Heb 4, Heb 9 | ESV | STEP | Therefore , while the promise of entering his rest still stands , let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.

1 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem ^ato have failed to reach it. 2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because ^bthey were not united by faith with those who listened. ^{▼▼Some manuscripts it did not meet with faith in the hearers} 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,

^d“As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest,’”
although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: ^e“And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” 5 And again in this passage he said,

^f“They shall not enter my rest.”
6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news ^gfailed to enter because of disobedience, 7 again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,

^h“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God ^{▼▼Greek he} would not have spoken of another day later on. 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God’s rest has also ^jrested from his works as God did from his.

11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so ^kthat no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For ^lthe word of God is living and ^mactive, ⁿsharper than any ^otwo-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and ^pdiscerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And ^qno creature is hidden from his sight, but all are ^rnaked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Jesus the Great High Priest

14 Since then we have ^sa great high priest ^twho has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, ^ulet us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest ^vwho is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been ^wtempted as we are, ^xyet without sin. 16 ^yLet us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 9

The Earthly Holy Place

1 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and ^zan earthly place of holiness. 2 For ^aaa tent ^{▼▼Or tabernacle; also verses 11, 21} was prepared, the first section, in which were ^acthe lampstand and ^adthe table and ^aethe bread of the Presence. ^{▼▼Greek the presentation of the loaves} It is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind ^agthe second curtain was a second section ^{▼▼Greek tent; also verses 6, 8} called the Most Holy Place, 4 having the golden ^aialtar of incense and ^ajthe ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was ^aka golden urn holding the manna, and ^alAaron’s staff that budded, and ^amthe tablets of the covenant. 5 Above it were ^anthe cherubim of glory overshadowing ^aothe mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

6 These preparations having thus been made, ^apthe priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but into the second only ^aqthe high priest goes, and he but ^aronce a year, and not without taking blood, ^aswhich he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that ^atthe way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age). ^{▼▼Or which is symbolic for the age then present} According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered ^avthat cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with ^awfood and drink and ^axvarious washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.

Redemption Through the Blood of Christ

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest ^ayof the good things that have come, ^{▼▼Some manuscripts good things to come} then through ^bathe greater and more perfect tent ( ^bbnot made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he ^bcentered ^bdonce for all into the holy places, not by means of ^bethe blood of goats and calves but ^bfby means of his own blood, ^bgthus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if ^bhthe blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with ^bithe ashes of a heifer, sanctify ^{▼▼Or For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies} for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will ^bkthe blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit ^bloffered himself without blemish to God, ^bmpurify our ^{▼▼Some manuscripts your} conscience ^bofrom dead works ^bpto serve the living God.

15 Therefore he is ^bqthe mediator of a new covenant, so that ^brthose who are called may ^bsreceive the promised eternal inheritance, ^btsince a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. ^{▼▼The Greek word means both covenant and will; also verses 16, 17} 16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17 For ^bva will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated ^bwwithout blood. 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took ^bxthe blood of calves and goats, ^bywith water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, ^bz“This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both ^cathe tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and ^cbwithout the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

23 Thus it was necessary for ^ccthe copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places ^cdmade with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God ^ceon our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as ^cfthe high priest enters ^cgthe holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, ^chhe has appeared ^cionce for all ^cjat the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as ^ckit is appointed for man to die once, and ^clafter that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once ^cmto bear the sins of ^cnmany, will appear ^coa second time, ^cpnot to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly ^cqwaiting for him.