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Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11 and they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

The New Priestly Service

Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, (A)who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of (B)the [a]sanctuary and of (C)the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

For (D)every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore (E)it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve (F)the copy and (G)shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, (H)“See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” But now (I)He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a (J)better covenant, which was established on better promises.

A New Covenant(K)

For if that (L)first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: (M)“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the (N)Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and (O)I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 (P)None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the (Q)Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, (R)and their sins [b]and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

13 (S)In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 8:2 Lit. holies
  2. Hebrews 8:12 NU omits and their lawless deeds

Jesus Our High Priest

Now this is the main point of the things that we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the sanctuary and the true tabernacle, which the Lord, not man, set up.

For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this priest also have something to offer. For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests that offer gifts according to the law. They serve in a sanctuary that is an example and shadow of the heavenly one, as Moses was instructed by God when he was about to make the tabernacle, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”[a] But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, because He is the Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no occasion would have been sought for a second. For finding fault with them, God says:

“Surely the days are coming, says the Lord,
    when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
    and with the house of Judah,
not according to the covenant
    that I made with their fathers
in the day when I took them by the hand
    to lead them out of the land of Egypt;
because they did not continue in My covenant,
    and I rejected them, says the Lord.
10 This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
    after those days, says the Lord:
I will put My laws into their minds
    and write them on their hearts;
and I will be their God,
    and they shall be My people.
11 No longer shall every man teach his neighbor,
    and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
for all shall know Me,
    from the least of them to the greatest.[b]
12 For I will be merciful toward their unrighteousness,
    and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”[c]

13 In speaking of a new covenant He has made the first one old. Now that which is decaying and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Now the main point of what is being said is this: we in fact have such a Kohen Gadol, who has taken his moshav LIMIN HASHEM ("at the right hand of the kisse of the kavod in Shomayim" TEHILLIM 110:1).

Our Kohen Gadol is mesharet baKodesh (minister in the holy things) of the true Mishkan set up by Adoneinu and not by any mere mortal.

For every Kohen Gadol is ordained to offer both minchot and zevakhim, from which it was necessary for this Kohen Gadol to have something also which he might offer.

If, therefore, he were on ha’aretz he would not be a kohen, als there are kohanim who offer every korban (sacrifice) according to the Torah;

However, the avodas kodesh sherut of these kohanim is service of a copy and shadow of the things in Shomayim, just as Moshe Rabbeinu was warned, when he was about to complete the Mishkan for "URE’EH" ("Now see to it"), Hashem says, "VA’ASEH BETAVNITAM ASHER ATAH MAREH BAHAR" ("that you will make it according to the pattern having been shown to you on the mountain" SHEMOT 25:40).

But now our Kohen Gadol has attained a more fest (excellent) avodas kodesh sherut in as much as he is also the Metavekh (Job 33:23; Isa 43:27; 2Ch 32:31; Isa 42:4; cf. Dt 5:5, 22-31) of a more fest (excellent) Brit upon which more auspicious havtachot (promises) have been enacted.

For if the Brit HaRishonah had been without fault, it would not have been necessary to speak about a Brit HaShniyah [YIRMEYAH 31:30-33 (31-34)].

For, when Hashem finds fault with them, he says, "HINEI YAMIM BA’IM, NE’UM HASHEM, VKHARATI ES BEIS YISRAEL V’ES BEIS YEHUDAH BRIT CHADASHA"("Behold, days are coming, says Hashem, when I will establish with the Beis Yisroel and with the Beis Yehudah a Brit Chadasha”).

"Not like the Brit that I made with their forefathers on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out from the land of Egypt; because they broke my Brit, though I was a husband to them")

10 "KI ZOT HABRIT ASHER EKHROT ES BEIS YISROEL ACHAREI HAYAMIM HAHEM, NE’UM HASHEM; NATATI ES TORATI BEKIRBAM V’AL LIBAM EKHTAVENNAH, V’HAYITI LAHEM L’ELOHIM V’HEMMAH YIH’YU LI LE’AM" ("Because this is the Brit which I will make with the Beis Yisroel after those days, says Hashem: putting my Torah into the mind of them and upon the levavot of them I will write it and I will be to them G-d and they will be to Me a people"— see Jer 31:30-33; also Prov 30:4; 8:30;Yn 1:1; Rev 3:20).

11 "V’LO YELAMMEDU OD ISH ES RE’EHU V’ISH ES AKHIV LEMOR, DE’U ES HASHEM; KI KHULAM YEDE’U OTI LEMIKTANNAM V’AD GEDOLAM" ("No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying ‘Have da’as of Hashem,’ because they will all have da’as of Me, from the least of them to the greatest.")

12 "KI ESLACH LA’AVONAM U’LECHATTATAM LO EZKAR OD" ("For I will forgive the wickedness of them and their sin I will remember no more." Jer 31:30-33 [31-34]).

13 When Hashem uses the word "CHADASHA" he has thereby made the Brit HaRishonah yeshanah and a Brit thus made aging, is near to being yakhlof (vanished).