Hebrews 9

Modern

Literal

The Earthly Tabernacle

¹Now the first covenant^a had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary.

¹Therefore also indeed, the first had ordinances of sacred service and a worldly sanctuary.

²A tabernacle was prepared. In its first room were the lampstand, the table, and the consecrated bread.^a This was called the Holy Place.

²For a tabernacle was prepared, the first room in which were both the lampstand and the table, and the loaves of the presentation, which is called “Holy.”

³Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place,^a

³Now behind the second veil was a tabernacle, being called “Holy of Holies,”

⁴containing the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. Inside the ark were the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.

⁴having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant having been covered around in every part with gold, in which was the golden jar having the manna, and the staff of Aaron having budded, and the tablets of the covenant.

⁵Above the ark were the cherubim of glory, overshadowing the mercy seat.^a But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.

⁵And far above it were the cherubim of glory, overshadowing the mercy seat—concerning which it is not now time to speak particularly.

⁶When everything had been prepared in this way, the priests entered regularly into the first room to perform their sacred duties.

⁶Now these things having been prepared thus, indeed the priests enter into the first tabernacle at all times, accomplishing the sacred services,

⁷But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.

⁷but only the high priest into the second, once in the year, not without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of ignorance of the people.

⁸By this arrangement the Holy Spirit was showing that the way into the Most Holy Place^a had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing.

⁸By this the Holy Spirit was making clear that the way into the holy places had not yet been made manifest, the first tabernacle still having a standing,

⁹It is an illustration for the present time, because the gifts and sacrifices being offered were unable to cleanse the conscience of the worshiper.

⁹which is a parable for the present time, in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, not being able to make perfect in regard to conscience the one doing sacred service,

¹⁰They consist only in food and drink and special washings—external regulations imposed until the time of reform.

¹⁰consisting only in foods and drinks and various washings—ordinances of the flesh being imposed until the time of reformation.

Redemption through His Blood

¹¹But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come,^a He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made by hands and is not a part of this creation.

¹¹But Christ, having come as high priest of the good things coming, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not of this creation,

¹²He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.

¹²nor by blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered once for all into the holy places, having obtained eternal redemption.

¹³For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean,

¹³For if the blood of goats and of bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the ones having been defiled sanctify them for the purification of the flesh,

¹⁴how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our^a consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!

¹⁴how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our conscience from dead works, in order to serve the living God!

¹⁵Therefore Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that He has died to redeem them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

¹⁵And because of this, He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, death having taken place for redemption of the transgressions upon the first covenant, those having been called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

¹⁶In the case of a will,^a it is necessary to establish the death of the one who made it,

¹⁶For where there is a covenant, there is a necessity to bring forth the death of the one having made it.

¹⁷because a will does not take effect until the one who made it has died; it cannot be executed while he is still alive.

¹⁷For a covenant is firm upon death, since it is not in force at the time when the one having made it is living,

¹⁸That is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.

¹⁸wherefore neither has the first been inaugurated without blood.

¹⁹For when Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats,^a along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people,

¹⁹For on every commandment having been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the law, having taken the blood of calves and of goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, he sprinkled both the scroll itself and all the people,

²⁰saying, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”^a

²⁰saying, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God commanded to you.”

²¹In the same way, he sprinkled with blood the tabernacle and all the vessels used in worship.

²¹And likewise he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the sacred service with blood.

²²According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

²²And almost all things are purified with blood according to the law, and without blood-shedding there is no forgiveness.

²³So it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

²³Therefore there was a necessity indeed for the representations of the things in the heavens to be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

²⁴For Christ did not enter a man-made copy of the true sanctuary, but He entered heaven itself, now to appear on our behalf in the presence of God.

²⁴For Christ entered not into holy places made by hands, copies of the true ones, but into heaven itself, now to appear for us in the presence of God,

²⁵Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.

²⁵nor that He should offer Himself many times, just as the high priest enters into the holy places every year with the blood of another.

²⁶Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

²⁶Otherwise it was necessary for Him to have suffered many times from the foundation of the world. But now He has been revealed once in the consummation of the ages for the putting away of sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

²⁷Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment,

²⁷And inasmuch as it is apportioned to men to die once, and after this, judgment,

²⁸so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.

²⁸so also Christ, having been offered once in order to bear the sins of many, will appear for a second time, apart from sin, to those eagerly awaiting Him for salvation.