Hebrews 9

9 ¹ Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. ² For a tent was prepared, the first one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence; this is called the Holy Place. ³ Behind the second curtain was a tent called the Holy of Holies. ⁴ It had the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which were a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. ⁵ Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. We can't go into detail about all of this right now.

⁶ With everything arranged this way, the priests go regularly into the first tent to perform their ritual duties. ⁷ But only the high priest enters the second tent, and only once a year, and not without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins the people committed in ignorance. ^a a v7 The high priest entered the innermost chamber only one day each year — the Day of Atonement — to make things right between the people and God. ⁸ By this the Holy Spirit was showing that the way into the holy places had not yet been opened as long as the first tent was still standing. ⁹ This is a picture of the present age. According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, ¹⁰ but deal only with food and drink and various washings — regulations for the body imposed until the time of the new order.

Christ, the Greater High Priest

¹¹ But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, he passed through the greater and more perfect tent that is not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. ¹² He entered once for all into the holy places, not through the blood of goats and calves but through his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. ¹³ For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for ceremonial cleansing, ¹⁴ how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to our Father, cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living Father. ^b b v14 Christ's atonement is the work of all three Persons — Jesus offers himself, our Father receives the offering, and the eternal Spirit makes the offering effective. The cross is not the Father against the Son but our Father, Son, and Holy Spirit acting together for our rescue. ¹⁵ Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. ¹⁶ For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. ^c c v16 The same word covers both 'covenant' and 'will/testament'; in verses 16–17 the author draws on the will meaning — a will only takes effect when the person dies. ¹⁷ For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. ¹⁸ Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. ¹⁹ For when Moses had declared every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, 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 our Father commanded for you."

²¹ And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. ²² Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

²³ Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴ For Christ has not entered holy places made with hands, mere copies of the true ones, but heaven itself, now to appear before our Father on our behalf. ^d d v24 Jesus did not enter an earthly sanctuary but heaven itself, where he now stands before our Father, pleading for us as our great high priest. ²⁵ Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places year after year with blood that is not his own. ²⁶ For then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. ²⁷ And just as it is appointed for people to die once, and after that comes judgment, ²⁸ so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to bring salvation to those who are eagerly waiting for him.