10:1 For the law, having a shadow of the coming good things, not the image of the things itself, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually every year are not able[1] to make perfect those coming near. 2 Otherwise would they not have ceased being offered, since none of those serving would still have consciousness of sins once having been purified?[2] 3 But in these is a reminder of sins year after year, 4 for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Therefore, coming into the world, He says,
“Sacrifice and offering You do not desire,
but a body You prepared for Me;
6 You take no pleasure in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I come (in the scroll of the book[3] it has been written concerning Me) to do Your will, O God.”[4]
8 Saying above, “Sacrifice and offering[5] and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You neither desire nor take pleasure in” (which are offered according to the[6] law), 9 then He has said, “Behold, I come to do Your will, O God.”[7] He takes away the first so that He may establish the second. 10 By which will we are the ones[8] having been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands daily serving and offering often the same sacrifices, which are never able to take away sins. 12 But He,[9] offering one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from then on until His enemies should be placed as the footstool of His feet. 14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those being sanctified.
15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us: for after having said before,[10]
16 “This is the covenant that I will make[11] with them
after those days, says the Lord:
giving My laws in their hearts,
and upon their minds[12] I will inscribe them.”[13]
17 And[14] “their sins and their lawlessness I shall remember[15] no longer.”[16]
18 Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
19 Therefore, brothers, having boldness for the entrance of the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His body, 21 and a great priest over the house of God, 22 may we approach with a true heart with full assurance of faith, our hearts having been sprinkled[17] from an evil conscience and our body having been washed[18] with pure water. 23 May we hold fast the confession of the hope without wavering, for the One promising is faithful. 24 And we should consider one another with a view toward provocation to love and good works, 25 not forsaking the gathering together of ourselves, as is the habit of some, but exhorting, and so much the more, as you see the day drawing near.
26 For if we deliberately we go on sinning, after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fiery zeal being about to consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone rejecting Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much more severe a punishment do you think he will be considered worthy, the one trampling underfoot the Son of God and regarding common the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and insulting the Spirit of grace? 30 For we have known the One saying, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”[19] [20] And again, “The Lord will judge[21] His people.”[22] 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32 But remember the former days, in which, having been enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: 33 this, partly by being publicly exposed to both reviling and afflictions; and partly by becoming partners with those so treated. 34 For you also sympathized with my bonds,[23] you received and the seizure of your belongings with joy, knowing you have for yourselves[24] a better and abiding possession in the heavens.[25] 35 Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has a great reward.[26] 36 For you have need of endurance, so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise. 37 For
“yet a very little while, the One coming will come, and He will not delay.”[27] [28]
38 “But the righteous[29] will live by faith. And if he should draw back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”[30]
39 But we are not of those drawing back to destruction, but of faith, to the preservation of the soul.
[1] Verse 1 – Byz, M & WH read δύνανται (third person plural), they are able, looking back grammatically to the plural ταῖς αὐταῖς θυσίαις ἃς προσφέρουσιν, the same sacrifices they offer. TR, Tis, NU, following nearly twenty Grk MSS, read δύναται (third person singular), is able, looking back to the singular subject ὁ νόμος, the law.
[2] Verse 2 – Byz, M & TR read κεκαθαρμένους, having been purified. Tis, WH & NU follow a dozen or so Grk MSS that have readings of alternate spellings, either κεκαθαρισμένους or κεκαθερισμένους.
[3] Verse 7 – Or, roll of the scroll. Traditionally, the volume of the book.
[4] Verse 7 – A partial quotation of Psalm 40:6-8, based on the reading found in the Grk LXX, but not the Heb MT.
[5] Verse 8 – Byz, M & TR read Θυσίαν καὶ προσφορὰν, Sacrifice and offering. Tis, WH & NU, following less than a dozen Grk MSS, read Θυσίας καὶ προσφορὰς, Sacrifices and offerings.
[6] Verse 8 – Byz, M & TR read τὸν νόμον, the law. Tis, WH & NU, following about a dozen Grk MSS, omit the definite article τὸν and read νόμον, law.
[7] Verse 9 – Byz, M & TR read ὁ Θεός, O God. Tis, WH & NU, following more than a dozen Grk MSS, omit ὁ Θεός.
[8] Verse 10 – Byz, M & TR read οἱ, the ones. Tis, WH & NU, following about a dozen Grk MSS, omit οἱ.
[9] Verse 12 – Byz, M & TR read αὐτὸς, He. Tis, WH & NU, following more than a dozen Grk MSS, read οὗτος, this.
[10] Verse 15 – Byz, M & TR read προειρηκέναι, having said before. Tis, WH & NU, following about a dozen Grk MSS, read εἰρηκέναι, having said.
[11] Verse 16 – Literally, I will covenant.
[12] Verse 16 – Byz, M & TR read τῶν διανοιῶν (genitive feminine plural), the minds. Tis, WH & NU, following the LXX, the reading in ch. 8:10 and about a dozen Grk MSS here, read τὴν διάνοιαν (accusative feminine singular), the mind.
[13] Verse 16 – Partial quotation of Jeremiah 31:33 from the LXX. See also ch. 8:10.
[14] The vast majority of Grk MSS and almost all printed editions of the GNT read καὶ, and. About a dozen Grk MSS have a total of four different readings: ὕστερον λέγει, later he says; καὶ ὕστερον λέγει, and later he says; ὕστερον λέγει κύριος, later he says the Lord; or τότε εἴρηκεν, then he says.
[15] Verse 17 – Byz, M & TR read μνησθῶ (aorist subjunctive), I shall remember. Tis, WH & NU, following about a dozen Grk MSS, read μνησθήσομαι (future indicative), I will remember.
[16] Verse 17 – Partial quotation of Jeremiah 31:34 from the LXX. See also ch. 8:12.
[17] Verse 22 – Byz, M & TR read ἐρραντισμένοι, having been sprinkled. Tis, WH & NU, following a half dozen or more Grk MSS, read ῥεραντισμένοι.
[18] Verse 22 – Byz, M & TR read λελουμένοι, having been washed. Tis, WH & NU, following a few Grk MSS, read λελουσμένοι.
[19] Verse 30 – Byz, M & TR read λέγει Κύριος, says the Lord. Tis, WH & NU, following a half dozen Grk MSS, omit λέγει Κύριος.
[20] Verse 30 – Paraphrase of part of Deuteronomy 32:25 from the LXX. See Romans 12:19.
[21] Verse 30 – Byz, M & TR read Κύριος κρινεῖ, The Lord will judge. Tis, WH & NU, following nearly a dozen Grk MSS, transpose the word order, reading κρινεῖ Κύριος.
[22] Verse 30 – Partial quote of Deuteronomy 32:25 and Psalm 135:14 in the LXX.
[23] Verse 34 – Byz, M & TR read δεσμοῖς μου, my bonds. Tis, WH & NU, following more than a dozen Grk MSS, read δεσμίοις, prisoners.
[24] Verse 34 – Byz, M, & TR read ἑαυτοῖς (dative masculine plural), yourselves. Tis, WH & NU, following more than a dozen Grk MSS, read ἑαυτοὺς (accusative masculine plural), yourselves.
[25] Verse 34 – Byz, M, & TR read ἐν οὐρανοῖς, in the heavens. Tis, WH & NU, following a half dozen or so Grk MSS, omit ἐν οὐρανοῖς.
[26] Verse 35 – Byz, M & TR read μισθαποδοσίαν μεγάλην, great reward. Tis, WH & NU, following about a dozen Grk MSS, transpose the word order, μεγάλην μισθαποδοσίαν.
[27] Verse 37 – Byz, M & TR read χρονιεῖ, will delay. Tis, WH & NU, following a half dozen or more Grk MSS, read χρονίσει, will delay.
[28] Verse 37 – Perhaps a partial quote of Isaiah 26:20 and Habakkuk 2:3 in the LXX.
[29] Verse 38 – Byz, M & TR read δίκαιος, righteous. Tis & NU, following less than a dozen Grk MSS, read δίκαιος μου, my righteous one. Three Grk MSS place the pronoun after ἐκ πίστεως, by faith in me. WH brackets the pronoun (i.e., [μου]) to indicate doubtfulness.
[30] Quotation of Habakkuk 2:4.