²⁰ And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, ²¹ but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:

²² Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.^(C)

²³ Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; ²⁴ but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.^{(D) 25} Therefore he is able to save^(E) completely^[b] those who come to God^(F) through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.^(G)

²⁶ Such a high priest^(H) truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners,^(I) exalted above the heavens.^{(J) 27} Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices^(K) day after day, first for his own sins,^(L) and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all^(M) when he offered himself.^{(N) 28} For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness;^(O) but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son,^(P) who has been made perfect^(Q) forever.

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone^(A)—rejected by humans but chosen by God^(B) and precious to him— ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built^(C) into a spiritual house^[a](D) to be a holy priesthood,^(E) offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.^{(F) 6} For in Scripture it says:

⁷ Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,^(I)

⁸ and,

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.^(M)

²³ It was necessary, then, for the copies^(A) 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;^(B) he entered heaven itself,^(C) now to appear for us in God’s presence.^{(D) 25} Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place^(E) every year with blood that is not his own.^{(F) 26} Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world.^(G) But he has appeared^(H) once for all^(I) at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.^{(J) 27} Just as people are destined to die once,^(K) and after that to face judgment,^{(L) 28} so Christ was sacrificed once^(M) to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time,^(N) not to bear sin,^(O) but to bring salvation^(P) to those who are waiting for him.^(Q)

Idol Feasts and the Lord’s Supper

¹⁴ Therefore, my dear friends,^(A) flee from idolatry.^{(B) 15} I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. ¹⁶ Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break^(C) a participation in the body of Christ?^{(D) 17} Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body,^(E) for we all share the one loaf.

¹⁸ Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices^(F) participate in the altar? ¹⁹ Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?^{(G) 20} No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons,^(H) not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. ²¹ You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.^{(I) 22} Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy?^(J) Are we stronger than he?^(K)