Earthly and Heavenly Worship
1 The first covenant had rules for worship and a place made for worship as well. 2 A tent was put up, the outer one, which was called the Holy Place. In it were the lampstand and the table with the bread offered to God. 3 Behind the second curtain was the tent called the Most Holy Place. 4 In it were the gold altar for the burning of incense and the Covenant Box all covered with gold and containing the gold jar with the manna in it, Aaron's stick that had sprouted leaves, and the two stone tablets with the commandments written on them. 5 Above the Box were the winged creatures representing God's presence, with their wings spread over the place where sins were forgiven. But now is not the time to explain everything in detail.
6 This is how those things have been arranged. The priests go into the outer tent every day to perform their duties, 7 but only the high priest goes into the inner tent, and he does so only once a year. He takes with him blood which he offers to God on behalf of himself and for the sins which the people have committed without knowing they were sinning. 8 The Holy Spirit clearly teaches from all these arrangements that the way into the Most Holy Place has not yet been opened as long as the outer tent still stands. 9 This is a symbol which points to the present time. It means that the offerings and animal sacrifices presented to God cannot make the worshiper's heart perfect, 10 since they have to do only with food, drink, and various purification ceremonies. These are all outward rules, which apply only until the time when God will establish the new order.
11 But Christ has already come as the High Priest of the good things that are already here. The tent in which he serves is greater and more perfect; it is not a tent made by human hands, that is, it is not a part of this created world. 12 When Christ went through the tent and entered once and for all into the Most Holy Place, he did not take the blood of goats and bulls to offer as a sacrifice; rather, he took his own blood and obtained eternal salvation for us. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a burnt calf are sprinkled on the people who are ritually unclean, and this purifies them by taking away their ritual impurity. 14 Since this is true, how much more is accomplished by the blood of Christ! Through the eternal Spirit he offered himself as a perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will purify our consciences from useless rituals, so that we may serve the living God.
15 For this reason Christ is the one who arranges a new covenant, so that those who have been called by God may receive the eternal blessings that God has promised. This can be done because there has been a death which sets people free from the wrongs they did while the first covenant was in effect.
16 In the case of a will it is necessary to prove that the person who made it has died, 17 for a will means nothing while the person who made it is alive; it goes into effect only after his death. 18 That is why even the first covenant went into effect only with the use of blood. 19 First, Moses proclaimed to the people all the commandments as set forth in the Law. Then he took the blood of bulls and goats, mixed it with water, and sprinkled it on the book of the Law and all the people, using a sprig of hyssop and some red wool. 20 He said, “This is the blood which seals the covenant that God has commanded you to obey.” 21 In the same way Moses also sprinkled the blood on the Sacred Tent and over all the things used in worship. 22 Indeed, according to the Law almost everything is purified by blood, and sins are forgiven only if blood is poured out.
Christ's Sacrifice Takes Away Sins
23 Those things, which are copies of the heavenly originals, had to be purified in that way. But the heavenly things themselves require much better sacrifices. 24 For Christ did not go into a Holy Place made by human hands, which was a copy of the real one. He went into heaven itself, where he now appears on our behalf in the presence of God. 25 The Jewish high priest goes into the Most Holy Place every year with the blood of an animal. But Christ did not go in to offer himself many times, 26 for then he would have had to suffer many times ever since the creation of the world. Instead, now when all ages of time are nearing the end, he has appeared once and for all, to remove sin through the sacrifice of himself. 27 Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God. 28 In the same manner Christ also was offered in sacrifice once to take away the sins of many. He will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are waiting for him.
1 Bija jau gan arī pirmajai (derībai) kalpošanas noteikumi un laicīga svētnīca, 2 jo telts tika uzcelta - priekšējā, kurā bija svečturis un galds un skatāmās maizes; šī tiek saukta par svēto vietu. 3 Bet aiz otra priekškara telts, kas tiek saukta par vissvētāko, 4 kam zelta kvēpināmais altāris un visapkārt ar zeltu pārvilkts derības šķirsts, kurā bija zelta trauks ar mannu un zaļojošais Ārona zizlis, un derības plāksnes, 5 pāri par to godības ķerubi, kas apēnoja salīdzināšanas vāku. Par tiem tagad nav jārunā atsevišķi. 6 Bet, pastāvot šādai kārtībai, priekšējā teltī vienmēr ieiet priesteri izpildīt kalpošanu, 7 bet otrā vienreiz gadā vienīgi augstais priesteris, ne bez asinīm, ko viņš upurē par sevi pašu un par tautas neapzinātiem grēkiem. 8 Ar to Svētais Gars aizrāda, ka ceļš uz svētnīcu vēl nav atklāts, kamēr pastāv pirmā telts, 9 kas ir tagadējā laikmeta līdzība; saskaņā ar to tiek upurētas dāvanas un upuri, kas nevar padarīt pēc sirdsapziņas pilnīgu to, kas kalpo. 10 Bet tie ir tikai ēdieniem, dzērieniem un dažādām mazgāšanām uzlikti miesīgi likumi līdz pareizas kārtības laikam. 11 Bet Kristus, atnācis par nākamo labumu augsto priesteri, caur lielāko un pilnīgāko telti, ne rokām taisīto, tas ir, ne šai radībai piederīgu, 12 ne ar āžu un teļu asinīm, bet ar Savām paša asinīm reizi par visām reizēm ir iegājis svētnīcā un panācis mūžīgu izpirkšanu. 13 Jo, ja āžu un vēršu asinis un jaunas govs pelni, apslakot sagānītos, šķīstī miesas šķīstībai, 14 cik daudz vairāk Kristus asinis, kas mūžīgā Gara spēkā pats Sevi ir bezvainīgu purējis Dievam, šķīstīs mūsu sirdsapziņu no nedzīviem darbiem kalpošanai dzīvajam Dievam. 15 Un tādēļ Viņš ir Jaunās Derības starpnieks, lai, pēc tam kad Viņš nāvē sagādājis atpestīšanu no pirmās derības laikā izdarītajiem pārkāpumiem, aicinātie saņemtu apsolīto mūžības mantojumu. 16 Jo, kur ir novēlējums, tur nepieciešami jāpierāda novēlētāja nāve. 17 Jo novēlējumam ir spēks pēc nāves, bet nav spēka, kad novēlētājs vēl dzīvs. 18 Tāpēc arī pirmā derība nav bez asinīm iesvētīta. 19 Jo, kad Mozus visai tautai bija pateicis visas pavēles saskaņā ar bauslību, viņš ņēma teļu un āžu asinis ar ūdeni un sarkanu vilnu un īzapu un apslacīja pašu grāmatu un visu tautu, sacīdams: 20 šīs ir tās derības asinis, ko Dievs ar jums ir noslēdzis. - 21 Bet arī telti un visus rīkus kalpošanai viņš tāpat apslacīja ar asinīm. 22 Un gandrīz viss tiek šķīstīts asinīs saskaņā ar bauslību, un bez asins izliešanas nav piedošanas. 23 Debesu lietu attēliem jātop šķīstītiem ar to pašu, bet debesu lietām pašām ar labākiem upuriem nekā šīs. 24 Jo Kristus nav iegājis rokām taisītā svētnīcā, patiesās attēlā, bet pašās debesīs, lai tagad par mums parādītos Dieva vaiga priekšā, 25 nevis lai Sevi bieži upurētu, kā priesteris ik gadus ieiet svētnīcā ar svešām asinīm, 26 citādi Viņam būtu pienācies bieži ciest no pasaules iesākuma. Bet tagad Viņš vienreiz laiku galā ir parādījies, lai iznīcinātu grēku, Sevi upurējot. 27 Un, kā cilvēkiem nolemts vienreiz mirt, bet pēc tam tiesa, 28 tā arī Kristus, vienreiz upurēts daudzu cilvēku grēkus atņemt neatkarīgi no grēka, tiks otrreiz redzams par pestīšanu tiem, kas Viņu gaida.
