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Hebrews 10
The Voice

He who embodied the sins of the world carries His own blood into the holy presence.

10 We have seen how the law is simply a shadow of the good things to come. Since it is not the perfect form of these ultimate realities, the offering year after year of these imperfect sacrifices cannot bring perfection to those who come forward to worship. 2 If they had served this purpose, wouldn’t the repetition of these sacrifices have become unnecessary? If they had worked—and cleansed the worshipers—then one sacrifice would have taken away their consciousness of sin. 3 But these sacrifices actually remind us that we sin again and again, year after year. 4 In the end, the blood of bulls and of goats is powerless to take away sins. 5 So when Jesus came into the world, He said,

Sacrifices and offerings were not what You wanted,
    but instead a body that You prepared for Me.
6 Burnt offerings and sin offerings
    were not what pleased You.
7 Then I said, “See, I have come to do Your will, God,
    as it is inscribed of Me in the scroll of the book.”[a]

8 Now when it says that God doesn’t want and takes no real pleasure in sacrifices, burnt offerings, and sin offerings (even though the law calls for them), 9 and follows this with “See, I have come to do Your will,”[b] He effectively takes away the first—animal sacrifice—in order to establish the second, more perfect sacrifice. 10 By God’s will, we are made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus the Anointed once and for all time.

11 In the first covenant, every day every officiating priest stands at his post serving, offering over and over those same sacrifices that can never take away sin. 12 But after He stepped up to offer His single sacrifice for sins for all time, He sat down in the position of honor at the right hand of God. 13 Since then, He has been waiting for the day when He rests His feet on His enemies’ backs,[c] as the psalm says. 14 With one perfect offering, Jesus has perfected forever those who are being made holy, 15 as the Holy Spirit keeps testifying to us through the prophet Jeremiah. After he says,

16 “But when those days are over,” says the Eternal One, “I will make
    this kind of covenant with the people of Israel:
I will put My laws in their hearts
    and write them upon their minds,”[d]

then He adds,

17 I will erase their sins and wicked acts out of My memory
    as though they had never existed.[e]

18 When there is forgiveness such as this, there is no longer any need to make an offering for sin.

19 So, my friends, Jesus by His blood gives us courage to enter the most holy place. 20 He has created for us a new and living way through the curtain, that is, through His flesh. 21 Since we have a great High Priest who presides over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with true hearts full of faith, with hearts rinsed clean of any evil conscience, and with bodies cleansed with pure water. 23 Let us hold strong to the confession of our hope, never wavering, since the One who promised it to us is faithful. 24 Let us consider how to inspire each other to greater love and to righteous deeds, 25 not forgetting to gather as a community, as some have forgotten, but encouraging each other, especially as the day of His return approaches.

The word translated “church” in English Bibles means literally “assembly of the called”; it implies that members have said “yes” to God’s call in their lives. We assemble because we are called into being by God Himself. Some people, for reasons only they know, choose to live their Christian faiths in isolation. When they do, they cut themselves off from the gifts, encouragement, and vitality of others. And perhaps, just as tragically, they deprive the church of the grace and life God has invested in them.

26 Now if we willfully persist in sin after receiving such knowledge of the truth, then there is no sacrifice left for those sins— 27 only the fearful prospect of judgment and a fierce fire that will consume God’s adversaries. 28 Remember that those who depart from the law of Moses are put to death without mercy based on the testimony of two or three witnesses.[f] 29 Just think how much more severe the punishment will be for those who have turned their backs on the Son of God, trampled on the blood of the covenant by which He made them holy, and outraged the Spirit of grace with their contempt. 30 For we know the God who said, “Vengeance belongs to Me—I will repay,”[g] also said, “The Eternal One will judge His people.”[h] 31 It is truly a frightening thing to be on the wrong side of the living God.

32 Instead, think back to the days after you were first enlightened and understood who Jesus was: when you endured all sorts of suffering in the name of the Lord, 33 when people held you up for public scorn and ridicule, or when they abused your partners and companions in the faith. 34 Remember how you had compassion for those in prison and how you cheerfully accepted the seizure of your possessions, knowing that you have a far greater and more enduring possession. 35 Remember this, and do not abandon your confidence, which will lead to rich rewards. 36 Simply endure, for when you have done as God requires of you, you will receive the promise. 37 As the prophet Habakkuk said,

In a little while, only a little longer,
    the One who is coming will come without delay.
38 But My righteous one must live by faith,
    for if he gives up his commitment,
My soul will have no pleasure in him.[i]

39 My friends, we are not those who give up hope and so are lost; but we are of the company who live by faith and so are saved.

Footnotes

  1. 10:5–7 Psalm 40:6–8
  2. 10:9 Psalm 40:7
  3. 10:13 Psalm 110:1
  4. 10:16 Jeremiah 31:33
  5. 10:17 Jeremiah 31:34
  6. 10:28 Deuteronomy 17:6
  7. 10:30 Deuteronomy 32:35
  8. 10:30 Deuteronomy 32:36
  9. 10:37–38 Habakkuk 2:3–4
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Hebrews 10
English Standard Version

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. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But (D)in these sacrifices (E)there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For (F)it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5 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;
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings
    you have taken no pleasure.
7 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.’”

8 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), 9 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
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Hebrews 10
Good News Translation

10 The Jewish Law is not a full and faithful model of the real things; it is only a faint outline of the good things to come. The same sacrifices are offered forever, year after year. How can the Law, then, by means of these sacrifices make perfect the people who come to God? 2 If the people worshiping God had really been purified from their sins, they would not feel guilty of sin any more, and all sacrifices would stop. 3 As it is, however, the sacrifices serve year after year to remind people of their sins. 4 For the blood of bulls and goats can never take away sins.

5 (A)For this reason, when Christ was about to come into the world, he said to God:

“You do not want sacrifices and offerings,
    but you have prepared a body for me.
6 You are not pleased with animals burned whole on the altar
    or with sacrifices to take away sins.
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am,
    to do your will, O God,
    just as it is written of me in the book of the Law.’”

8 First he said, “You neither want nor are you pleased with sacrifices and offerings or with animals burned on the altar and the sacrifices to take away sins.” He said this even though all these sacrifices are offered according to the Law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, O God, to do your will.” So God does away with all the old sacrifices and puts the sacrifice of Christ in their place. 10 Because Jesus Christ did what God wanted him to do, we are all purified from sin by the offering that he made of his own body once and for all.

11 (B)Every Jewish priest performs his services every day and offers the same sacrifices many times; but these sacrifices can never take away sins. 12 (C)Christ, however, offered one sacrifice for sins, an offering that is effective forever, and then he sat down at the right side of God. 13 There he now waits until God puts his enemies as a footstool under his feet. 14 With one sacrifice, then, he has made perfect forever those who are purified from sin.

15 And the Holy Spirit also gives us his witness. First he says,

16 (D)“This is the covenant that I will make with them
    in the days to come, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts
    and write them on their minds.”

17 (E)And then he says, “I will not remember their sins and evil deeds any longer.” 18 So when these have been forgiven, an offering to take away sins is no longer needed.

Let Us Come Near to God

19 We have, then, my friends, complete freedom to go into the Most Holy Place by means of the death of Jesus. 20 He opened for us a new way, a living way, through the curtain—that is, through his own body. 21 We have a great priest in charge of the house of God. 22 (F)So let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed with clean water. 23 Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise. 24 Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good. 25 Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.

26 For there is no longer any sacrifice that will take away sins if we purposely go on sinning after the truth has been made known to us. 27 (G)Instead, all that is left is to wait in fear for the coming Judgment and the fierce fire which will destroy those who oppose God! 28 (H)Anyone who disobeys the Law of Moses is put to death without any mercy when judged guilty from the evidence of two or more witnesses. 29 (I)What, then, of those who despise the Son of God? who treat as a cheap thing the blood of God's covenant which purified them from sin? who insult the Spirit of grace? Just think how much worse is the punishment they will deserve! 30 (J)For we know who said, “I will take revenge, I will repay”; and who also said, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

32 Remember how it was with you in the past. In those days, after God's light had shone on you, you suffered many things, yet were not defeated by the struggle. 33 You were at times publicly insulted and mistreated, and at other times you were ready to join those who were being treated in this way. 34 You shared the sufferings of prisoners, and when all your belongings were seized, you endured your loss gladly, because you knew that you still possessed something much better, which would last forever. 35 Do not lose your courage, then, because it brings with it a great reward. 36 You need to be patient, in order to do the will of God and receive what he promises. 37 (K)For, as the scripture says,

“Just a little while longer,
    and he who is coming will come;
    he will not delay.
38 My righteous people, however, will believe and live;
    but if any of them turns back,
    I will not be pleased with them.”

39 We are not people who turn back and are lost. Instead, we have faith and are saved.

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Hebrews 10
New English Translation

Concluding Exposition: Old and New Sacrifices Contrasted

10 For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship.[a] 2 For otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have been purified once for all and so have[b] no further consciousness of sin? 3 But in those sacrifices[c] there is a reminder of sins year after year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 So when he came into the world, he said,

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me.
6 “Whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings you took no delight in.
7 “Then I said, ‘Here I am:[d] I have come—it is written of me in the scroll of the book—to do your will, O God.’”[e]

8 When he says above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings you did not desire nor did you take delight in them”[f] (which are offered according to the law), 9 then he says, “Here I am: I have come to do your will.”[g] He does away with[h] the first to establish the second. 10 By his will[i] we have been made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands day after day[j] serving and offering the same sacrifices again and again—sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest[k] had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand[l] of God, 13 where he is now waiting[m] until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet.[n] 14 For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy. 15 And the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us, for after saying,[o] 16 “This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord. I will put[p] my laws on their hearts and I will inscribe them on their minds,”[q] 17 then he says,[r] “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no longer.”[s] 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

Drawing Near to God in Enduring Faith

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters,[t] since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the fresh and living way that he inaugurated for us[u] through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,[v] 21 and since we have a great priest[w] over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings,[x] because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience[y] and our bodies washed in pure water. 23 And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. 24 And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works,[z] 25 not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day[aa] drawing near.[ab]

26 For if we deliberately keep on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins is left for us,[ac] 27 but only a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury[ad] of fire that will consume God’s enemies.[ae] 28 Someone who rejected the law of Moses was put to death[af] without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.[ag] 29 How much greater punishment do you think that person deserves who has contempt for[ah] the Son of God, and profanes[ai] the blood of the covenant that made him holy,[aj] and insults the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know the one who said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,”[ak] and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”[al] 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32 But remember the former days when you endured a harsh conflict of suffering after you were enlightened. 33 At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and afflictions, and at other times you came to share with others who were treated in that way. 34 For in fact you shared the sufferings of those in prison,[am] and you accepted the confiscation of your belongings with joy, because you knew that you certainly[an] had a better and lasting possession. 35 So do not throw away your confidence, because it[ao] has great reward. 36 For you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised.[ap] 37 For just a little longer[aq] and he who is coming will arrive and not delay.[ar] 38 But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I[as] take no pleasure in him.[at] 39 But we are not among those who shrink back and thus perish, but are among those who have faith and preserve their souls.[au]

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 10:1 tn Grk “those who approach.”
  2. Hebrews 10:2 tn Grk “the worshipers, having been purified once for all, would have.”
  3. Hebrews 10:3 tn Grk “in them”; the referent (those sacrifices) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  4. Hebrews 10:7 tn Grk “behold,” but this construction often means “here is/there is” (cf. BDAG 468 s.v. ἰδού 2).
  5. Hebrews 10:7 sn A quotation from Ps 40:6-8 (LXX). The phrase a body you prepared for me (in v. 5) is apparently an interpretive expansion of the HT reading “ears you have dug out for me.”
  6. Hebrews 10:8 sn Various phrases from the quotation of Ps 40:6 in Heb 10:5-6 are repeated in Heb 10:8.
  7. Hebrews 10:9 tc The majority of mss, especially the later ones (א2 0278vid 1739 M lat), have ὁ θεός (ho theos, “God”) at this point, while most of the earliest and best witnesses lack such an explicit addressee (so P46 א* A C D K P Ψ 33 1175 1881 2464 al). The longer reading is apparently motivated in part by the wording of Ps 40:8 (39:9 LXX) and by the word order of this same verse as quoted in Heb 10:7.
  8. Hebrews 10:9 tn Or “abolishes.”
  9. Hebrews 10:10 tn Grk “by which will.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  10. Hebrews 10:11 tn Or “daily,” “every day.”
  11. Hebrews 10:12 tn Grk “this one.” This pronoun refers to Jesus, but “this priest” was used in the translation to make the contrast between the Jewish priests in v. 11 and Jesus as a priest clearer in English.
  12. Hebrews 10:12 sn An allusion to Ps 110:1.
  13. Hebrews 10:13 tn Grk “from then on waiting.”
  14. Hebrews 10:13 sn An allusion to Ps 110:1.
  15. Hebrews 10:15 tn Grk “after having said,” emphasizing the present impact of this utterance.
  16. Hebrews 10:16 tn Grk “putting…I will inscribe.”
  17. Hebrews 10:16 sn A quotation from Jer 31:33.
  18. Hebrews 10:17 tn Grk “and.”
  19. Hebrews 10:17 sn A quotation from Jer 31:34.
  20. Hebrews 10:19 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 2:11.
  21. Hebrews 10:20 tn Grk “that he inaugurated for us as a fresh and living way,” referring to the entrance mentioned in v. 19.
  22. Hebrews 10:20 sn Through his flesh. In a bold shift the writer changes from a spatial phrase (Christ opened the way through the curtain into the inner sanctuary) to an instrumental phrase (he did this through [by means of] his flesh in his sacrifice of himself), associating the two in an allusion to the splitting of the curtain in the temple from top to bottom (Matt 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45). Just as the curtain was split, so Christ’s body was broken for us, to give us access into God’s presence.
  23. Hebrews 10:21 tn Grk “and a great priest,” continuing the construction begun in v. 19.
  24. Hebrews 10:22 tn Grk “in assurance of faith.”
  25. Hebrews 10:22 sn The phrase our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience combines the OT imagery of the sprinkling with blood to give ritual purity with the emphasis on the interior cleansing provided by the new covenant: It is the heart that is cleansed and the conscience made perfect (cf. Heb 8:10; 9:9, 14; 10:2, 16).
  26. Hebrews 10:24 tn Grk “let us consider one another for provoking of love and good deeds.”
  27. Hebrews 10:25 sn The day refers to that well-known time of Christ’s coming and judgment in the future; see a similar use of “day” in 1 Cor 3:13.
  28. Hebrews 10:25 tn This paragraph (vv. 19-25) is actually a single, skillfully composed sentence in Greek, but it must be broken into shorter segments for English idiom. It begins with several subordinate phrases (since we have confidence and a great priest), has three parallel exhortations as its main verbs (let us draw near, hold, and take thought), and concludes with several subordinate phrases related to the final exhortation (not abandoning but encouraging).
  29. Hebrews 10:26 tn Grk “is left,” with “for us” implied by the first half of the verse.
  30. Hebrews 10:27 tn Grk “zeal,” recalling God’s jealous protection of his holiness and honor (cf. Exod 20:5).sn An allusion to Zeph 1:18.
  31. Hebrews 10:27 tn Grk “the enemies.”sn An allusion to Isa 26:11.
  32. Hebrews 10:28 tn Grk “dies.”
  33. Hebrews 10:28 sn An allusion to Deut 17:6.
  34. Hebrews 10:29 tn Grk “tramples under foot.”
  35. Hebrews 10:29 tn Grk “regarded as common.”
  36. Hebrews 10:29 tn Grk “by which he was made holy.”
  37. Hebrews 10:30 sn A quotation from Deut 32:35.
  38. Hebrews 10:30 sn A quotation from Deut 32:36.
  39. Hebrews 10:34 tc Most witnesses, including some significant ones (א D2 1881 M), read δεσμοῖς μου (desmois mou, “my imprisonment”) here, a reading that is probably due to the widespread belief in the early Christian centuries that Paul was the author of Hebrews (cf. Phil 1:7; Col 4:18). It may have been generated by the reading δεσμοῖς without the μου (so P46 Ψ 104), the force of which is so ambiguous (lit., “you shared the sufferings with the bonds”) as to be virtually nonsensical. Most likely, δεσμοῖς resulted when a scribe made an error in copying δεσμίοις (desmiois), a reading which makes excellent sense (“[of] those in prison”) and is strongly supported by early and significant witnesses of the Alexandrian and Western text-forms (A D* H 6 33 81 1739 lat sy co). Thus, δεσμίοις best explains the rise of the other readings on both internal and external grounds and is strongly preferred.
  40. Hebrews 10:34 tn Grk “you yourselves.”
  41. Hebrews 10:35 tn Grk “which,” but showing the reason.
  42. Hebrews 10:36 tn Grk “the promise,” referring to the thing God promised, not to the pledge itself.
  43. Hebrews 10:37 sn A quotation from Isa 26:20.
  44. Hebrews 10:37 sn A quotation from Hab 2:3.
  45. Hebrews 10:38 tn Grk “my soul.”
  46. Hebrews 10:38 sn A quotation from Hab 2:4.
  47. Hebrews 10:39 tn Grk “not…of shrinking back to perdition but of faith to the preservation of the soul.”
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Hebrews 10
New International Version

Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All

10 The law is only a shadow(A) of the good things(B) that are coming—not the realities themselves.(C) For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect(D) those who draw near to worship.(E) 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.(F) 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.(G) 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats(H) to take away sins.(I)

5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world,(J) he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
    but a body you prepared for me;(K)
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
    you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll(L)—
    I have come to do your will, my God.’”[a](M)

8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”(N)—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.”(O) He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy(P) through the sacrifice of the body(Q) of Jesus Christ once for all.(R)

11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices,(S) which can never take away sins.(T) 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins,(U) he sat down at the right hand of God,(V) 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.(W) 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect(X) forever those who are being made holy.(Y)

15 The Holy Spirit also testifies(Z) to us about this. First he says:

16 “This is the covenant I will make with them
    after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
    and I will write them on their minds.”[b](AA)

17 Then he adds:

“Their sins and lawless acts
    I will remember no more.”[c](AB)

18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.

A Call to Persevere in Faith

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence(AC) to enter the Most Holy Place(AD) by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way(AE) opened for us through the curtain,(AF) that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest(AG) over the house of God,(AH) 22 let us draw near to God(AI) with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings,(AJ) having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience(AK) and having our bodies washed with pure water.(AL) 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope(AM) we profess,(AN) for he who promised is faithful.(AO) 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,(AP) 25 not giving up meeting together,(AQ) as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another(AR)—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.(AS)

26 If we deliberately keep on sinning(AT) after we have received the knowledge of the truth,(AU) no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire(AV) that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.(AW) 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God(AX) underfoot,(AY) who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant(AZ) that sanctified them,(BA) and who has insulted the Spirit(BB) of grace?(BC) 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d](BD) and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”[e](BE) 31 It is a dreadful thing(BF) to fall into the hands(BG) of the living God.(BH)

32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light,(BI) when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.(BJ) 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution;(BK) at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.(BL) 34 You suffered along with those in prison(BM) and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.(BN) 35 So do not throw away your confidence;(BO) it will be richly rewarded.

36 You need to persevere(BP) so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.(BQ) 37 For,

“In just a little while,
    he who is coming(BR) will come
    and will not delay.”[f](BS)

38 And,

“But my righteous[g] one will live by faith.(BT)
    And I take no pleasure
    in the one who shrinks back.”[h](BU)

39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 10:7 Psalm 40:6-8 (see Septuagint)
  2. Hebrews 10:16 Jer. 31:33
  3. Hebrews 10:17 Jer. 31:34
  4. Hebrews 10:30 Deut. 32:35
  5. Hebrews 10:30 Deut. 32:36; Psalm 135:14
  6. Hebrews 10:37 Isaiah 26:20; Hab. 2:3
  7. Hebrews 10:38 Some early manuscripts But the righteous
  8. Hebrews 10:38 Hab. 2:4 (see Septuagint)
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