6 Now these things having been prepared in this way, the priests enter into the first tent ⌊continually⌋b as they* accomplish their service, 7 but only the high priest enters into the second tent once a year, not without blood, which he offers on behalf of himself and the sins of the people committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit was making this clear, that the way into the holy place was not yet revealed, while* the first tent was still in existence, 9 which was a symbol for the present time, in which both the gifts and sacrifices which were offered were not able to perfect the worshiper with respect to the conscience, 10 concerning instead only food and drink and different washings, regulations of outward things imposed until the time of setting things right.

The Heavenly Ministry of the New Covenant

11 But Christ has arrived as a high priest of the good things to come. Through the greater and more perfect tent not made by hands, that is, not of this creation, 12 and not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered once for all into the most holy place, obtaining eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow sprinkled on those who are defiled sanctify them for the ritual purity of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve the living God?

15 And because of this, he is the mediator of a new covenant, in order that, because* a death has taken place for the redemption of transgressions committed during the first covenant, those who are the called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where there is a will, it is a necessity for the death of the one who made the will to be established. 17 For a will is in force concerning those who are dead, since it is never in force when the one who made the will is alive. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was ratified without blood. 19 For when* every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calvesc with water and scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the scroll itself and all the people, 20 saying,

“This is the blood of the covenant that God has commanded for you.”d

21 And likewise he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the utensils of service with the blood. 22 Indeed, nearly everything is purified with blood according to the law, and apart from the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

23 Therefore it was necessary for the sketches of the things in heaven to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves to be purified with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf, 25 and not in order that he can offer himself many times, as the high priest enters into the sanctuary ⌊year by year⌋e with blood not his own, 26 since it would have been necessary for him to suffer many times from the foundation of the world, but now he has appeared once at the end of the ages for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And ⌊just as⌋f it is destined for people to die once, and after this, judgment, 28 thus also Christ, having been offered once in order to bear the sins of many, will appear for the second time without reference to sin to those who eagerly await him for salvation.

Christ’s One Sacrifice for Sin

10 For the law, possessing a shadow of the good things that are about to come, not the form of things itself, is never able ⌊year by year⌋a by means of the same sacrifices which they offer without interruption to make perfect those who draw near. 2 For otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the ones who worship, having been purified once and for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But in them there is a reminder of sins ⌊year by year⌋b. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5 Therefore, when he* came into the world, he said,

“Sacrifice and offering you did not want,

but a body you prepared for me;

6 you did not delight in whole burnt offerings and offerings for sins.

7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—

in the roll of the book it is written about me—

to do your will, O God.’

8 When he says above,

“Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and offerings for sin

you did not want, nor did you delight in,”c

which are offered according to the law, 9 then he has said,

“Behold, I have come to do your will.”d

He takes away the first in order to establish the second, 10 by which will we are made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11 And every priest stands every day serving and offering the same sacrifices many times, which are never able to take away sins. 12 But this one, after he* had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from now on waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,

16 “This is the covenant that I will decree for them

after those days, says the Lord:

I am putting my laws on their hearts,

and I will write them on their minds.”e

17 He also says,

“Their sins and their lawless deeds I will never remember again.”f

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

Hold Fast the Confession of Our Hope

19 Therefore, brothers, since we* have confidence for the entrance into the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way which he inaugurated for us through the curtain, that is, his flesh, 21 and since we haveg a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach with a true heart in the full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for the one who promised is faithful. 24 And let us think about ⌊how to stir one another up to love⌋h and good works, 25 not abandoning ⌊our meeting together⌋i, as is the habit of some, but encouraging each other, and by so much more as you see the day drawing near.

A Serious Warning Against Continuing Deliberate Sin

26 For if* we keep on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire that is about to consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment do you think the person will be considered worthy of who treats with disdain the Son of God and who considers ordinary the blood of the covenant by which he was made holy and who insults the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know the one who said,

“Vengeance is mine, I will repay,”j

and again,

“The Lord will judge his people.”k

31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32 But remember the former days in which, after you* were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed both to insults and to afflictions, and sometimes becoming sharers with those who were treated in this way. 34 For you both sympathized with the prisoners and put up with the seizure of your belongings with joy because you* knew that you yourselves had a better and permanent possession. 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, in order that after you* have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. 37 For yet

“a very, very little while,

and the one who is coming will come and will not delay.

38 But my righteous one will live by faith,

and if he shrinks back, my soul is not well pleased with him.”l

39 But we are not among those who shrink back to destruction, but among those who have faith to the preservation of our souls.