Hebrews 9 — TCENT

The Earthly Sanctuary

9Verse 1Now⁺even the first⁺covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary.^{Verse 2}For a tabernacle was prepared. In the first room were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of the Presence; this is called the Holy Place.^{Verse 3}Behind the second veil was a room called the Holy of Holies.^{Verse 4}It had a golden censer and the ark of the covenant, which was overlaid on all sides with gold. In the ark were the golden jar containing the manna, the rod of Aaron that had budded, and the tablets of the covenant.^{Verse 5}Above the ark were the cherubim of glory, overshadowing the mercy seat. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.^{Verse 6}When these things were all in place, the priests regularly entered the first room of the tabernacle, performing their sacred duties.^{Verse 7}But into the second room, the high priest alone entered only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people.^{Verse 8}By this arrangement the Holy Spirit was showing that the way into the holy places had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing.^{Verse 9}This is a symbol for the present time, during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper,^{Verse 10}but deal only with food and drink, and various⁺washings and regulations for the flesh, imposed until the time of reformation.

Redemption Through the Blood of Christ

^{Verse 11}But when Christ came as high priest of the good things⁺to come, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands (that is, not of this creation),^{Verse 12}he entered once for all into the holy places, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.^{Verse 13}For if the blood of⁺bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh,^{Verse 14}how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the⁺eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify⁺your consciences from dead works to serve the living God?^{Verse 15}That is why he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.^{Verse 16}For in the case of a will, it is necessary to establish the death of the one who made it,^{Verse 17}because a will takes effect only after the person's death; it is⁺never in force while the person who made it is alive.^{Verse 18}That is why even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood.^{Verse 19}For when Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves⁺and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll itself and all the people,^{Verse 20}saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God has ordained for you.”^{Verse 21}In the same way, he sprinkled with blood the tabernacle and all the vessels used in worship.^{Verse 22}Indeed, according to the law nearly everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no remission.^{Verse 23}So it was necessary for the copies of the things in heaven to be purified with these sacrifices, but for the heavenly things themselves to be purified with better sacrifices than these.^{Verse 24}For Christ did not enter holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true ones; he entered heaven itself, so that he might now appear before God on our behalf.^{Verse 25}Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself many times, as the high priest enters the holy places year after year with blood that is not his own,^{Verse 26}for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself.^{Verse 27}And just as it is appointed for men to die once and then face judgment,^{Verse 28}so also Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are eagerly waiting for him.