Wisdom Bestows Well-Being

Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All

10 The law is only a shadow^(A) of the good things^(B) that are coming—not the realities themselves.^(C) For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect^(D) those who draw near to worship.^{(E) 2} Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.^{(F) 3} But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.^{(G) 4} It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats^(H) to take away sins.^(I)

⁵ Therefore, when Christ came into the world,^(J) he said:

⁸ First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”^(N)—though they were offered in accordance with the law. ⁹ Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.”^(O) He sets aside the first to establish the second. ¹⁰ And by that will, we have been made holy^(P) through the sacrifice of the body^(Q) of Jesus Christ once for all.^(R)

¹¹ Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices,^(S) which can never take away sins.^{(T) 12} But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins,^(U) he sat down at the right hand of God,^{(V) 13} and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.^{(W) 14} For by one sacrifice he has made perfect^(X) forever those who are being made holy.^(Y)

¹⁵ The Holy Spirit also testifies^(Z) to us about this. First he says:

¹⁷ Then he adds:

¹⁸ And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.

A Call to Persevere in Faith

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence^(AC) to enter the Most Holy Place^(AD) by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way^(AE) opened for us through the curtain,^(AF) that is, his body, ²¹ and since we have a great priest^(AG) over the house of God,^{(AH) 22} let us draw near to God^(AI) with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings,^(AJ) having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience^(AK) and having our bodies washed with pure water.^{(AL) 23} Let us hold unswervingly to the hope^(AM) we profess,^(AN) for he who promised is faithful.^{(AO) 24} And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,^{(AP) 25} not giving up meeting together,^(AQ) as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another^(AR)—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.^(AS)

²⁶ If we deliberately keep on sinning^(AT) after we have received the knowledge of the truth,^(AU) no sacrifice for sins is left, ²⁷ but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire^(AV) that will consume the enemies of God. ²⁸ Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.^{(AW) 29} How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God^(AX) underfoot,^(AY) who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant^(AZ) that sanctified them,^(BA) and who has insulted the Spirit^(BB) of grace?^{(BC) 30} For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[d](BD) and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”^{[e](BE) 31} It is a dreadful thing^(BF) to fall into the hands^(BG) of the living God.^(BH)

³² Remember those earlier days after you had received the light,^(BI) when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.^{(BJ) 33} Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution;^(BK) at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.^{(BL) 34} You suffered along with those in prison^(BM) and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.^{(BN) 35} So do not throw away your confidence;^(BO) it will be richly rewarded.

³⁶ You need to persevere^(BP) so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.^{(BQ) 37} For,

³⁸ And,

³⁹ But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.

Faith in Action

11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for^(BV) and assurance about what we do not see.^{(BW) 2} This is what the ancients were commended for.^(BX)

³ By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command,^(BY) so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

⁴ By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended^(BZ) as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.^(CA) And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.^(CB)

⁵ By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”^[i](CC) For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him^(CD) must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

⁷ By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen,^(CE) in holy fear built an ark^(CF) to save his family.^(CG) By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.^(CH)

⁸ By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance,^(CI) obeyed and went,^(CJ) even though he did not know where he was going. ⁹ By faith he made his home in the promised land^(CK) like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents,^(CL) as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.^{(CM) 10} For he was looking forward to the city^(CN) with foundations,^(CO) whose architect and builder is God.^{(CP) 11} And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age,^(CQ) was enabled to bear children^(CR) because she^[j] considered him faithful^(CS) who had made the promise. ¹² And so from this one man, and he as good as dead,^(CT) came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.^(CU)

¹³ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;^(CV) they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,^(CW) admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.^{(CX) 14} People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.^{(CY) 16} Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.^(CZ) Therefore God is not ashamed^(DA) to be called their God,^(DB) for he has prepared a city^(DC) for them.

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.^(DD) He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, ¹⁸ even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”^{[k](DE) 19} Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead,^(DF) and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

²⁰ By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.^(DG)

²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons,^(DH) and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

²² By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.^(DI)

²³ By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born,^(DJ) because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.^(DK)

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.^{(DL) 25} He chose to be mistreated^(DM) along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He regarded disgrace^(DN) for the sake of Christ^(DO) as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.^{(DP) 27} By faith he left Egypt,^(DQ) not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. ²⁸ By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer^(DR) of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.^(DS)

²⁹ By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.^(DT)

³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.^(DU)

³¹ By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.^[l](DV)

³² And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon,^(DW) Barak,^(DX) Samson^(DY) and Jephthah,^(DZ) about David^(EA) and Samuel^(EB) and the prophets, ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms,^(EC) administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,^{(ED) 34} quenched the fury of the flames,^(EE) and escaped the edge of the sword;^(EF) whose weakness was turned to strength;^(EG) and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.^{(EH) 35} Women received back their dead, raised to life again.^(EI) There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. ³⁶ Some faced jeers and flogging,^(EJ) and even chains and imprisonment.^{(EK) 37} They were put to death by stoning;^[m](EL) they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword.^(EM) They went about in sheepskins and goatskins,^(EN) destitute, persecuted and mistreated— ³⁸ the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves^(EO) and in holes in the ground.

³⁹ These were all commended^(EP) for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,^{(EQ) 40} since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us^(ER) would they be made perfect.^(ES)