23 And indeed many have become[a] priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he, because he continues forever[b], holds the priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore also he is able to save completely those who draw near to God through him, because he[c] always lives in order to intercede on their behalf.

26 For a high priest such as this indeed is fitting for us, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and having become exalted above the heavens, 27 who does not need every day[d] like the former high priests to offer up sacrifices for his own sins and then for the sins of the people, because he did this once for all when he[e] offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the statement of the oath, after the law, appoints a Son, who is made perfect forever[f].

The Mediator of a New and Better Covenant

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, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord set up, not man. For every high priest is appointed in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices; therefore it was[g] necessary for this one also to have something that he offers. Now if he were on earth, he would not even be a priest, because there[h] are those who offer the gifts according to the law, who serve a sketch and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned when he[i] 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.”[j] 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.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 7:23 Literally “are having become”
  2. Hebrews 7:24 Literally “for the age”
  3. Hebrews 7:25 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“lives”) which is understood as causal
  4. Hebrews 7:27 Literally “have necessity every day”
  5. Hebrews 7:27 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal participle (“offered up”)
  6. Hebrews 7:28 Literally “for the age”
  7. Hebrews 8:3 Or “it is”; either a present or a past tense verb may be supplied here
  8. Hebrews 8:4 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are”) which is understood as causal
  9. Hebrews 8:5 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal participle (“about”)
  10. Hebrews 8:5 A quotation from Exod 25:40