A Prophecy Against Egypt

19 A prophecy^(A) against Egypt:^(B)

¹⁶ In that day^(AK) the Egyptians will become weaklings.^(AL) They will shudder with fear^(AM) at the uplifted hand^(AN) that the Lord Almighty raises against them. ¹⁷ And the land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified,^(AO) because of what the Lord Almighty is planning^(AP) against them.

¹⁸ In that day^(AQ) five cities^(AR) in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance^(AS) to the Lord Almighty. One of them will be called the City of the Sun.^[a](AT)

¹⁹ In that day^(AU) there will be an altar^(AV) to the Lord in the heart of Egypt,^(AW) and a monument^(AX) to the Lord at its border. ²⁰ It will be a sign and witness^(AY) to the Lord Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior^(AZ) and defender, and he will rescue^(BA) them. ²¹ So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge^(BB) the Lord. They will worship^(BC) with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and keep them.^{(BD) 22} The Lord will strike^(BE) Egypt with a plague;^(BF) he will strike them and heal them. They will turn^(BG) to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal^(BH) them.

²³ In that day^(BI) there will be a highway^(BJ) from Egypt to Assyria.^(BK) The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship^(BL) together. ²⁴ In that day^(BM) Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria,^(BN) a blessing^[b](BO) on the earth. ²⁵ The Lord Almighty will bless^(BP) them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people,^(BQ) Assyria my handiwork,^(BR) and Israel my inheritance.^(BS)”

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:

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:

¹⁷ Then he adds:

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,

³⁸ And,

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