The New Priestly Service

8 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, ^{A)">( A )} who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, ² a Minister of ^{B)">( B )} the ^{a]">[ a ]} sanctuary and of ^{C)">( C )} the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

³ For ^{D)">( D )} every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore ^{E)">( E )} it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. ⁴ For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; ⁵ who serve ^{F)">( F )} the copy and ^{G)">( G )} shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, ^{H)">( H )} “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” ⁶ But now ^{I)">( I )} He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a ^{J)">( J )} better covenant, which was established on better promises.

A New Covenant ^{K)">( K )}

⁷ For if that ^{L)">( L )} first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. ⁸ Because finding fault with them, He says: ^{M)">( M )} “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord , when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah — ⁹ not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord . ¹⁰ For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the ^{N)">( N )} Lord : I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and ^{O)">( O )} I will be their God, and they shall be My people. ^{11 P)">( P )} None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the ^{Q)">( Q )} Lord ,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. ¹² For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, ^{R)">( R )} and their sins ^{b]">[ b ]} and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

^{13 S)">( S )} In that He says, “ A new covenant ,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

The Earthly Sanctuary ^{T)">( T )}

9 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and ^{U)">( U )} the earthly sanctuary. ² For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the ^{c]">[ c ]} sanctuary; ^{3 V)">( V )} and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, ⁴ which had the ^{W)">( W )} golden censer and ^{X)">( X )} the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were ^{Y)">( Y )} the golden pot that had the manna, ^{Z)">( Z )} Aaron’s rod that budded, and ^{AA)">( AA )} the tablets of the covenant; ⁵ and ^{AB)">( AB )} above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

Limitations of the Earthly Service

⁶ Now when these things had been thus prepared, ^{AC)">( AC )} the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. ⁷ But into the second part the high priest went alone ^{AD)">( AD )} once a year, not without blood, which he offered for ^{AE)">( AE )} himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; ⁸ the Holy Spirit indicating this, that ^{AF)">( AF )} the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. ⁹ It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered ^{AG)">( AG )} which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience— ¹⁰ concerned only with ^{AH)">( AH )} foods and drinks, ^{AI)">( AI )} various ^{d]">[ d ]} washings, ^{AJ)">( AJ )} and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.

The Heavenly Sanctuary

¹¹ But Christ came as High Priest of ^{AK)">( AK )} the good things ^{e]">[ e ]} to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. ¹² Not ^{AL)">( AL )} with the blood of goats and calves, but ^{AM)">( AM )} with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place ^{AN)">( AN )} once for all, ^{AO)">( AO )} having obtained eternal redemption. ¹³ For if ^{AP)">( AP )} the blood of bulls and goats and ^{AQ)">( AQ )} the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, ^{f]">[ f ]} sanctifies for the ^{g]">[ g ]} purifying of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without ^{h]">[ h ]} spot to God, ^{AR)">( AR )} cleanse your conscience from ^{AS)">( AS )} dead works ^{AT)">( AT )} to serve the living God? ¹⁵ And for this reason ^{AU)">( AU )} He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that ^{AV)">( AV )} those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

The Mediator’s Death Necessary

¹⁶ For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. ¹⁷ For ^{AW)">( AW )} a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. ^{18 AX)">( AX )} Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. ¹⁹ For when Moses had spoken every ^{i]">[ i ]} precept to all the people according to the law, ^{AY)">( AY )} he took the blood of calves and goats, ^{AZ)">( AZ )} with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, ²⁰ saying, ^{BA)">( BA )} “This is the ^{BB)">( BB )} blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” ²¹ Then likewise ^{BC)">( BC )} he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. ²² And according to the law almost all things are ^{j]">[ j ]} purified with blood, and ^{BD)">( BD )} without shedding of blood there is no ^{k]">[ k ]} remission.

Greatness of Christ’s Sacrifice

²³ Therefore it was necessary that ^{BE)">( BE )} the copies of the things in the heavens should be ^{l]">[ l ]} purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴ For ^{BF)">( BF )} Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are ^{m]">[ m ]} copies of ^{BG)">( BG )} the true, but into heaven itself, now ^{BH)">( BH )} to appear in the presence of God for us; ²⁵ not that He should offer Himself often, as ^{BI)">( BI )} the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— ²⁶ He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. ^{27 BJ)">( BJ )} And as it is appointed for men to die once, ^{BK)">( BK )} but after this the judgment, ²⁸ so ^{BL)">( BL )} Christ was ^{BM)">( BM )} offered once to bear the sins ^{BN)">( BN )} of many. To those who ^{BO)">( BO )} eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.