] Christ did not go into ·the Most Holy Place [a sanctuary; ^Lholy things] made by ·humans [^Lhands], which is only a ·copy [model; or prefiguration] of the real one. He went into heaven itself and ·is there [appears] now ·before [in the presence of] God ·to help us [for us; on our behalf]. ²⁵ The high priest enters the ·Most Holy Place [sanctuary; ^Lholy things; ^THoly of Holies] once every year with blood that is not his own. But Christ did not offer himself many times. ²⁶ ·Then [Otherwise; In such a case,] he would have had to suffer many times ·since the world was made [from the foundation/creation of the world]. But Christ ·came [appeared] ·only once and for all time [once for all; 7:27; 9:12, 26; 10:10] at the ·end [culmination; climax] of ·the present age [time; ^Lthe ages] to ·take away all [nullify; abolish] sin by sacrificing himself. ²⁷ Just as ·everyone [^Lpeople] ·must [is/are destined/appointed to] die once and ·then be judged [^Tafter this the judgment], ²⁸ so Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to ·take away [bear] the sins of many people [Is. 53:12]. And he will ·come [appear] a second time, not to offer himself for sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.