HEBREWS 10-11

Animal Sacrifices Insufficient

10 For the law, having a ^{A)"> ( A )} shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, ^{B)"> ( B )} can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. ² For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once ^{a]"> [ a ]} purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. ³ But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. ⁴ For ^{C)"> ( C )} it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

Christ’s Death Fulfills God’s Will ^{D)"> ( D )}

⁵ Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:

⁸ Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them ” (which are offered according to the law), ⁹ then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, ^{b]"> [ b ]} O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. ^{10 F)"> ( F )} By that will we have been ^{c]"> [ c ]} sanctified ^{G)"> ( G )} through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Christ’s Death Perfects the Sanctified

¹¹ And every priest stands ^{H)"> ( H )} ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ^{12 I)"> ( I )} But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down ^{J)"> ( J )} at the right hand of God, ¹³ from that time waiting ^{K)"> ( K )} till His enemies are made His footstool. ¹⁴ For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being ^{d]"> [ d ]} sanctified.

¹⁵ But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,

^{16 L)"> ( L )} “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord : I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” ¹⁷ then He adds, ^{M)"> ( M )} “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” ¹⁸ Now where there is ^{e]"> [ e ]} remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

Hold Fast Your Confession

¹⁹ Therefore, brethren, having ^{N)"> ( N )} boldness ^{f]"> [ f ]} to enter ^{O)"> ( O )} the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and ^{P)"> ( P )} living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, ²¹ and having a High Priest over the house of God, ²² let us ^{Q)"> ( Q )} draw near with a true heart ^{R)"> ( R )} in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for ^{S)"> ( S )} He who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ^{25 T)"> ( T )} not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and ^{U)"> ( U )} so much the more as you see ^{V)"> ( V )} the Day approaching.

The Just Live by Faith

²⁶ For ^{W)"> ( W )} if we sin willfully ^{X)"> ( X )} after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there ^{Y)"> ( Y )} no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and ^{Z)"> ( Z )} fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. ²⁸ Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three ^{AA)"> ( AA )} witnesses. ^{29 AB)"> ( AB )} Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, ^{AC)"> ( AC )} counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, ^{AD)"> ( AD )} and insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know Him who said, ^{AE)"> ( AE )} “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” ^{g]"> [ g ]} says the Lord. And again, ^{AF)"> ( AF )} “The Lord will judge His people.” ^{31 AG)"> ( AG )} It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

³² But ^{AH)"> ( AH )} recall the former days in which, after you were ^{h]"> [ h ]} illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: ³³ partly while you were made ^{AI)"> ( AI )} a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while ^{AJ)"> ( AJ )} you became companions of those who were so treated; ³⁴ for you had compassion on ^{i]"> [ i ]} me ^{AK)"> ( AK )} in my chains, and ^{AL)"> ( AL )} joyfully accepted the plundering of your ^{j]"> [ j ]} goods, knowing that ^{AM)"> ( AM )} you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves ^{k]"> [ k ]} in heaven. ³⁵ Therefore do not cast away your confidence, ^{AN)"> ( AN )} which has great reward. ^{36 AO)"> ( AO )} For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, ^{AP)"> ( AP )} you may receive the promise:

³⁹ But we are not of those ^{AT)"> ( AT )} who draw back to ^{o]"> [ o ]} perdition, but of those who ^{AU)"> ( AU )} believe to the saving of the soul.

By Faith We Understand

11 Now faith is the ^{p]"> [ p ]} substance of things hoped for, the ^{q]"> [ q ]} evidence ^{AV)"> ( AV )} of things not seen. ² For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.

³ By faith we understand that ^{AW)"> ( AW )} the ^{r]"> [ r ]} worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

Faith at the Dawn of History ^{AX)"> ( AX )}

⁴ By faith ^{AY)"> ( AY )} Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still ^{AZ)"> ( AZ )} speaks.

⁵ By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ^{BA)"> ( BA )} “and was not found, because God had taken him” ; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. ⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

⁷ By faith ^{BB)"> ( BB )} Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, ^{BC)"> ( BC )} prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of ^{BD)"> ( BD )} the righteousness which is according to faith.

Faithful Abraham ^{BE)"> ( BE )}

⁸ By faith ^{BF)"> ( BF )} Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, ^{BG)"> ( BG )} dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, ^{BH)"> ( BH )} the heirs with him of the same promise; ¹⁰ for he waited for ^{BI)"> ( BI )} the city which has foundations, ^{BJ)"> ( BJ )} whose builder and maker is God.

¹¹ By faith ^{BK)"> ( BK )} Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and ^{BL)"> ( BL )} she ^{s]"> [ s ]} bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him ^{BM)"> ( BM )} faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore from one man, and him as good as ^{BN)"> ( BN )} dead, were born as many as the ^{BO)"> ( BO )} stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

The Heavenly Hope

¹³ These all died in faith, ^{BP)"> ( BP )} not having received the ^{BQ)"> ( BQ )} promises, but ^{BR)"> ( BR )} having seen them afar off ^{t]"> [ t ]} were assured of them, embraced them and ^{BS)"> ( BS )} confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things ^{BT)"> ( BT )} declare plainly that they seek a homeland. ¹⁵ And truly if they had called to mind ^{BU)"> ( BU )} that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed ^{BV)"> ( BV )} to be called their God, for He has ^{BW)"> ( BW )} prepared a city for them.

The Faith of the Patriarchs ^{BX)"> ( BX )}

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, ^{BY)"> ( BY )} when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, ^{18 u]"> [ u ]} of whom it was said, ^{BZ)"> ( BZ )} “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” ¹⁹ concluding that God ^{CA)"> ( CA )} was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

²⁰ By faith ^{CB)"> ( CB )} Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, ^{CC)"> ( CC )} blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

²² By faith ^{CD)"> ( CD )} Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.

The Faith of Moses ^{CE)"> ( CE )}

²³ By faith ^{CF)"> ( CF )} Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s ^{CG)"> ( CG )} command.

²⁴ By faith ^{CH)"> ( CH )} Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the ^{v]"> [ v ]} passing pleasures of sin, ²⁶ esteeming ^{CI)"> ( CI )} the ^{w]"> [ w ]} reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures ^{x]"> [ x ]} in Egypt; for he looked to the ^{CJ)"> ( CJ )} reward.

²⁷ By faith ^{CK)"> ( CK )} he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. ²⁸ By faith ^{CL)"> ( CL )} he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

²⁹ By faith ^{CM)"> ( CM )} they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.

By Faith They Overcame

³⁰ By faith ^{CN)"> ( CN )} the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. ³¹ By faith ^{CO)"> ( CO )} the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who ^{y]"> [ y ]} did not believe, when ^{CP)"> ( CP )} she had received the spies with peace.

³² And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of ^{CQ)"> ( CQ )} Gideon and ^{CR)"> ( CR )} Barak and ^{CS)"> ( CS )} Samson and ^{CT)"> ( CT )} Jephthah, also of ^{CU)"> ( CU )} David and ^{CV)"> ( CV )} Samuel and the prophets: ³³ who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, ^{CW)"> ( CW )} stopped the mouths of lions, ^{34 CX)"> ( CX )} quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. ^{35 CY)"> ( CY )} Women received their dead raised to life again.

Others were ^{CZ)"> ( CZ )} tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. ³⁶ Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and ^{DA)"> ( DA )} of chains and imprisonment. ^{37 DB)"> ( DB )} They were stoned, they were sawn in two, ^{z]"> [ z ]} were tempted, were slain with the sword. ^{DC)"> ( DC )} They wandered about ^{DD)"> ( DD )} in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— ³⁸ of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, ^{DE)"> ( DE )} in dens and caves of the earth.

³⁹ And all these, ^{DF)"> ( DF )} having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, ⁴⁰ God having provided something better for us, that they should not be ^{DG)"> ( DG )} made perfect apart from us.