The Son ·reflects [or radiates; shines forth] the glory of God [John 1:14] and ·shows exactly what God is like [^Lis the exact representation/imprint/stamp of his being/essence/nature]. He ·holds everything together [sustains/upholds all things] with his powerful word. When the Son ·made people clean from their [^Lprovided purification/cleansing for] sins [9:14], he sat down at the right ·side [^Lhand; ^Cthe most honored position beside a king; Ps. 110:1] of ·God, the Great One in heaven [^Lthe Majesty/Preeminence in the highest places; ^Ca Jewish way to avoid saying the divine name of God].

God also says, “Lord, in the beginning you ·made [^Llaid the foundations of] the earth, and your hands made the ·skies [heavens].

They will be destroyed, but you ·will remain [continue; ^Cforever]. They will all wear out like ·clothes [a garment].

You will ·fold them [roll them up] like a ·coat [robe]. And, like ·clothes [a garment], you will change them. But you ·never change [are the same; 13:8], and your ·life [^Lyears] will never ·end [fail; run out; Ps. 102:25–27].”

And God never said this to an angel: “Sit by me at my right ·side [hand; v. 3] until I put your enemies ·under your control [^Las a footstool under your feet; Ps. 110:1].”

Who heard God’s voice and ·was against [rebelled against; provoked] him? ·It was [^LWas it not…?] all those people Moses led out of Egypt.

We should not return to the teaching about baptisms [^Ceither Christian baptism or Jewish ceremonial washings], about laying on of hands [^Ca ritual of blessing and/or conferring of authority], about the raising of the dead and eternal judgment [^Cthese may be Jewish practices or foundational Christian teaching].

They ·found out [^Ltasted] how good God’s word is, and ·they received [^Ltasted] the ·powers [miracles] of ·his new world [the coming age/world].

It will not be like the ·agreement [covenant] I made with their ·ancestors [forefathers; fathers] when I took them by the hand to bring them out of [^Lthe land of] Egypt. But they ·broke [^Ldid not abide by] that ·agreement [covenant; contract], and I ·turned away from [abandoned; stopped caring for] them, says the Lord.

God called this a new ·agreement [covenant; contract], so he has made ·the first agreement [^Lthe first one] ·old [obsolete; outdated]. And anything that is ·old [obsolete; outdated] and worn out is ready to disappear.

When everything was made ready in this way, the priests went into the ·first room [outer room; ^Lfirst tent] ·every day [regularly] to ·worship [serve; minister; perform their priestly duties; Num. 28:3].

The Holy Spirit uses this to show that the way into the ·Most Holy Place [sanctuary; ^Lholy things; ^THoly of Holies] ·was not open [or had not yet been revealed] while the ·system of the old Holy Tent [or outer room of the Tabernacle; ^Lfirst tent/Tabernacle] was still ·being used [in place; standing].

The New Agreement

But when Christ came as the high priest of the good things ·we now have [^Lthat have come], he entered the greater and more perfect ·tent [^Ttabernacle]. It is not made ·by humans [^Lwith hands] and does not belong to this ·world [creation; created order].

[^LFor] Christ did not go into ·the Most Holy Place [a sanctuary; ^Lholy things] made by ·humans [^Lhands], which is only a ·copy [model; or prefiguration] of the real one. He went into heaven itself and ·is there [appears] now ·before [in the presence of] God ·to help us [for us; on our behalf].

But after ·Christ [^Lthis one; ^Cthis priest] offered one sacrifice for sins, forever, he sat down at the right ·side [^Lhand] of God [1:3, 13; Ps. 110:1a].

It is a ·terrible [dreadful; terrifying] thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Let us ·look only to [keep our eyes on] Jesus, the ·One who began [Pioneer/Founder of; or Leader/Prince of] our faith and who ·makes it perfect [completes it]. He ·suffered death on [^Lendured] the cross, ·accepting the shame as if it were nothing [^Ldisregarding/despising the shame] because of the joy that ·God put before [lay ahead for] him. And now he is sitting at the right ·side [^Lhand] of God’s throne [1:3; 13; Ps. 110:1].

Be Careful How You Live

·You have become weak, so make yourselves strong again [^LTherefore, strengthen your drooping arms/hands and your weak/disabled knees; Is. 35:3].

·Keep on the right path [^LMake straight/clear paths for your feet; Prov. 4:27], so the ·weak [lame] will not ·stumble [be disabled; put out of joint] but rather be ·strengthened [healed].

You have come to Jesus, the ·One who brought [mediator of] the new ·agreement from God to his people [covenant; contract; 8:1–13; Jer. 31:31–34], and you have come to the sprinkled blood [^CJesus’ blood shed on the cross; Heb. 9:19–22] that ·has a better message [speaks of something better; or pleads more insistently] than the blood of Abel [^Cmurdered by his brother Cain; Abel’s “blood cried out” to God for vengeance (Gen. 4:10), but Jesus’ blood cries out with a message of forgiveness and reconciliation].

Remember your leaders who ·taught [proclaimed; spoke] God’s ·message [word] to you. ·Remember [Consider; Reflect on] ·how they lived and died [or the outcome/result of their way of life], and ·copy [imitate] their faith.

The high priest carries the blood of animals into the ·Most Holy Place [sanctuary; ^Lholy things; ^THoly of Holies] where he offers this blood for sins. But the bodies of the animals are burned outside the camp [Lev. 6:11].

So Jesus also suffered outside the ·city [^Lgate] to ·make his people holy [sanctify the people] ·with [through] his own blood.

So let us go to Jesus outside the camp, ·holding on as he did when we are abused [^Lbearing the abuse/humiliation he bore].

I want you to know that our brother Timothy [Acts 16:1–5; 1 Cor. 16:10–11; Phil. 2:19–24; 1 and 2 Timothy] has been ·let out of prison [^Lreleased]. If he arrives soon, ·we will both come [he will come with me] to see you.