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 ca testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. 18 dTherefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. 19 For when Moses had spoken every 7precept to all the people according to the law, ehe took the blood of calves and goats, fwith water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, g“This is the hblood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” 21 Then likewise ihe sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And according to the law almost all things are 8purified with blood, and jwithout shedding of blood there is no 9remission.

Greatness of Christ’s Sacrifice

23 Therefore it was necessary that kthe copies of the things in the heavens should be 1purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For lChrist has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are 2copies of mthe true, but into heaven itself, now nto appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as othe 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 pAnd as it is appointed for men to die once, qbut after this the judgment, 28 so rChrist was soffered once to bear the sins tof many. To those who ueagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Animal Sacrifices Insufficient

10 For the law, having a ashadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, bcan 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 1purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For cit is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

Christ’s Death Fulfills God’s Will

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

d“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,

But a body You have prepared for Me.

6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin

You had no pleasure.

7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—

In the volume of the book it is written of Me—

To do Your will, O God.’ ”

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, 2O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10 eBy that will we have been 3sanctified fthrough the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Christ’s Death Perfects the Sanctified

11 And every priest stands gministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 hBut this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down iat the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting jtill His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being 4sanctified.

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

16 k“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, l“Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is 5remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

Hold Fast Your Confession

19 Therefore, brethren, having mboldness 6to enter nthe Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and oliving 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 pdraw near with a true heart qin 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 rHe who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 snot forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and tso much the more as you see uthe Day approaching.

The Just Live by Faith

26 For vif we sin willfully wafter we have received the knowledge of the truth, there xno longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and yfiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three zwitnesses. 29 aOf how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, bcounted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, cand insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, d“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” 7says the Lord. And again, e“The Lord will judge His people.” 31 fIt is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32 But grecall the former days in which, after you were 8illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: 33 partly while you were made ha spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while iyou became companions of those who were so treated; 34 for you had compassion on 9me jin my chains, and kjoyfully accepted the plundering of your 1goods, knowing that lyou have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves 2in heaven. 35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, mwhich has great reward. 36 nFor you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, oyou may receive the promise:

37 “For pyet a little while,

And qHe 3who is coming will come and will not 4tarry.

38 Now rthe 5just shall live by faith;

But if anyone draws back,

My soul has no pleasure in him.”

39 But we are not of those swho draw back to 6perdition, but of those who tbelieve to the saving of the soul.

By Faith We Understand

11 Now faith is the 1substance of things hoped for, the 2evidence aof things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.

3 By faith we understand that bthe 3worlds 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

4 By faith cAbel 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 dspeaks.

5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, e“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 fNoah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, gprepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of hthe righteousness which is according to faith.

Faithful Abraham

8 By faith iAbraham 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, jdwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, kthe heirs with him of the same promise; 10 for he waited for lthe city which has foundations, mwhose builder and maker is God.

11 By faith nSarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and oshe 4bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him pfaithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as qdead, were born as many as the rstars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

The Heavenly Hope

13 These all died in faith, snot having received the tpromises, but uhaving seen them afar off 5were assured of them, embraced them and vconfessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things wdeclare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind xthat 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 yto be called their God, for He has zprepared a city for them.

The Faith of the Patriarchs

17 By faith Abraham, awhen he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 6of whom it was said, b“In Isaac your seed shall be called,” 19 concluding that God cwas able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

20 By faith dIsaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, eblessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

22 By faith fJoseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.

The Faith of Moses

23 By faith gMoses, 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 hcommand.

24 By faith iMoses, 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 7passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming jthe 8reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures 9in Egypt; for he looked to the kreward.

27 By faith lhe forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. 28 By faith mhe kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

29 By faith nthey passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.