Hebrews 10 — TNTC

Animal blood is insufficient

10Verse 1You see, the Law is but a shadow of the good things to come, not their actual matter, so it can never perfect those who approach with the same sacrifices that they offer endlessly, year after year.^{Verse 2}Otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have had no more consciousness of sins, having been cleansed once for all?^{Verse 3}However, those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins,^{Verse 4}because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.⁺

“I have come to do Your will, O God”

^{Verse 5}Therefore, upon coming into the world He[S] says:“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,but You prepared a body for me;^{+Verse 6}with burnt offerings and sin offerings You were not pleased.
^{Verse 7}Then I said, ‘Yes indeed, I have come to do Your will, O God—thus it is written about me in the scroll of the book.’ ”^{+Verse 8}First He says, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not desire, nor were You pleased with them” (which are offered according to the Law),^{Verse 9}then He says, “Yes indeed, I have come to do Your will, O God.”⁺He removes the first in order to establish the second.^{Verse 10}By that will⁺we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.⁺

Christ perfects forever

^{Verse 11}Now every priest has stood ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices that can never take away sins;^{Verse 12}but He Himself, having offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, sat down at God's right.^{Verse 13}Since that time He is waiting until His enemies are placed as a footstool for His feet,^{Verse 14}because by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.^{+Verse 15}Now the Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this, after having foreseen it:^{Verse 16}“ ‘This is the covenant that I will make with themafter those days,’ says the Lord,‘I will put my laws on their heartsand I will write them on their minds,^{Verse 17}and I will not at all remembertheir sins and lawless deeds.’ ”^{+Verse 18}Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.⁺

Hold fast the confession of the Hope

^{Verse 19}Therefore, brothers, having courage to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,^{Verse 20}by a new and living way that He inaugurated for us, through the curtain, that is to say, His flesh,^{Verse 21}and having a Great Priest over the house of God,^{Verse 22}let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts having been sprinkled⁺from an evil conscience and our body having been washed with clean water.^{+Verse 23}Let us hold fast the confession of the Hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.^{Verse 24}And let us contemplate one another, for the stirring up of love and good works,^{Verse 25}not forsaking the assembling of ourselves (like some are doing), but exhorting one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

A severe warning

^{Verse 26}Because, if we deliberately keep on sinning after having received the real knowledge of the Truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,^{Verse 27}just a certain fearful anticipation of judgment and fierce fire that is ready to consume the hostiles.^{Verse 28}Anyone who rejected Moses' law died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.^{Verse 29}Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be deemed worthy who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has regarded as unholy the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified,⁺and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?^{Verse 30}For we know Him who said, “ ‘Vengeance is up to me,’ says the Lord,⁺‘I will repay.’ ” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”^{+Verse 31}It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God!

A word of encouragement

^{Verse 32}However, remember those earlier days in which, having been enlightened, you endured a great struggle of sufferings:^{Verse 33}partly being publicly exposed to both insults and oppression, and partly siding with those who were so treated.^{Verse 34}Indeed, you also shared in the suffering of my chains;⁺you even accepted the plundering of your possessions with joy, knowing that you have for yourselves a better and enduring possession in the heavens.^{Verse 35}So do not throw away your confidence, which has a great recompense.^{Verse 36}You need perseverance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.^{Verse 37}For in a very little while:“He who is coming will come and will not delay.
^{Verse 38}Now the righteous one will live by faith,yet if he backs away, my soul has no pleasure in him.”^{+Verse 39}But we are not of those who back away into ruin,⁺but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.