1Now even the first diatheke(covenant) had regulations for worship and an earthly holy place.
2For a tent was prepared — the first one — in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence; this is called the Holy Place.
3Behind the second curtain was the tent called the Holy of Holies,
4having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the diatheke(covenant) covered all around with gold, in which were the golden jar containing the manna, and Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets of the diatheke(covenant).
5Above it were the Cherubim of doxa(glory) overshadowing the mercy seat — of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
6With these things so arranged, the priests go regularly into the first tent to perform their leitourgiai(priestly-services),
7but into the second only the high priest enters, and only once a year, not without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.
8By this the hagio(holy) pneuma(spirit) was indicating that the way into the holy places was not yet opened as long as the first tent was still standing —
9this is a parable for the present kairos(appointed-time), in which doron(offerings, gifts) and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshiper in terms of conscience,
10since they involve only foods and drinks and various washings, ordinances of the sarx(flesh), imposed until the kairos(appointed-time) of reformation.
11But when Messiah(Christ) appeared as high priest of the good things that have come, through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands — that is, not of this creation —
12He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.
13For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of a heifer's ashes on those who have been made koinos(common, worldly), sanctify for the purification of the sarx(flesh),
14how much more will the blood of Messiah(Christ), who through the eternal pneuma(spirit) offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
15Therefore He is the mediator of a new diatheke(covenant), so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first diatheke(covenant).
16For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.
17For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.
18Therefore not even the first diatheke(covenant) was inaugurated without blood.
19For when every commandment of the nomos(law) had been declared 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 biblion(book) itself and all the people,
20saying, "This is the blood of the diatheke(covenant) that God commanded for you."
21And in the same way he sprinkled the tent and all the vessels used in worship with blood.
22Indeed, under the nomos(law) almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
23Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24For Messiah(Christ) did not enter a holy place made with hands — a copy of the true one — but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
25Nor was it to offer Himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood that is not his own,
26for then He would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world; but as it is, He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
27And just as it is appointed for people to die once, and after that comes krisis(judgment),
28so Messiah(Christ), having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to bring Salvation to those who are eagerly waiting for Him.