² The Lord our God made a covenant^(A) with us at Horeb.^(B)

²³ Be careful not to forget the covenant^(A) of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol^(B) in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden.

⁵ Now if you obey me fully^(A) and keep my covenant,^(B) then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.^(C) Although the whole earth^(D) is mine, ⁶ you^[a] will be for me a kingdom of priests^(E) and a holy nation.’^(F) These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

⁷ So Moses went back and summoned the elders^(G) of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak.^{(H) 8} The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.”^(I) So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.

⁸ Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people^(A) and said, “This is the blood of the covenant^(B) that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

¹⁹ When Moses had proclaimed^(A) every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves,^(B) together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people.^{(C) 20} He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”^{[a](D) 21} In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. ²² In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood,^(E) and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.^(F)

²³ It was necessary, then, for the copies^(G) of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

⁶ But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant^(A) of which he is mediator^(B) is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

⁷ For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.^{(C) 8} But God found fault with the people and said^[a]:

¹³ By calling this covenant “new,”^(L) he has made the first one obsolete;^(M) and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.