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10 The law is only an ·unclear picture [L shadow] of the good things coming in the future; it is not the ·real thing [reality itself; true image of them]. The people under the law offer the same sacrifices every year, but these sacrifices can never make perfect those who come near to worship God. If the law could make them perfect, the sacrifices would have already ·stopped [ceased; been abolished]. The worshipers would ·be made clean [L have been cleansed/purified once for all; C forever], and they would no longer have a ·sense of [consciousness of; feeling of guilt about] sin. But these sacrifices remind them of their sins every year, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

So when ·Christ [L he] came into the world, he said:

“You did not ·want [desire] sacrifices and offerings,
    but you have ·prepared a body for me [or given me a body].
  You ·did not ask for [were not pleased with; took no delight in] burnt offerings
    and offerings to take away sins.
  Then I said, ‘·Look [or Here I am; T Behold], I have come.
    It is written about me in the ·book [scroll].
    ·God [L O God], I have come to do ·what you want [your will; Ps. 40:6–8].’”

  In this Scripture ·he first said [or cited above he said], “You did not ·want [desire] sacrifices and offerings. You ·did not ask for [were not pleased with; took no delight in] burnt offerings and offerings to take away sins [v. 6].” (These are all sacrifices that the law ·commands [requires; prescribes].) Then he said, “·Look [or Here I am; T Behold], I have come to do ·what you want [your will; v. 7].” God ·ends [abolishes; takes away] the ·first system of sacrifices [L first] so he can ·set up [establish] the ·new system [L second]. 10 And ·because of this [L by God’s will/desire/intention], we are ·made holy [sanctified; set apart to God] through the sacrifice Christ made in his body ·once and for all time [L once for all; 7:27; 9:12, 26].

11 ·Every day [Day after day] ·the priests [L every priest] stand and do their ·religious [priestly] service, ·often [again and again] offering the same sacrifices. Those sacrifices can never take away sins. 12 But after ·Christ [L this one; C this priest] offered one sacrifice for sins, forever, he sat down at the right ·side [L hand] of God [1:3, 13; Ps. 110:1a]. 13 And now ·Christ [L he] waits there for his enemies to be ·put under his power [L made a footstool for his feet; 1:13; Ps. 110:1b]. 14 With one ·sacrifice [offering] he made perfect forever those who are being ·made holy [sanctified; set apart to God].

15 The Holy Spirit also ·tells [testifies/bears witness to] us about this. First he says:

16 “This is the ·agreement [covenant; contract] I will make
    with them ·at that time [L after those days], says the Lord.
I will put my ·teachings [laws] in their hearts
    and write them on their minds [8:10; Jer. 31:33].”

17 Then he says:

“Their sins and ·the evil things they do [their lawless/wicked actions]
    I will not remember anymore [8:12; Jer. 31:34].”

18 Now when these have been forgiven, there is no more need for a ·sacrifice [offering] for sins.

Continue to Trust God

19 So, brothers and sisters, ·we are completely free [L since we have confidence…; C this “since” clause continues through v. 22] to enter the ·Most Holy Place [sanctuary; L holy things; T Holy of Holies] without fear ·because of [or by means of] the blood of Jesus’ death. 20 We can enter through a new and living way that Jesus ·opened [or restored; renewed; or inaugurated] for us. It leads through the curtain—Christ’s ·body [T flesh; C like the curtain of the Most Holy Place, Christ’s body, sacrificed for us, provides access to the presence of God]. 21 And since we have a great priest over God’s house, 22 let us come near to God with a ·sincere [true] heart and a ·sure [confident] faith, because we have ·been made free [L had our hearts sprinkled; C sacrificial blood was sprinkled on people and things to purify them] from a ·guilty [evil] conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water [C water was used in Judaism for ritual purification]. 23 Let us hold ·firmly [without wavering] to the hope that we have confessed, because ·we can trust God to do what he promised [L the one who promised is faithful].

24 Let us think about ·each other and help each other [or how to provoke/rouse/encourage each another] to show love and do good deeds. 25 You should not ·stay away from [neglect; forsake] ·the church meetings [meeting together], as some are doing [C some were abandoning Christianity and returning to Judaism], but you should encourage each other [C to stay faithful to Christ and to other believers], and even more so as you see the day coming [C the day of the Lord, when Christ will return].

26 If we ·decide to [deliberately] go on sinning after we have learned the ·truth [L knowledge of the truth], there is no longer any sacrifice for sins. 27 There is nothing but ·fear in waiting for the [a fearful/terrifying expectation/prospect of] judgment and the ·terrible [raging; furious] fire that will ·destroy [consume; devour] ·all those who live against God [the enemies of God; L those who oppose; the adversaries]. 28 Anyone who ·refused to obey [rejected; disregarded] the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the basis of the ·evidence [testimony] provided by two or three witnesses [Deut. 17:6]. 29 So how much worse punishment do you think is deserved by those who ·do not respect [trample on; show contempt for] the Son of God, who ·look at the blood of the agreement that made them holy as no different from others’ blood [L profane/treat as unholy/common the blood of the covenant], who insult the Spirit of God’s grace? 30 We know that God said, “·I will punish those who do wrong [T Vengeance is mine]; I will repay them [Deut. 32:35].” And he also said, “The Lord will judge his people [Deut. 32:36; Ps. 135:14].” 31 It is a ·terrible [dreadful; terrifying] thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32 Remember those ·days in the past [or early days of your faith] when you first ·learned the truth [L were enlightened]. You ·remained strong [endured; persevered] through a hard struggle with many sufferings. 33 Sometimes you were ·hurt and attacked before crowds of people [L exposed to public shame/ridicule and persecution/oppression], and sometimes you shared with those who were being treated that way. 34 You ·helped [had sympathy for; or suffered with] the prisoners [C probably Christians imprisoned for their faith]. You even had joy when ·all that you owned [your property] was ·taken from you [seized; confiscated], because you knew you had ·something [L a possession; property] better and more lasting.

35 So do not ·lose [throw away] ·the courage you had in the past [or your confident trust in God; or your boldness], which has a great reward. 36 You must ·hold on [persevere; endure], so you can do ·what God wants [the will of God] and receive what he has promised. 37 For in a very short time [Is. 26:20],

“The One who is coming will come
    and will not delay.
38 ·Those who are right with me [L My righteous one]
    will live by faith.
But if they ·turn back with fear [shrink back],
    ·I [L My soul] will not be pleased with them [Hab. 2:3–4].”

39 But we are not those who ·turn back [shrink back] and are ·lost [destroyed]. We are people who have faith ·and are saved [leading to the possession/ preservation of life/the soul].

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