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
Legacy Standard Bible
Jesus, High Priest of a New Covenant
8 Now the main point in what is being said is this: we have such a (A)high priest, who sat down at (B)the right hand of the throne of the (C)Majesty in the heavens, 2 a (D)minister [a]in the [b]holy places and [c]in the (E)true [d]tabernacle, which the Lord (F)pitched, not man. 3 For every (G)high priest is appointed (H)to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. 4 Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who (I)offer the gifts according to the Law; 5 who serve (J)a copy and (K)shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses [e]was (L)warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, “(M)See,” He says, “that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.” 6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the (N)mediator of (O)a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. 7 For (P)if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 8 For finding fault with them, He says,
“(Q)Behold, days are coming, says the [f]Lord,
[g]When I will complete (R)a new covenant
With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;
9 (S)Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers
In the day when I took them by the hand
To lead them out of the land of Egypt;
For they did not continue in My covenant,
And I did not care for them, says the [h]Lord.
10 (T)For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
After those days, says the [i]Lord:
[j]I will put My laws into their minds,
And (U)upon their hearts I will write them.
And I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.
11 (V)And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen,
And everyone his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
For (W)all will know Me,
From [k]the least to the greatest of them.
12 (X)For I will be merciful to their iniquities,
(Y)And I will remember their sins no more.”
13 [l]When He said, “(Z)A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. (AA)But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is [m]ready to disappear.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 8:2 Or of
- Hebrews 8:2 The holy places within the sanctuary, cf. 9:2-3
- Hebrews 8:2 Or of
- Hebrews 8:2 Or sacred tent
- Hebrews 8:5 Lit has been
- Hebrews 8:8 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Jer 31:31
- Hebrews 8:8 Lit And
- Hebrews 8:9 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Jer 31:32
- Hebrews 8:10 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Jer 31:31
- Hebrews 8:10 Lit Putting my laws into
- Hebrews 8:11 Lit small to great of them
- Hebrews 8:13 Or In His saying
- Hebrews 8:13 Or near
Hebrews 8
Good News Translation
Jesus Our High Priest
8 (A)The whole point of what we are saying is that we have such a High Priest, who sits at the right of the throne of the Divine Majesty in heaven. 2 He serves as high priest in the Most Holy Place, that is, in the real tent which was put up by the Lord, not by human hands.
3 Every high priest is appointed to present offerings and animal sacrifices to God, and so our High Priest must also have something to offer. 4 If he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer the gifts required by the Jewish Law. 5 (B)The work they do as priests is really only a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven. It is the same as it was with Moses. When he was about to build the Sacred Tent, God told him, “Be sure to make everything according to the pattern you were shown on the mountain.” 6 But now, Jesus has been given priestly work which is superior to theirs, just as the covenant which he arranged between God and his people is a better one, because it is based on promises of better things.
7 If there had been nothing wrong with the first covenant, there would have been no need for a second one. 8 (C)But God finds fault with his people when he says,
“The days are coming, says the Lord,
when I will draw up a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.
9 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors
on the day I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt.
They were not faithful to the covenant I made with them,
and so I paid no attention to them.
10 Now, this is the covenant that I will make with the people of Israel
in the days to come, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
11 None of them will have to teach their friends
or tell their neighbors,
‘Know the Lord.’
For they will all know me,
from the least to the greatest.
12 I will forgive their sins
and will no longer remember their wrongs.”
13 By speaking of a new covenant, God has made the first one old; and anything that becomes old and worn out will soon disappear.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
