Hebrews 9
He Entered Once for All by His Own Blood
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The Earthly Sanctuary
9:1Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary.
9:2For a tent was prepared, the first, in which were the lampstand, the table, and the presentation of the loaves; it is called the Holy Place.
9:3And behind the second curtain was a tent called the Holy of Holies,
9:4having a golden incense altar and the ark of the covenant, covered on every side with gold. In it were a golden jar containing the manna, Aaron’s rod that had sprouted, and the tablets of the covenant.
9:5Above it were cherubim of glory overshadowing the propitiatory cover. We cannot now speak of these things in detail.
9:6With these things so arranged, the priests enter the first tent continually, carrying out the acts of worship.
9:7But into the second only the high priest enters, once in the year, not without blood, which he offers for himself and for the people’s sins of ignorance.
9:8By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places has not yet been disclosed while the first tent still has its standing.
9:9This is a figure for the present time, according to which both gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshiper with respect to conscience.
9:10They concern only foods, drinks, and various washings: regulations for the flesh, imposed until a time of setting things right.
The Blood of Christ
9:11But Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come to be, through the greater and more perfect tent, not made by hands—that is, not of this creation—
9:12and entered the holy places once for all, not through the blood of goats and calves but through His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.
9:13For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleanness of the flesh,
9:14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through an eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God!
9:15And for this reason He is mediator of a new covenant, so that, a death having occurred for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, those who have been called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
The Testament Ratified by Death
9:16For where there is a testament, the death of the one who made it must be established.
9:17For a testament is confirmed upon death, since it never has force while the one who made it lives.
9:18Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood.
9:19For when Moses had spoken every commandment according to the law to all the people, he took the blood of the calves, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,
9:20saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.”
9:21And he likewise sprinkled the tent and all the vessels of ministry with the blood.
9:22And according to the law almost everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood no forgiveness takes place.
The Heavenly Things Purified
9:23Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
9:24For Christ did not enter holy places made by hands, counterparts of the true ones, but heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God on our behalf.
9:25Nor did He enter to offer Himself many times, as the high priest enters the holy places year by year with another’s blood,
9:26for then He would have had to suffer many times since the foundation of the world. But now, once at the consummation of the ages, He has been manifested to set aside sin through His sacrifice.
9:27And just as it is appointed for human beings to die once, and after this judgment,
9:28so also Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, apart from sin, to those eagerly awaiting Him, for salvation.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.