10 The law is only an ·unclear picture [^Lshadow] of the good things coming in the future; it is not the ·real thing [reality itself; true image of them]. The people under the law offer the same sacrifices every year, but these sacrifices can never make perfect those who come near to worship God. ² If the law could make them perfect, the sacrifices would have already ·stopped [ceased; been abolished]. The worshipers would ·be made clean [^Lhave been cleansed/purified once for all; ^Cforever], and they would no longer have a ·sense of [consciousness of; feeling of guilt about] sin. ³ But these sacrifices remind them of their sins every year, ⁴ because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

⁵ So when ·Christ [^Lhe] came into the world, he said:

  ⁸ In this Scripture ·he first said [or cited above he said], “You did not ·want [desire] sacrifices and offerings. You ·did not ask for [were not pleased with; took no delight in] burnt offerings and offerings to take away sins [v. 6].” (These are all sacrifices that the law ·commands [requires; prescribes].) ⁹ Then he said, “·Look [or Here I am; ^TBehold], I have come to do ·what you want [your will; v. 7].” God ·ends [abolishes; takes away] the ·first system of sacrifices [^Lfirst] so he can ·set up [establish] the ·new system [^Lsecond]. ¹⁰ And ·because of this [^Lby God’s will/desire/intention], we are ·made holy [sanctified; set apart to God] through the sacrifice Christ made in his body ·once and for all time [^Lonce for all; 7:27; 9:12, 26].

¹¹ ·Every day [Day after day] ·the priests [^Levery priest] stand and do their ·religious [priestly] service, ·often [again and again] offering the same sacrifices. Those sacrifices can never take away sins. ¹² But after ·Christ [^Lthis one; ^Cthis priest] offered one sacrifice for sins, forever, he sat down at the right ·side [^Lhand] of God [1:3, 13; Ps. 110:1a]. ¹³ And now ·Christ [^Lhe] waits there for his enemies to be ·put under his power [^Lmade a footstool for his feet; 1:13; Ps. 110:1b]. ¹⁴ With one ·sacrifice [offering] he made perfect forever those who are being ·made holy [sanctified; set apart to God].

¹⁵ The Holy Spirit also ·tells [testifies/bears witness to] us about this. First he says:

¹⁷ Then he says:

¹⁸ Now when these have been forgiven, there is no more need for a ·sacrifice [offering] for sins.

Continue to Trust God

¹⁹ So, brothers and sisters, ·we are completely free [^Lsince we have confidence…; ^Cthis “since” clause continues through v. 22] to enter the ·Most Holy Place [sanctuary; ^Lholy things; ^THoly of Holies] without fear ·because of [or by means of] the blood of Jesus’ death. ²⁰ We can enter through a new and living way that Jesus ·opened [or restored; renewed; or inaugurated] for us. It leads through the curtain—Christ’s ·body [^Tflesh; ^Clike the curtain of the Most Holy Place, Christ’s body, sacrificed for us, provides access to the presence of God]. ²¹ And since we have a great priest over God’s house, ²² let us come near to God with a ·sincere [true] heart and a ·sure [confident] faith, because we have ·been made free [^Lhad our hearts sprinkled; ^Csacrificial blood was sprinkled on people and things to purify them] from a ·guilty [evil] conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water [^Cwater was used in Judaism for ritual purification]. ²³ Let us hold ·firmly [without wavering] to the hope that we have confessed, because ·we can trust God to do what he promised [^Lthe one who promised is faithful].

²⁴ Let us think about ·each other and help each other [or how to provoke/rouse/encourage each another] to show love and do good deeds. ²⁵ You should not ·stay away from [neglect; forsake] ·the church meetings [meeting together], as some are doing [^Csome were abandoning Christianity and returning to Judaism], but you should encourage each other [^Cto stay faithful to Christ and to other believers], and even more so as you see the day coming [^Cthe day of the Lord, when Christ will return].

²⁶ If we ·decide to [deliberately] go on sinning after we have learned the ·truth [^Lknowledge of the truth], there is no longer any sacrifice for sins. ²⁷ There is nothing but ·fear in waiting for the [a fearful/terrifying expectation/prospect of] judgment and the ·terrible [raging; furious] fire that will ·destroy [consume; devour] ·all those who live against God [the enemies of God; ^Lthose who oppose; the adversaries]. ²⁸ Anyone who ·refused to obey [rejected; disregarded] the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the basis of the ·evidence [testimony] provided by two or three witnesses [Deut. 17:6]. ²⁹ So how much worse punishment do you think is deserved by those who ·do not respect [trample on; show contempt for] the Son of God, who ·look at the blood of the agreement that made them holy as no different from others’ blood [^Lprofane/treat as unholy/common the blood of the covenant], who insult the Spirit of God’s grace? ³⁰ We know that God said, “·I will punish those who do wrong [^TVengeance is mine]; I will repay them [Deut. 32:35].” And he also said, “The Lord will judge his people [Deut. 32:36; Ps. 135:14].” ³¹ It is a ·terrible [dreadful; terrifying] thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

³² Remember those ·days in the past [or early days of your faith] when you first ·learned the truth [^Lwere enlightened]. You ·remained strong [endured; persevered] through a hard struggle with many sufferings. ³³ Sometimes you were ·hurt and attacked before crowds of people [^Lexposed to public shame/ridicule and persecution/oppression], and sometimes you shared with those who were being treated that way. ³⁴ You ·helped [had sympathy for; or suffered with] the prisoners [^Cprobably Christians imprisoned for their faith]. You even had joy when ·all that you owned [your property] was ·taken from you [seized; confiscated], because you knew you had ·something [^La possession; property] better and more lasting.

³⁵ So do not ·lose [throw away] ·the courage you had in the past [or your confident trust in God; or your boldness], which has a great reward. ³⁶ You must ·hold on [persevere; endure], so you can do ·what God wants [the will of God] and receive what he has promised. ³⁷ For in a very short time [Is. 26:20],

³⁹ But we are not those who ·turn back [shrink back] and are ·lost [destroyed]. We are people who have faith ·and are saved [leading to the possession/ preservation of life/the soul].