Hebrews 10

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 So, since the Law contains no more than a reflection of the good things which were stil to come, andno true image of them, it is quite incapable of bringing the worshippers to perfection, by means of the samesacrifices repeatedly offered year after year.	1 Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of them, it can never make perfect those who come to worship by the same sacrifices that they offer continually each year.
2 Otherwise, surely the offering of them would have stopped, because the worshippers, when they hadbeen purified once, would have no awareness of sins.	2 Otherwise, would not the sacrifices have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, once cleansed, would no longer have had any consciousness of sins?
3 But in fact the sins are recal ed year after year in the sacrifices.	3 But in those sacrifices there is only a yearly remembrance of sins,
4 Bul s' blood and goats' blood are incapable of taking away sins,	4 for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats take away sins.
5 and that is why he said, on coming into the world: You wanted no sacrifice or cereal offering, but yougave me a body.	5 For this reason, when he came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;
6 You took no pleasure in burnt offering or sacrifice for sin;	6 holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight in.
7 then I said, 'Here I am, I am coming,' in the scrol of the book it is written of me, to do your wil , God.	7 Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your will, O God.'"
8 He says first You did not want what the Law lays down as the things to be offered, that is: thesacrifices, the cereal offerings, the burnt offerings and the sacrifices for sin, and you took no pleasure in them;	8 First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in." These are offered according to the law.
9 and then he says: Here I am! I am coming to do your wil . He is abolishing the first sort to establish thesecond.	9 Then he says, "Behold, I come to do your will." He takes away the first to establish the second.
10 And this will was for us to be made holy by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ made once andfor all.	10 By this "will," we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 Every priest stands at his duties every day, offering over and over again the same sacrifices whichare quite incapable of taking away sins.	11 Every priest stands daily at his ministry, offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins.
12 He, on the other hand, has offered one single sacrifice for sins, and then taken his seat for ever, atthe right hand of God,	12 But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;
13 where he is now waiting til his enemies are made his footstool.	13 now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.
14 By virtue of that one single offering, he has achieved the eternal perfection of al who are sanctified.	14 For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.
15 The Holy Spirit attests this to us, for after saying:	15 The holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying:
16 No, this is the covenant I wil make with them, when those days have come. the Lord says: In theirminds I wil plant my Laws writing them on their hearts,	16 "This is the covenant I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord: 'I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them upon their minds,'"
17 and I shal never more call their sins to mind, or their offences.	17 he also says: "Their sins and their evildoing I will remember no more."
18 When these have been forgiven, there can be no more sin offerings.	18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.
19 We have then, brothers, complete confidence through the blood of Jesus in entering the sanctuary,	19 Therefore, brothers, since through the blood of Jesus we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary
20 by a new way which he has opened for us, a living opening through the curtain, that is to say, hisflesh.	20 by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil, that is, his flesh,
21 And we have the high priest over al the sanctuary of God.	21 and since we have "a great priest over the house of God,"
22 So as we go in, let us be sincere in heart and fil ed with faith, our hearts sprinkled and free from anytrace of bad conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.	22 let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.
23 Let us keep firm in the hope we profess, because the one who made the promise is trustworthy.	23 Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy.
24 Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works.	24 We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works.
25 Do not absent yourself from your own assemblies, as some do, but encourage each other; the moreso as you see the Day drawing near.	25 We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some, but encourage one another, and this all the more as you see the day drawing near.
26 If, after we have been given knowledge of the truth, we should deliberately commit any sins, thenthere is no longer any sacrifice for them.	26 If we sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains sacrifice for sins
27 There is left only the dreadful prospect of judgement and of the fiery wrath that is to devour yourenemies.	27 but a fearful prospect of judgment and a flaming fire that is going to consume the adversaries.
28 Anyone who disregards the Law of Moses is ruthlessly put to death on the word of two witnesses orthree;	28 Anyone who rejects the law of Moses is put to death without pity on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29 and you may be sure that anyone who tramples on the Son of God, and who treats the blood of thecovenant which sanctified him as if it were not holy, and who insults the Spirit of grace, will be condemned to afar severer punishment.	29 Do you not think that a much worse punishment is due the one who has contempt for the Son of God, considers unclean the covenant-blood by which he was consecrated, and insults the spirit of grace?
30 We are al aware who it was that said: Vengeance is mine; I wil pay them back. And again: The Lordwil vindicate his people.	30 We know the one who said: "Vengeance is mine; I will repay," and again: "The Lord will judge his people."
31 It is a dreadful thing to fal into the hands of the living God.	31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32 Remember the great chal enge of the sufferings that you had to meet after you received the light, inearlier days;	32 Remember the days past when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a great contest of suffering.
33 sometimes by being yourselves publicly exposed to humiliations and violence, and sometimes asassociates of others who were treated in the same way.	33 At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and affliction; at other times you associated yourselves with those so treated.
34 For you not only shared in the sufferings of those who were in prison, but you accepted with joybeing stripped of your belongings, knowing that you owned something that was better and lasting.	34 You even joined in the sufferings of those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, knowing that you had a better and lasting possession.
35 Do not lose your fearlessness now, then, since the reward is so great.	35 Therefore, do not throw away your confidence; it will have great recompense.
36 You wil need perseverance if you are to do God's wil and gain what he has promised.	36 You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised.
37 Only a little while now, a very little while, for come he certainly wil before too long.	37 "For, after just a brief moment, he who is to come shall come; he shall not delay.
38 My upright person will live through faith but if he draws back, my soul wil take no pleasure in him.	38 But my just one shall live by faith, and if he draws back I take no pleasure in him."
39 We are not the sort of people who draw back, and are lost by it; we are the sort who keep faith untilour souls are saved.	39 We are not among those who draw back and perish, but among those who have faith and will possess life.