Hebrews 9:1-14

New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition

The Earthly and the Heavenly Sanctuaries

9 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. ² For a tent^[a] was constructed, the first one, in which were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of the Presence;^[b] this is called the Holy Place. ³ Behind the second curtain was a tent^[c] called the Holy of Holies. ⁴ In it stood the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which there were a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; ⁵ above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy-seat.^[d] Of these things we cannot speak now in detail.

⁶ Such preparations having been made, the priests go continually into the first tent^[e] to carry out their ritual duties; ⁷ but only the high priest goes into the second, and he but once a year, and not without taking the blood that he offers for himself and for the sins committed unintentionally by the people. ⁸ By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary has not yet been disclosed as long as the first tent^[f] is still standing. ⁹ This is a symbol^[g] of the present time, during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshipper, ¹⁰ but deal only with food and drink and various baptisms, regulations for the body imposed until the time comes to set things right.

¹¹ But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come,^[h] then through the greater and perfect^[i] tent^[j] (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), ¹² he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. ¹³ For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, ¹⁴ how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit^[k] offered himself without blemish to God, purify our^[l] conscience from dead works to worship the living God!