OET-RV HEB Chapter 9

9 The first agreement had sacred rites and a holy place here on earth, 2 because the tent of worship was set-up with a outer room called ‘the holy place’ where both the lampstand and the table were placed and the ‘bread of the presence’.[ref] 3 Then past the second curtain was a room called ‘the most holy place’[ref] 4 having the golden incense altar and the box of the agreement which was completely gold-plated and which contained a golden jar of manna and Aaron’s staff which had sprouted and the stone tablets inscribed with the commandments.[ref] 5 On the top of the box were the cherubs OF GLORY with their wings stretched out over the mercy seat which we won’t talk about right now.[ref]

6 And then with all of that having been prepared, the priests entered past everything in the first room of the tent to carry out their sacred services.[ref] 7 However, only the high priest enters the second room, and then only once a year. He can’t go with taking in blood which he offers for the sins of ignorance done by both himself and by the people.[ref] 8 By that, the holy spirit was making it clear that the way into that holy place was not yet open to the public as long as that first tent of worship was still standing. 9 This was an illustration intended for the present time when gifts and sacrifices are still being offered, but are not able to make the conscience of the one serving perfect—10 only just physical matters of food and drinks and ritual washings—until the reformed system is instigated.

11 But when Messiah came as high priest over what had now become good through the greater and more perfect tent of worship which wasn’t put together by people and isn’t part of this world, 12 he went once-for-all into the holy places—not by the blood of goats and calves but through his own blood—obtaining eternal redemption for us. 13 Because if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled people with the ashes of a young cow[ref] could make them holy by physical purification, 14 how much more the blood of the messiah who offered himself blameless to God, through the eternal spirit, will then purify your conscience from all useless deeds in order that we can serve the living God!

15 So because of that, Yeshua is the mediator of a new agreement, so that his death leads to the ransom payment for those who’ve disobeyed the first agreement, so that now those who are called can receive the eternal inheritance.

16 Where there’s an agreement like a will, it’s necessary for the death of the one who made it, 17 because this type of agreement doesn’t come into effect if the person who made it is still living, but only when they’re confirmed as dead, 18 so even the first agreement wasn’t valid without blood. 19 Hence after telling all the people all the commandments according to the law, Moses then took the blood of calves and goats, along with water and scarlet wool, and hyssop branches, and sprinkled both the scroll and all the people[ref] 20 saying: ‘This is the blood of the agreement which God commanded for you all.’ 21 Similarly, he sprinkled both the tent itself and all the utensils for the ministry there with blood,[ref] 22 and almost everything was declared ‘clean’ according to the law, because there couldn’t be forgiveness without blood.[ref]

23 So then it was necessary for these copies of things from the heavens to be purified, but in contrast, the heavenly things will be purified with better sacrifices than that, 24 because Messiah didn’t enter human-made holy places that were only representatives of the true ones, but he entered into heaven where he now appears on our behalf in God’s presence. 25 He didn’t offer himself like the high priest does every year with different blood, 26 otherwise he would have needed to suffer over and over since the creation of the world. Instead he appeared just once throughout all the ages because sin has been annulled by his sacrifice. 27 Just as it’s been determined that people will die once and then there’ll be judgement, 28 so too the messiah was offered once as a sacrifice as an offering for the sins of many people,[ref] but will be seen a second time (nothing to do with sin) by those who’re eagerly waiting for him.