Christ's Sacrifice Once for All

10 For since the law has but (A)a shadow (B)of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, (C)it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But (D)in these sacrifices (E)there is a reminder of sins every year. For (F)it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Consequently, (G)when Christ[a] came into the world, he said,

(H)“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
    but a body have you prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings
    you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
    as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”

When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in (I)sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, (J)“Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will (K)we have been sanctified through the offering of (L)the body of Jesus Christ (M)once for all.

11 And every priest stands (N)daily at his service, (O)offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, (P)which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ[b] had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he (Q)sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time (R)until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering (S)he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

16 (T)“This is the covenant that I will make with them
    after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
    and write them on their minds,”

17 then he adds,

(U)“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

The Full Assurance of Faith

19 (V)Therefore, brothers,[c] since we have confidence to enter (W)the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by (X)the new and living way that he opened for us through (Y)the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have (Z)a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts (AA)sprinkled clean (AB)from an evil conscience and our bodies (AC)washed with pure water. 23 (AD)Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for (AE)he who promised is faithful. 24 And (AF)let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 (AG)not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and (AH)all the more as you see (AI)the Day drawing near.

26 For (AJ)if we go on sinning deliberately (AK)after receiving the knowledge of the truth, (AL)there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 (AM)but a fearful expectation of judgment, and (AN)a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 (AO)Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy (AP)on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one (AQ)who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned (AR)the blood of the covenant (AS)by which he was sanctified, and has (AT)outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, (AU)“Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, (AV)“The Lord will judge his people.” 31 (AW)It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32 But recall the former days when, after (AX)you were enlightened, you endured (AY)a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being (AZ)publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For (BA)you had compassion on those in prison, and (BB)you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had (BC)a better possession and an abiding one. 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has (BD)a great reward. 36 For (BE)you have need of endurance, so that (BF)when you have done the will of God you may (BG)receive what is promised. 37 For,

(BH)“Yet a little while,
    and (BI)the coming one will come and will not delay;
38 (BJ)but my righteous one shall live by faith,
    and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.”

39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 10:5 Greek he
  2. Hebrews 10:12 Greek this one
  3. Hebrews 10:19 Or brothers and sisters

Christ’s One Sacrifice for Sin

10 For the law, possessing a shadow of the good things that are about to come, not the form of things itself, is never able year by year[a] by means of the same sacrifices which they offer without interruption to make perfect those who draw near. For otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the ones who worship, having been purified once and for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in them there is a reminder of sins year by year[b]. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Therefore, when he[c] came into the world, he said,

“Sacrifice and offering you did not want,
    but a body you prepared for me;
you did not delight in whole burnt offerings and offerings for sins.
    Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
in the roll of the book it is written about me—
    to do your will, O God.’

When he says above,

“Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and offerings for sin
    you did not want, nor did you delight in,”[d]

which are offered according to the law, then he has said,

“Behold, I have come to do your will.”[e]

He takes away the first in order to establish the second, 10 by which will we are made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11 And every priest stands every day serving and offering the same sacrifices many times, which are never able to take away sins. 12 But this one, after he[f] had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from now on waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,

16 “This is the covenant that I will decree for them
    after those days, says the Lord:
I am putting my laws on their hearts,
    and I will write them on their minds.”[g]

17 He also says,

“Their sins and their lawless deeds I will never remember again.”[h]

18 Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

Hold Fast the Confession of Our Hope

19 Therefore, brothers, since we[i] have confidence for the entrance into the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way which he inaugurated for us through the curtain, that is, his flesh, 21 and since we have[j] a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach with a true heart in the full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for the one who promised is faithful. 24 And let us think about how to stir one another up to love[k] and good works, 25 not abandoning our meeting together[l], as is the habit of some, but encouraging each other, and by so much more as you see the day drawing near.

A Serious Warning Against Continuing Deliberate Sin

26 For if[m] we keep on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire that is about to consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment do you think the person will be considered worthy of who treats with disdain the Son of God and who considers ordinary the blood of the covenant by which he was made holy and who insults the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know the one who said,

“Vengeance is mine, I will repay,”[n]

and again,

“The Lord will judge his people.”[o]

31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32 But remember the former days in which, after you[p] were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed both to insults and to afflictions, and sometimes becoming sharers with those who were treated in this way. 34 For you both sympathized with the prisoners and put up with the seizure of your belongings with joy because you[q] knew that you yourselves had a better and permanent possession. 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, in order that after you[r] have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. 37 For yet

“a very, very little while,
    and the one who is coming will come and will not delay.
38 But my righteous one will live by faith,
    and if he shrinks back, my soul is not well pleased with him.”[s]

39 But we are not among those who shrink back to destruction, but among those who have faith to the preservation of our souls.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 10:1 Literally “according to year”
  2. Hebrews 10:3 Literally “according to year”
  3. Hebrews 10:5 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal participle (“came”)
  4. Hebrews 10:8 Various phrases from the quotation of Ps 40:6 in Heb 10:5–6 are repeated here
  5. Hebrews 10:9 A repetition of Ps 40:8 from Heb 10:7; many later manuscripts add “O God,” making the quotation conform to Heb 10:7 more closely
  6. Hebrews 10:12 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the temporal participle (“had offered”)
  7. Hebrews 10:16 A quotation from Jer 31:33
  8. Hebrews 10:17 A quotation from Jer 31:34
  9. Hebrews 10:19 Here “since” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have”) which is understood as causal
  10. Hebrews 10:21 These words are an implied repetition from v. 19 for clarity
  11. Hebrews 10:24 Literally “one another for the stirring up of love”
  12. Hebrews 10:25 Literally “the meeting of ourselves”
  13. Hebrews 10:26 Here “if” is supplied as a component of the conditional genitive absolute participle (“keep on sinning”)
  14. Hebrews 10:30 A quotation from Deut 32:35
  15. Hebrews 10:30 A quotation from Deut 32:36
  16. Hebrews 10:32 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the temporal participle (“were enlightened”)
  17. Hebrews 10:34 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“knew”) which is understood as causal
  18. Hebrews 10:36 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the temporal participle (“have done”)
  19. Hebrews 10:38 A quotation from Hab 2:3–4