Hebrews 8-9

New American Standard Bible

A Better Ministry

8 Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a ^(A)high priest, who has taken His seat at ^(B)the right hand of the throne of the ^(C)Majesty in the heavens, ² a ^(D)minister ^[a]in the sanctuary and ^[b]in the ^(E)true ^[c]tabernacle, which the Lord ^(F)set up, 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 ^[d]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 ^[f]tabernacle; for, “^(M)See,” He says, “that you make all things by the pattern which was shown to you on the mountain.” ⁶ But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, to the extent that He is also the ^(N)mediator of ^(O)a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.

A New Covenant

⁷ For ^(P)if that first covenant had been free of fault, no ^[g]circumstances would have been sought for a second. ⁸ For in finding fault with ^[h]the people, He says,

^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]about to disappear.

The Old and the New

9 Now even the first covenant had ^(AB)regulations for divine worship and ^(AC)the earthly sanctuary. ² For ^(AD)a ^[n]tabernacle was equipped, the ^[o]outer sanctuary, in which were ^(AE)the lampstand, ^(AF)the table, and ^(AG)the ^[p]sacred bread; this is called the Holy Place. ³ Behind ^(AH)the second veil there was a ^[q]tabernacle which is called the ^(AI)Most Holy Place, ⁴ having a golden ^[r](AJ)altar of incense and ^(AK)the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was ^(AL)a golden jar holding the manna, ^(AM)Aaron’s staff which budded, and ^(AN)the tablets of the covenant; ⁵ and above it were the ^(AO)cherubim of glory ^(AP)overshadowing the ^[s]atoning cover; but about these things we cannot now speak in detail.

⁶ Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests ^(AQ)are continually entering the ^[t]outer ^[u]tabernacle, performing the divine worship, ⁷ but into ^(AR)the second, only ^(AS)the high priest enters ^(AT)once a year, ^(AU)not without taking blood which he ^(AV)offers for himself and for the ^[v](AW)sins of the people committed in ignorance. ^8 (AX)The Holy Spirit is signifying this, ^(AY)that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the ^[w]outer tabernacle is still standing, ⁹ which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly ^(AZ)both gifts and sacrifices are offered which ^(BA)cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, ¹⁰ since they relate only to ^(BB)food, ^(BC)drink, and various ^(BD)washings, ^(BE)regulations for the ^[x]body imposed until ^(BF)a time of reformation.

¹¹ But when Christ appeared as a ^(BG)high priest of the ^(BH)good things ^[y]having come, He entered through ^(BI)the greater and more perfect ^[z]tabernacle, ^(BJ)not made by hands, that is, ^(BK)not of this creation; ¹² and not through ^(BL)the blood of goats and calves, but ^(BM)through His own blood, He ^(BN)entered the holy place ^(BO)once for all time, ^[aa]having obtained ^(BP)eternal redemption. ¹³ For if ^(BQ)the blood of goats and bulls, and ^(BR)the ^[ab]ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the ^[ac]cleansing of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more will ^(BS)the blood of Christ, who through ^[ad](BT)the eternal Spirit ^(BU)offered Himself without blemish to God, ^(BV)cleanse your conscience from ^(BW)dead works to serve ^(BX)the living God?

¹⁵ For this reason ^(BY)He is the ^(BZ)mediator of a ^(CA)new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the violations that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been ^(CB)called may ^(CC)receive the promise of ^(CD)the eternal inheritance. ¹⁶ For where there is a ^[ae]covenant, there must of necessity ^[af]be the death of the one who made it. ¹⁷ For a ^[ag]covenant is valid only when people are dead, ^[ah]for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. ¹⁸ Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. ¹⁹ For when every commandment had been ^(CE)spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, ^(CF)he took the ^(CG)blood of the calves and the goats, with ^(CH)water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both ^(CI)the book itself and all the people, ²⁰ saying, “^(CJ)This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.” ²¹ And in the same way he ^(CK)sprinkled both the ^[ai]tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. ²² And ^(CL)almost all things are cleansed with blood, according to the Law, and ^(CM)without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

²³ Therefore it was necessary for the ^(CN)copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these things, but ^(CO)the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴ For Christ ^(CP)did not enter a holy place made by hands, a mere copy of ^(CQ)the true one, but into ^(CR)heaven itself, now ^(CS)to appear in the presence of God for us; ²⁵ nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as ^(CT)the high priest enters ^(CU)the Holy Place ^(CV)year by year with blood that is not his own. ²⁶ Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since ^(CW)the foundation of the world; but now ^(CX)once at ^(CY)the consummation of the ages He has been ^(CZ)revealed to put away sin ^[aj](DA)by the sacrifice of Himself. ²⁷ And just as ^(DB)it is destined for people to die once, and after this ^(DC)comes judgment, ²⁸ so Christ also, having been ^(DD)offered once to ^(DE)bear the sins of many, will appear ^(DF)a second time for ^(DG)salvation ^(DH)without reference to sin, to those who ^(DI)eagerly await Him.