The earthly sanctuary

1Now that first covenant did indeed have regulations for divine service and the earthly sanctuary.

2Yes, a tabernacle was set up: the first part, which is called the Holy Place, in which were the lamp stand, the table and the showbread;

3and behind the second curtain an area called the Holy of Holies,

4having a golden censer ¹⁰⁴and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold—in it were a golden jar holding the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant;

5while above it were cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat (this is not the place to go into detail about them). ¹⁰⁵

The service of the sanctuary

6Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests continually went into the first part, performing the divine services,

7but into the second one only the high priest could go, once a year and only with blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins of ignorance; ¹⁰⁶

8the Holy Spirit was making clear that the way into the Most Holy Place was not yet open to the public while the first tabernacle was still in existence.

9It was a figure during the time then present, a time when both gifts and sacrifices were being offered that were incapable of clearing the conscience of the worshiper—

10they were only about foods and drinks and various ceremonial washings and physical regulations, things imposed until the time of restructuring. ¹⁰⁷

Christ serves in the heavenly sanctuary

11But Christ entered once for all into the real Holy Places, having obtained eternal redemption—He had come as High Priest of the good things that are about to be, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation,

12and with His own blood, not that of goats and calves.

13For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who had been ceremonially defiled, restored ceremonial purity to the body,

14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the Holy Spirit ¹⁰⁸offered Himself ¹⁰⁹unblemished to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

15For this reason He is mediator of a new covenant, so that those who have been called ¹¹⁰may receive the promised eternal inheritance—since a death has occurred for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant. ¹¹¹

The earthly sanctuary inaugurated with blood

16Now where there is a will, the death of the one who made it must be established;

17because a will is in force after men are dead, since it never takes effect while the one who made it lives.

18Therefore, not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood;

19because when every commandment of the Law had been proclaimed by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the scroll itself ¹¹²and all the people,

20saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has decreed to you.” ¹¹³

21Then he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the divine service with the blood in the same way.

22In fact, according to the Law nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. ¹¹⁴

The heavenly sanctuary inaugurated with Christ's blood

23So then, it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with such, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than those. ¹¹⁵

24For Christ did not enter into Holy Places made by hands, mere copies of the true ones, ¹¹⁶but into Heaven itself, now to appear in God's presence on our behalf;

25but not in order to offer Himself repeatedly, like the high priest who entered the Most Holy Place year by year with another's blood

26—otherwise He would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world; but now, once for all at the end of the ages, He has been revealed to nullify sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

27Also, inasmuch as men are destined to die but once, after which the judgment, ¹¹⁷

28so the Christ also, having been offered once for all to bear the sins of many—He will appear a second time to those who are eagerly waiting for Him, apart from sin, into salvation. ¹¹⁸