10:1 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.
10:2 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.
10:3 But these sacrifices remind them of their sins every year,
10:4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
10:5 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].
10:6 You ·did not ask for [were not pleased with; took no delight in] burnt offerings and offerings to take away sins.
10:7 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].’”
10:8 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].)
10:9 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].
10:10 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].
10:11 ·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.
10:12 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].
10:13 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].
10:14 With one ·sacrifice [offering] he made perfect forever those who are being ·made holy [sanctified; set apart to God].
10:15 The Holy Spirit also ·tells [testifies/bears witness to] us about this. First he says:
10:16 “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].”
10:17 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].”
10:18 Now when these have been forgiven, there is no more need for a ·sacrifice [offering] for sins.
10:19 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.
10:20 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].
10:21 And since we have a great priest over God’s house,
10:22 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].
10:23 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].
10:24 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.
10:25 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].
10:26 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.
10:27 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].
10:28 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].
10:29 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?
10:30 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].”
10:31 It is a ·terrible [dreadful; terrifying] thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
10:32 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.
10:33 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.
10:34 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.
10:35 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.
10:36 You must ·hold on [persevere; endure], so you can do ·what God wants [the will of God] and receive what he has promised.
10:37 For in a very short time [Is. 26:20], “The One who is coming will come and will not delay.
10:38 ·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].”
10:39 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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