Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All

10 For the Law, since it has only ^(A)a shadow of ^(B)the good things to come and not the very ^[a]form of things, ^[b]can ^(C)never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, ^(D)make perfect those who draw near. ² Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have ^(E)consciousness of sins? ³ But ^(F)in ^[c]those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. ⁴ For it is ^(G)impossible for the ^(H)blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. ⁵ Therefore, ^(I)when He comes into the world, He says,

⁸ After saying above, “^(O)Sacrifices and offerings and ^(P)burnt offerings and sacrifices ^(Q)for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law), ⁹ then He ^[d]said, “^(R)Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. ¹⁰ By ^[e]this will we have been ^(S)sanctified through ^(T)the offering of ^(U)the body of Jesus Christ ^(V)once for all.

¹¹ And every priest stands daily ministering and ^(W)offering time after time the same sacrifices, which ^(X)can never take away sins; ¹² but He, having offered one sacrifice ^(Y)for ^[f]sins ^(Z)for all time, ^(AA)sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ waiting from that time ^(AB)until His enemies are put as a footstool for His feet. ¹⁴ For by one offering He has ^(AC)perfected ^(AD)for all time those who are being sanctified. ¹⁵ And ^(AE)the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,

He then says,

¹⁸ Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.

A New and Living Way

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers, since we ^(AH)have confidence to ^(AI)enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by ^(AJ)a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through ^(AK)the veil, that is, His flesh, ²¹ and since we have ^(AL)a great priest ^(AM)over the house of God, ²² let us ^(AN)draw near with a ^[h]sincere heart in ^(AO)full assurance of faith, having our hearts ^(AP)sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies ^(AQ)washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the ^(AR)confession of our ^(AS)hope without wavering, for ^(AT)He who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how ^(AU)to stimulate one another to love and ^(AV)good deeds, ²⁵ not forsaking our own ^(AW)assembling together, as is the habit of some, but ^(AX)encouraging one another, and all the more as you see ^(AY)the day drawing near.

Warning Against Willful Sin

²⁶ For if we go on ^(AZ)sinning willfully after receiving ^(BA)the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a terrifying expectation of ^(BB)judgment and ^(BC)the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. ^28 (BD)Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy by the mouth of two or three witnesses. ^29 (BE)How much worse punishment do you think he will deserve ^(BF)who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as defiled ^(BG)the blood of the covenant ^(BH)by which he was sanctified, and has ^(BI)insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know Him who said, “^(BJ)Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “^(BK)The ^[i]Lord will judge His people.” ³¹ It is a ^(BL)terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the ^(BM)living God.

³² But remember ^(BN)the former days, ^[j]when, after being ^(BO)enlightened, you endured a great ^(BP)conflict of sufferings, ³³ partly by being ^(BQ)made a public spectacle through reproaches and afflictions, and partly by becoming ^(BR)sharers with those who were so treated. ³⁴ For you also ^(BS)showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted with ^(BT)joy the seizure of your possessions, knowing that you have for yourselves ^(BU)a better and lasting possession. ³⁵ Therefore, do not throw away that ^(BV)confidence of yours, which has a great ^(BW)reward. ³⁶ For you have need of ^(BX)endurance, so that when you have ^(BY)done the will of God, you may ^(BZ)receive the promise.

³⁹ But ^[k]we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the ^[l]preserving of the soul.

By Faith

11 Now faith is the ^[m](CD)assurance of things ^[n](CE)hoped for, the ^[o]conviction of ^(CF)things not seen. ² For by it the ^[p](CG)men of old ^[q](CH)gained approval.

³ By faith we understand that the ^[r](CI)worlds were prepared ^(CJ)by the word of God, so that what is seen ^(CK)was not made out of things which are visible. ⁴ By faith ^(CL)Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he ^(CM)was approved as being righteous—God approving ^[s]his ^(CN)gifts—and through ^[t]faith, though ^(CO)he is dead, he still speaks. ⁵ By faith ^(CP)Enoch was taken up so that he would not ^(CQ)see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for prior to being taken up, he was approved as being pleasing to God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who ^(CR)draws near to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. ⁷ By faith ^(CS)Noah, being ^(CT)warned about ^(CU)things not yet seen, ^[u](CV)in reverence ^(CW)prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of ^(CX)the righteousness which is according to faith.

⁸ By faith ^(CY)Abraham, when he was called, obeyed ^[v]by going out to a place which he was to ^(CZ)receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he sojourned in ^(DA)the land of promise, as in a foreign land, ^(DB)dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, ^(DC)fellow heirs of the same promise, ¹⁰ for he was looking for ^(DD)the city which has ^(DE)foundations, ^(DF)whose architect and builder is God. ¹¹ By faith even ^(DG)Sarah herself ^[w]received ^[x]ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she regarded Him ^(DH)faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore there were born even of one man, and ^(DI)him as good as dead ^[y]at that, as many ^(DJ)as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

^13 (DK)All these died in faith, ^(DL)without receiving the promises, but ^(DM)having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and ^(DN)having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. ¹⁵ And indeed if they had been remembering that country from which they went out, ^(DO)they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But now, they aspire to a better country, that is, a ^(DP)heavenly one. Therefore ^(DQ)God is not ^[z]ashamed to be ^(DR)called their God, for ^(DS)He prepared a city for them.

¹⁷ By faith ^(DT)Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had ^(DU)received the promises was offering up his only son, ¹⁸ to whom it was said, “^(DV)In Isaac your seed shall be called.” ^19 [aa]He considered that ^(DW)God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which, ^[ab](DX)figuratively speaking, he also received him back. ²⁰ By faith ^(DY)Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. ²¹ By faith ^(DZ)Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and ^(EA)worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. ²² By faith ^(EB)Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave commands concerning his bones.

²³ By faith ^(EC)Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the ^(ED)king’s edict. ²⁴ By faith Moses, ^(EE)when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to ^(EF)be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, ^26 (EG)regarding the reproach of ^[ac]Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the ^(EH)reward. ²⁷ By faith he ^(EI)left Egypt, not ^(EJ)fearing the rage of the king; for he endured, as ^(EK)seeing Him who is unseen. ²⁸ By faith he ^[ad](EL)kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that ^(EM)he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. ²⁹ By faith they ^(EN)passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land, and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were ^[ae]drowned.

³⁰ By faith ^(EO)the walls of Jericho fell down ^(EP)after they had been encircled for seven days. ³¹ By faith ^(EQ)Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after welcoming the spies ^[af]in peace.

³² And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I recount ^(ER)Gideon, ^(ES)Barak, ^(ET)Samson, ^(EU)Jephthah, as well as ^(EV)David and ^(EW)Samuel and the prophets, ³³ who through faith ^(EX)conquered kingdoms, ^(EY)performed righteousness, ^(EZ)obtained promises, ^(FA)shut the mouths of lions, ^34 (FB)quenched the power of fire, ^(FC)escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong from weakness, ^(FD)became mighty in war, ^(FE)put foreign armies to flight. ^35 (FF)Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their ^[ag]release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; ³⁶ and others ^[ah]experienced mockings and floggings, yes, also ^(FG)chains and imprisonment. ³⁷ They were ^(FH)stoned, they were ^(FI)sawn in two, ^[ai]they were tempted, they were ^(FJ)put to death with the sword. They went about ^(FK)in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ^(FL)mistreated ³⁸ (of whom the world was not worthy), ^(FM)wandering in desolate places and mountains and caves and holes ^[aj]in the ground.

³⁹ And all these, having ^[ak](FN)gained approval through their faith, ^(FO)did not receive ^[al]what was promised, ⁴⁰ because God had ^[am]provided ^(FP)something better for us, so that ^(FQ)apart from us they would not be made perfect.