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Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All

10 Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the true form of these realities, it[a] can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who approach.(A) Otherwise, would they not have ceased being offered, since the worshipers, cleansed once for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sin? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin year after year.(B) For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.(C) Consequently, when Christ[b] came into the world, he said,

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

When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “See, I have come to do your will.” He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. 10 And it is by God’s will[d] that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.(F)

11 And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins.(G) 12 But when Christ[e] had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, “he sat down at the right hand of God,” 13 and since then has been waiting “until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet.”(H) 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,

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

17 and he adds,

“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.

A Call to Persevere

19 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,(J) 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh),(K) 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,(L) 22 let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.(M) 23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.(N) 24 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.(O)

26 For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins(P) 27 but a fearful prospect of judgment and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.(Q) 28 Anyone who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy “on the testimony of two or three witnesses.”(R) 29 How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by those who have spurned the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace?(S) 30 For we know the one who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.”[f] And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”(T) 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32 But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings,(U) 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to insults and afflictions and sometimes becoming partners with those so treated.(V) 34 For you had compassion for those who were in prison, and you cheerfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you yourselves possessed something better and more lasting.[g](W) 35 Do not, therefore, abandon that boldness of yours; it brings a great reward. 36 For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what was promised.(X) 37 For yet

“in a very little while,
    the one who is coming will come and will not delay,(Y)
38 but my righteous one will live by faith.
    My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back.”(Z)

39 But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost but among those who have faith and so preserve our souls.(AA)

The Meaning of Faith

11 Now faith is the assurance[h] of things hoped for, the conviction[i] of things not seen.(AB) Indeed, by faith[j] our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.[k](AC)

The Examples of Abel, Enoch, and Noah

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable[l] sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith[m] he still speaks.(AD) By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death, and “he was not found, because God had taken him.” For it was attested before he was taken away that “he had pleased God.”(AE) And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would approach God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith.(AF)

The Faith of Abraham

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance, and he set out, not knowing where he was going.(AG) By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.(AH) 10 For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.(AI) 11 By faith, with Sarah’s involvement, he received power of procreation, even though he was too old, because he considered[n] him faithful who had promised.(AJ) 12 Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”(AK)

13 All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth,(AL) 14 for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better homeland, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.(AM)

17 By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son,(AN) 18 of whom he had been told, “It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.”(AO) 19 He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead—and, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.(AP) 20 By faith Isaac invoked blessings for the future on Jacob and Esau. 21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, “bowing in worship over the top of his staff.”(AQ) 22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his burial.[o](AR)

The Faith of Moses

23 By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.[p](AS) 24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered abuse suffered for the Christ[q] to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, unafraid of the king’s anger, for he persevered as though[r] he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.[s](AT)

The Faith of Other Israelite Heroes

29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned.(AU) 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days.(AV) 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient,[t] because she had received the spies in peace.(AW)

32 And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,(AX) 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.(AY) 35 Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection.(AZ) 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment.(BA) 37 They were stoned to death; they were sawn in two;[u] they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented(BB) 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains and in caves and holes in the ground.(BC)

39 Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.(BD)

Footnotes

  1. 10.1 Other ancient authorities read they
  2. 10.5 Gk he
  3. 10.7 Meaning of Gk uncertain
  4. 10.10 Gk by that will
  5. 10.12 Gk this one
  6. 10.30 Other ancient authorities add says the Lord
  7. 10.34 Other ancient authorities add in heaven
  8. 11.1 Or reality
  9. 11.1 Or evidence
  10. 11.2 Gk by this
  11. 11.3 Or was not made out of visible things
  12. 11.4 Gk greater
  13. 11.4 Gk through it
  14. 11.11 Other ancient authorities read By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered
  15. 11.22 Gk his bones
  16. 11.23 Other ancient authorities add By faith Moses, when he was grown up, killed the Egyptian, because he observed the humiliation of his brothers and sisters
  17. 11.26 Or the Messiah
  18. 11.27 Or because
  19. 11.28 Gk would not touch them
  20. 11.31 Or unbelieving
  21. 11.37 Other ancient authorities add they were tempted