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Jesus Is Our High Priest

Here is the [main; most important] point of what we are saying: We have a high priest who sits on the right side of ·God’s [L the Majesty’s] throne in heaven. Our high priest ·serves [ministers; performs priestly service] in the ·Most Holy Place [sanctuary; L holy things], the true ·place of worship [Tabernacle; Holy Tent; Ex. 33:7] that was made by the Lord, not by humans.

[L For] Every high priest ·has the work of offering [is appointed to offer] gifts and sacrifices to God. So our high priest must also ·offer something to God [L have something to offer]. If our high priest were now living on earth, he would not be a priest, because there are already priests here who follow the law by offering gifts to God. ·The work they do as priests [or The sanctuary in which they serve] is only a ·copy [model; prototype] and a shadow of what is in heaven. This is why God warned Moses when he was ready to build the ·Holy Tent [T Tabernacle]: “Be very careful to make everything by the ·plan [pattern; design] I showed you on the mountain [Ex. 25:40].” But the priestly ·work [service; ministry] that has been given to Jesus is ·much greater than [far superior to] the work that was given to the other priests. In the same way, the new ·agreement [covenant; contract] that Jesus ·brought from God to his people [L mediates] is much ·greater [better] than the old one. And the new ·agreement [covenant; contract] is ·based [founded; legally enacted] on ·promises of better things [L better promises; C all God’s promises are reliable, but these promises bring greater blessings].

If there had been ·nothing wrong [no fault] with the first ·agreement [covenant; contract; C given to Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai], there would have been no ·need for [or reason to look for; or occasion for God to establish] a second ·agreement [L one; C the Mosaic covenant was insufficient because it did not provide true forgiveness of sins; 10:1]. But God ·found something wrong with his people and said [or found fault with the covenant, and said to his people]:[a]

“·Look [T Behold], the ·time is [days are] coming, says the Lord,
    when I will ·make [complete; establish] a new ·agreement [covenant; contract]
with the ·people [L house] of Israel
    and the ·people [L house] of Judah.
  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 [L the land of] Egypt.
But they ·broke [L did not abide by] that ·agreement [covenant; contract],
    and I ·turned away from [abandoned; stopped caring for] them, says the Lord.
10 [For; But] This is the ·agreement [covenant; contract] I will make
    with the ·people [L house] of Israel ·at that time [L after those days], says the Lord.
I will put my ·teachings [L laws] in their minds
    and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.
11 People will no longer have to teach their ·neighbors [fellow citizens] and ·relatives [L brothers (and sisters)]
    ·to know the Lord [L saying, “Know the Lord”],
because all people will know me,
    from the least to the ·most important [greatest].
12 I will ·forgive them for [be merciful with regard to] ·the wicked things they did [their unrighteousness/wickedness],
    and I will not remember their sins anymore [Jer. 31:31–34; Luke 22:20].”

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

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 8:8 But … said Some Greek copies read “But God found something wrong and said to his people.”

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