English Standard Version

New Living Translation

1For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.

1The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship.

2Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?

2If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.

3But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.

3But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year.

4For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

4For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;

5That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer.

6in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.

6You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin.

7Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”

7Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God— as is written about me in the Scriptures.’”

8When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law),

8First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses).

9then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second.

9Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect.

10And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

10For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.

11And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

11Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins.

12But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,

12But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.

13waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.

13There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet.

14For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

14For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.

15And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

15And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says,

16“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,”

16“This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”

17then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

17Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.”

18Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

18And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. A Call to Persevere

19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,

19And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.

20by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,

20By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.

21and since we have a great priest over the house of God,

21And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house,

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

22let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

23Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

24And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

24Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

25And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

26For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

26Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins.

27but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

27There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.

28Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

28For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

29How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

29Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us.

30For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”

30For we know the one who said, “I will take revenge. I will pay them back.” He also said, “The LORD will judge his own people.”

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

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

32But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings,

32Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering.

33sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.

33Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things.

34For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.

34You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.

35Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

35So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!

36For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

36Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

37For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay;

37“For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay.

38but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

38And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”

39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

39But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.