Hebrews 8
English Standard Version
Jesus, High Priest of a Better Covenant
8 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, (A)one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy places, in (B)the true tent[a] that the Lord (C)set up, not man. 3 For (D)every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus (E)it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They serve (F)a copy and (G)shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, (H)“See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 6 But as it is, Christ[b] has obtained a ministry that is (I)as much more excellent than the old as (J)the covenant (K)he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 (L)For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.
8 For he finds fault with them when he says:[c]
(M)“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah,
9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers
on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
For they did not continue in my covenant,
and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.
10 (N)For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws into their minds,
and (O)write them on their hearts,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor
and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
for they shall (P)all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,
(Q)and I will remember their sins no more.”
13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And (R)what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 8:2 Or tabernacle; also verse 5
- Hebrews 8:6 Greek he
- Hebrews 8:8 Some manuscripts For finding fault with it he says to them
Hebrews 8
Lexham English Bible
The Mediator of a New and Better Covenant
8 Now this is the main point in what has been said: we have a high priest such as this, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord set up, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices; therefore it was[a] necessary for this one also to have something that he offers. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not even be a priest, because there[b] are those who offer the gifts according to the law, 5 who serve a sketch and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned when he[c] was about to complete the tabernacle, for he says, “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern which was shown to you on the mountain.”[d] 6 But now he has attained a more excellent ministry, by as much as he is also mediator of a better covenant which has been enacted upon better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, occasion would not have been sought for a second. 8 For in finding fault with them he says,
“Behold, days are coming, says the Lord,
when I will complete a new covenant with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah,
9 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers
on the day I took hold of them by my 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 decree with the house of Israel
after those days, says the Lord:
I am putting my laws in their minds
and I will write them on their hearts,
and I will be their[e] God
and they will be my[f] people.
11 And they will not teach each one his fellow citizen
and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful toward their wrongdoings,
and I will not remember their sins any longer.”
13 In calling it new, he has declared the former to be old. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is near to disappearing.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 8:3 Or “it is”; either a present or a past tense verb may be supplied here
- Hebrews 8:4 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are”) which is understood as causal
- Hebrews 8:5 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal participle (“about”)
- Hebrews 8:5 A quotation from Exod 25:40
- Hebrews 8:10 Literally “to them for”
- Hebrews 8:10 Literally “to me for”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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