¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the Torah says, it says to those within the Torah, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become accountable to God. ²⁰ For no human, on the basis of Torah observance, will be set right in His sight^[a]—for through the Torah comes awareness of sin.

How God Accepts Us

²¹ But now God’s righteousness apart from the Torah has been revealed, to which the Torah and the Prophets bear witness— ²² namely, the righteousness of God through putting trust in Messiah Yeshua,^[b] to all who keep on trusting. For there is no distinction, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. ²⁴ They are set right as a gift of His grace, through the redemption that is in Messiah Yeshua. ^{[c] 25} God set forth Yeshua as an atonement,^[d] through faith in His blood, to show His righteousness in passing over sins already committed. ²⁶ Through God’s forbearance, He demonstrates His righteousness at the present time—that He Himself is just and also the justifier of the one who puts his trust in Yeshua.^[e]

²⁷ Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. By what principle? Of works? No, but by the principle of faith. ^{[f] 28} For we consider a person to be set right apart from Torah observance.

³⁰ What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness—that is, a righteousness of faith. ³¹ But Israel, who pursued a Torah of righteousness, did not reach the Torah. ³² Why? Because they pursued it not by faith, but as if it were from works. They stumbled over the stone of stumbling, ³³ just as it is written,

Misdirected Zeal

10 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for Israel is for their salvation. ² For I testify about them that they have zeal for God—but not based on knowledge. ³ For being ignorant of God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit themselves to the righteousness of God. ⁴ For Messiah is the goal^[b] of the Torah as a means to righteousness for everyone who keeps trusting.

⁵ For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on Torah, “The man who does these things shall live by them.” ^{[c] 6} But the righteousness based on faith speaks in this way:

⁸ But what does it say?

¹¹ For the Scripture says, “Whoever trusts in Him will not be put to shame.” ^{[h] 12} For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all—richly generous to all who call on Him. ¹³ For “Everyone who calls upon the name of Adonai shall be saved.”^[i]

Removing the “Hametz” from Your House

5 It is actually reported that among you there is sexual immorality, and such immorality as is not even among the pagans—that someone has his father’s wife. ² And you are puffed up! Shouldn’t you have mourned instead, so that the one who did this deed might be removed from among you? ³ For even though I am absent in body, I am present in spirit—I have already passed judgment on the one who has done this thing, as though I were present. ⁴ When you are gathered together in the name of our Lord Yeshua, I am with you in spirit. With the power of our Lord Yeshua, ⁵ you are to turn such a fellow over to satan for the destruction of his fleshly nature,^[a] so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Yeshua.

⁶ Your boasting is no good. Don’t you know that a little hametz leavens the whole batch of dough? ⁷ Get rid of the old hametz,^[b] so you may be a new batch, just as you are unleavened—for Messiah, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. ⁸ Therefore let us celebrate the feast not with old hametz,^[c] the hametz of malice and wickedness, but with unleavened bread—the matzah of sincerity and truth.

⁹ I wrote to you in my letter not to mix together^[d] with sexually immoral people— ¹⁰ not at all meaning the sexually immoral people of this world or the greedy or swindlers or idolaters, for then you would have to exit the world. ¹¹ But now I am writing to you not to mix together with anyone who is being called a brother if he is sexually immoral or greedy or an idolater or a slanderer or a drunkard or a swindler—not even to eat with such a fellow. ¹² For what business do I have judging outsiders? Don’t you judge those who are inside? ¹³ But those who are outside, God judges. Put away the wicked fellow from among yourselves.^[e]

Forgive the Repentant Sinner

2 So I made up my mind that I would not come to you again causing sorrow. ² For if I cause you sorrow, then who is there cheering me on but the one I have made sorrowful? ³ And I wrote this very thing to you, so that when I came I wouldn’t have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice—having confidence in you all that my joy is yours. ⁴ For out of much distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears—not to make you sorrowful, but to let you know the love that I have especially for you.

⁵ But if anyone has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but to some extent—not to exaggerate—to all of you. ⁶ For such a person, this punishment by the majority is enough. ⁷ So instead you should forgive him and encourage him. Otherwise such a person might be swallowed up by excessive sorrow. ⁸ Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. ⁹ For to this end I also wrote, that I might know your character, whether you are obedient in all things. ¹⁰ Now anyone you forgive, I also forgive. For indeed, what I have forgiven (if I have forgiven anything), I did it for you in the presence of Messiah, ¹¹ so that we might not be outwitted by satan—for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

¹⁰ For all who rely on the deeds of Torah are under a curse—for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not keep doing everything written in the scroll of the Torah.” ^{[a] 11} It is clear that no one is set right before God by Torah, for “the righteous shall live by emunah.” ^{[b] 12} However, Torah is not based on trust and faithfulness; on the contrary, “the one who does these things shall live by them.” ^{[c] 13} Messiah liberated us from Torah’s curse, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”^[d])— ¹⁴ in order that through Messiah Yeshua the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so we might receive the promise of the Ruach through trusting faith.

²³ Now on the one hand, many have become kohanim, who through death are prevented from continuing in office. ^{[a] 24} But on the other hand, the One who does remain forever has a permanent priesthood. ²⁵ Therefore He is also able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, always living to make intercession for them.

²⁶ For such a Kohen Gadol was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. ²⁷ He has no need to offer up sacrifices day by day like those other kohanim g’dolim—first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people.^[b] For when He offered up Himself, He did this once for all. ²⁸ For the Torah appoints as kohanim g’dolim men who have weakness; but the word of the oath,^[c] which came after the Torah, appoints a Son—made perfect forever.

Yeshua, Mediator of a Better Covenant

8 Now here is the main point being said. We do have such a Kohen Gadol, who has taken His seat at the right hand^[d] of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. ² He is a priestly attendant of the Holies and the true Tent—which Adonai set up, not man. ³ For every kohen gadol is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, so it is necessary for this One also to have something to offer. ^{[e] 4} Now if He were on earth, He would not be a kohen at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Torah. ⁵ They offer service in a replica^[f] and foreshadower of the heavenlies—one that is just as Moses was instructed by God when he was about to complete the tabernacle. For He says, “See that you make everything according to the design that was shown to you on the mountain.” ^{[g] 6} But now Yeshua has obtained a more excellent ministry, insofar as He is the mediator of a better covenant which has been enacted on better promises.

⁷ For if that first one had been faultless, there would not have been discourse seeking a second. ⁸ For finding fault with them, He says,

¹³ In saying “new,” He has treated the first as old; but what is being made old and aging is close to vanishing.

Messiah Enters the Heavenly Holies

9 Now even the first one had regulations for worship and the earthly sanctuary. ^{[j] 2} For a tent was prepared: in the outer^[k] part were the menorah, the table, and the presentation of the bread^[l]—this is called the Holy Place. ³ Beyond the second curtain^[m] was a dwelling called the Holy of Holies. ^{[n] 4} It held a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant, completely covered with gold. In the ark was a golden jar holding the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant^[o]— ⁵ and above it, cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat.^[p] But it is not now possible to speak in detail about these things.

⁶ Now with these things prepared this way,

the kohen gadol alone^[s]—and not without blood which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins^[t] of the people. ⁸ By this the Ruach ha-Kodesh makes clear that the way into the Holies has not yet been revealed while the first tent is still standing. ⁹ It is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly, gifts and sacrifices are being offered that cannot make the worshiper perfect with respect to conscience. ¹⁰ These relate only to food and drink and various washings^[u]—regulations for the body imposed until a time of setting things straight.

¹¹ But when Messiah appeared as Kohen Gadol of the good things that have now come, passing through the greater and more perfect Tent not made with hands (that is to say not of this creation), ¹² He entered into the Holies once for all—not by the blood of goats and calves but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. ¹³ For if the blood of goats and bulls^[v] and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled^[w] sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more will the blood of Messiah—who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God—cleanse our^[x] conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

¹⁵ For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant,^[y] in order that those called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—since a death has taken place that redeems them from violations under the first covenant. ¹⁶ For where there is a covenant, the death of the one who made it must be established. ^{[z] 17} For a covenant is secured upon the basis of dead bodies, since it has no strength as long as the one who made it lives. ¹⁸ That is why not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. ¹⁹ For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Torah, he took the blood of the calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and he sprinkled both the book itself and all the people. ²⁰ He said, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.” ^{[aa] 21} And in the same way, he sprinkled the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. ^{[ab] 22} And nearly everything is purified in blood according to the Torah, and apart from the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.^[ac]

²³ Therefore it was necessary for the replicas of these heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices—but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴ For Messiah did not enter into Holies made with hands—counterparts of the true things—but into heaven itself, now to appear in God’s presence on our behalf. ²⁵ And He did not offer Himself again and again—as the kohen gadol enters into the Holy of Holies year after year with blood that is not his own. ²⁶ For then He would have needed to suffer again and again from the foundation of the world. But as it is, He has been revealed once and for all at the close of the ages—to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. ²⁷ And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this judgment, ^{[ad] 28} so also Messiah, was offered once to bear the sins of many.^[ae] He will appear a second time, apart from sin, to those eagerly awaiting Him for salvation.^[af]

Perfect Pardon in the New Covenant

10 The Torah has a shadow of the good things to come—not the form itself of the realities. For this reason it can never, by means of the same sacrifices they offer constantly year after year, make perfect those who draw near. ² Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers—cleansed once and for all—would no longer have consciousness of sins? ³ But in these sacrifices is a reminder of sins year after year— ⁴ for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

⁵ So when Messiah comes into the world, He says,

⁸ After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not desire, nor did You delight in them” (those which are offered according to Torah), ⁹ then He said, “Behold, I come to do Your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second. ¹⁰ By His will we have been made holy through the offering of the body of Messiah Yeshua once for all.

¹¹ Indeed, every kohen stands day by day serving and offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. ^{[ah] 12} But on the other hand, when this One offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God— ¹³ waiting from then on, until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet. ^{[ai] 14} For by one offering He has perfected forever those being made holy. ¹⁵ The Ruach ha-Kodesh also testifies to us—for after saying,

¹⁶ “This is the covenant that I will cut with them:

then He says,

¹⁷ “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”^[ak]

¹⁸ Now where there is removal of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

Let Us Pray Boldly in God’s Presence

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have boldness to enter into the Holies by the blood of Yeshua. ²⁰ He inaugurated a new and living way for us through the curtain—that is, His flesh. ²¹ We also have a Kohen Gadol over God’s household.

²² So let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and body washed with pure water.

²³ Let us hold fast the unwavering confession of hope, for He who promised is faithful.

²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good deeds.

²⁵ And do not neglect our own meetings, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another—and all the more so as you see the Day^[al] approaching.