1 The Jewish Law is not a full and faithful model of the real things; it is only a faint outline of the good things to come. The same sacrifices are offered forever, year after year. How can the Law, then, by means of these sacrifices make perfect the people who come to God? 2 If the people worshiping God had really been purified from their sins, they would not feel guilty of sin any more, and all sacrifices would stop. 3 As it is, however, the sacrifices serve year after year to remind people of their sins. 4 For the blood of bulls and goats can never take away sins.
5 For this reason, when Christ was about to come into the world, he said to God:
“You do not want sacrifices and offerings,
but you have prepared a body for me.
6 You are not pleased with animals burned whole on the altar
or with sacrifices to take away sins.
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am,
to do your will, O God,
just as it is written of me in the book of the Law.’”
8 First he said, “You neither want nor are you pleased with sacrifices and offerings or with animals burned on the altar and the sacrifices to take away sins.” He said this even though all these sacrifices are offered according to the Law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, O God, to do your will.” So God does away with all the old sacrifices and puts the sacrifice of Christ in their place. 10 Because Jesus Christ did what God wanted him to do, we are all purified from sin by the offering that he made of his own body once and for all.
11 Every Jewish priest performs his services every day and offers the same sacrifices many times; but these sacrifices can never take away sins. 12 Christ, however, offered one sacrifice for sins, an offering that is effective forever, and then he sat down at the right side of God. 13 There he now waits until God puts his enemies as a footstool under his feet. 14 With one sacrifice, then, he has made perfect forever those who are purified from sin.
15 And the Holy Spirit also gives us his witness. First he says,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them
in the days to come, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts
and write them on their minds.”
17 And then he says, “I will not remember their sins and evil deeds any longer.” 18 So when these have been forgiven, an offering to take away sins is no longer needed.
Let Us Come Near to God
19 We have, then, my friends, complete freedom to go into the Most Holy Place by means of the death of Jesus. 20 He opened for us a new way, a living way, through the curtain—that is, through his own body. 21 We have a great priest in charge of the house of God. 22 So let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed with clean water. 23 Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise. 24 Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good. 25 Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.
26 For there is no longer any sacrifice that will take away sins if we purposely go on sinning after the truth has been made known to us. 27 Instead, all that is left is to wait in fear for the coming Judgment and the fierce fire which will destroy those who oppose God! 28 Anyone who disobeys the Law of Moses is put to death without any mercy when judged guilty from the evidence of two or more witnesses. 29 What, then, of those who despise the Son of God? who treat as a cheap thing the blood of God's covenant which purified them from sin? who insult the Spirit of grace? Just think how much worse is the punishment they will deserve! 30 For we know who said, “I will take revenge, I will repay”; and who also said, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!
32 Remember how it was with you in the past. In those days, after God's light had shone on you, you suffered many things, yet were not defeated by the struggle. 33 You were at times publicly insulted and mistreated, and at other times you were ready to join those who were being treated in this way. 34 You shared the sufferings of prisoners, and when all your belongings were seized, you endured your loss gladly, because you knew that you still possessed something much better, which would last forever. 35 Do not lose your courage, then, because it brings with it a great reward. 36 You need to be patient, in order to do the will of God and receive what he promises. 37 For, as the scripture says,
“Just a little while longer,
and he who is coming will come;
he will not delay.
38 My righteous people, however, will believe and live;
but if any of them turns back,
I will not be pleased with them.”
39 We are not people who turn back and are lost. Instead, we have faith and are saved.
1 ولأنّ الشّريعَةَ ظِلّ الخَيراتِ الآتِـيَةِ، لا جَوهَرُ الحَقائِقِ ذاتِها، فَهِـيَ لا تَقدِرُ بِتِلكَ الذّبائِـحِ نَفسِها التي يَستَمِرّ تَقديمُها سنَةً بَعدَ سنَةٍ أنْ تَجعَلَ الذينَ يَتقَرّبونَ بِها إلى اللهِ كامِلينَ، 2 وإلاّ لتَوَقّفوا عَنْ تَقريبِها. فالعابِدونَ، إذا تَمّتْ لهُمُ الطّهارَةُ مرّةً واحدَةً، زالَ مِنْ ضَميرِهِمِ الشّعورُ بِالخَطيئَةِ، 3 في حين أنّ تِلكَ الذّبائِـحَ ذِكرى لِلخطايا سنَةً بَعدَ سنَةٍ، 4 لأنّ دمَ الثّيرانِ والتّيوسِ لا يَقدِرُ أنْ يُزيلَ الخَطايا.
5 لِذلِكَ قالَ المَسيحُ للهِ عِندَ دُخولِهِ العالَمَ:
ما أرَدتَ ذَبـيحَةً ولا قُربانًا،
لكنّكَ هيّأْتَ لي جَسَدًا،
6 لا بِالمُحرَقاتِ سُرِرتَ
ولا بِالذّبائِـحِ كَفّارَةً لِلخَطايا.
7 فقُلتُ: ها أنا أجيءُ يا اللهُ
لأعمَلَ بِمَشيئَتِكَ،
كما هوَ مكتوبٌ عَنّي
في طَيّ الكِتابِ».
8 فهوَ قالَ أوّلاً: «ما أرَدتَ ذَبائِـحَ وقَرابـينَ ومُحرَقاتٍ وذَبائِـحَ كَفّارَةً لِلخَطايا ولا سُرِرتَ بِها»، معَ أنّ تَقديمَها يَتِمّ حسَبَ الشّريعَةِ. 9 ثُمّ قالَ: «ها أنا أجيءُ لأعمَلَ بِمَشيئَتِكَ»، فأبطَلَ التّرتيبَ الأوّلَ لِـيُقيمَ الثّاني. 10 ونَحنُ بِفَضلِ تِلكَ الإِرادةِ تَقَدّسْنا بِجَسَدِ يَسوعَ المَسيحِ الذي قَدّمَهُ قُربانًا مرّةً واحدَةً.
11 ويَقِفُ الكاهِنُ اليَهودِيّ كُلّ يومٍ فيَقومُ بِالخدمَةِ ويُقدّمُ الذّبائِـحَ نَفسَها مرّاتٍ كَثيرَةً، وهِـيَ لا تَقدِرُ أنْ تَمحُوَ الخَطايا. 12 وأمّا المَسيحُ، فقَدّمَ إلى الأبَدِ ذَبـيحَةً واحدَةً كَفّارَةً لِلخطايا، ثُمّ جلَسَ عنْ يَمينِ اللهِ، 13 وهوَ الآنَ يَنتَظِرُ أنْ يَجعَلَ اللهُ أعداءَهُ موطِئًا لِقَدَمَيهِ، 14 لأنّهُ بِقُربانٍ واحدٍ جَعَلَ الذينَ قَدّسَهُم كامِلينَ إلى الأبَدِ. 15 وهذا ما يَشهَدُ لنا بِه الرّوحُ القُدُسُ أيضًا. فبَعدَ أنْ قالَ:
16 «هذا هوَ العَهدُ الذي أُعاهِدُهُم إيّاهُ
في الأيّامِ الآتِـيَةِ، يَقولُ الرّبّ:
سأجعَلُ شَرائِعي في قُلوبِهِم
وأكتُبُها في عُقولِهِم
17 ولَنْ أذكُرَ خَطاياهُم وآثامَهُم مِنْ بَعدُ».
18 فحَيثُ يكونُ الصّفحُ عَنْ هذا كُلّهِ، لا تَبقى حاجَةٌ إلى قُربانٍ مِنْ أجلِ الخَطيئَةِ.
دعوة إلى الثقة
19 ونَحنُ واثِقونَ، أيّها الإخوَةُ، بأنّ لنا طريقًا إلى قُدْسِ الأقداسِ بِدَمِ يَسوعَ، 20 طريقًا جديدًا حيّا فتَحَهُ لنا في الحِجابِ، أي في جَسَدِهِ، 21 وأنّ لنا كاهِنًا عَظيمًا على بَيتِ اللهِ، 22 فلْنَقتَرِبْ بِقَلبٍ صادِقٍ وإيمانٍ كامِلٍ، وقُلوبُنا مُطَهّرَةٌ مِنْ سُوءِ النّــيّةِ وأجسادُنا مَغسولَةٌ بِماءٍ طاهِرٍ، 23 ولنَتَمَسّكْ مِنْ دونِ اَنحرافٍ بِالرّجاءِ الذي نَشهَدُ لَه، لأنّ اللهَ الذي وعَدَ أمينٌ، 24 وليَهتَمّ بَعضُنا بِبَعضٍ، مُتَعاوِنينَ في المَحبّةِ والعَمَلِ الصّالِـحِ. 25 ولا تَنقَطِعوا عَنِ الاجتِماعِ كما اَعتادَ بَعضُكُم أنْ يَفعَلَ، بَلْ شَجّعوا بَعضُكم بَعضًا، على قَدْرِ ما تَروْنَ أنّ يومَ الرّبّ يَقتَرِبُ.
26 فإذا خَطِئنا عَمْدًا، بَعدَما حَصَلْنا على مَعرِفَةِ الحَقّ، فلا تَبقى هُناكَ ذَبـيحةٌ كَفّارةٌ لِلخطايا، 27 بَلِ اَنتِظارٌ مُخيفٌ لِـيَومِ الحِسابِ ولَهيبُ نارٍ يَلتَهِمُ العُصاةَ. 28 مَنْ خالَفَ شَريعَةَ موسى يَموتُ مِنْ دونِ رَحمَةٍ بِشَهادَةِ شاهِدَينِ أو ثَلاثَةٍ، 29 فكَمْ تَظُنّونَ يَستَحِقّ العِقابَ مَنْ داسَ اَبنَ اللهِ ودَنّسَ العَهدَ الذي تَقَدّسَ بِه واَستَهانَ بِرُوحِ النّعمَةِ؟ 30 فنَحنُ نَعرِفُ الذي قالَ: «ليَ الانتِقامُ وأنا الذي يُجازي». وقالَ: أيضًا: «الرّبّ سيَدينُ شَعبَهُ». 31 فالوَيلُ لِمَنْ يقَعُ في يَدِ اللهِ الحَيّ.
32 تَذَكّروا الأيّامَ الماضِيَةَ وكم جاهَدتُم وتَحمّلْتُم مِنَ الآلامِ بَعدَما اَستَنَرتُم، 33 فتَعَرّضتُم مِنْ جِهَةٍ لِلتّعيـيرِ والشّدائدِ، ومِنْ جِهَةٍ أُخرى صِرتُم شُرَكاءَ الذينَ عُومِلوا بِمِثلِ هذا العَمَلِ. 34 فشارَكتُمُ السّجَناءَ في آلامِهِم وصَبِرتُم فرِحينَ على نَهبِ أموالِكُم، عارِفينَ أنّ لكم مالاً أفضَلَ لا يَزولُ. 35 لا تَفقدوا إذًا ثِقَتَكُم، فلَها جَزاءٌ عَظيمٌ. 36 وأنتُم بِحاجَةٍ إلى الصّبرِ حتى تَعمَلوا بِمَشيئَةِ اللهِ وتَحصلوا على وَعدِهِ.
37 «قليلاً قليلاً مِنَ الوَقتِ
فيَأتي الآتي ولا يُبطئُ.
38 البارّ عِندي بالإيمانِ يَحيا
وإنِ اَرتَدّ، لا أرضى بهِ».
39 فما نَحنُ مِنْ أهلِ الارتِدادِ لِنَهلِكَ، بَلْ مِنْ أهلِ الإيمانِ لِنَخلُصَ.