English Standard Version ESV
The Message Bible MSG
1 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.
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The old plan was only a hint of the good things in the new plan. Since that old "law plan" wasn't complete in itself, it couldn't complete those who followed it. No matter how many sacrifices were offered year after year, they never added up to a complete solution.
2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?
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If they had, the worshipers would have gone merrily on their way, no longer dragged down by their sins.
3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.
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But instead of removing awareness of sin, when those animal sacrifices were repeated over and over they actually heightened awareness and guilt.
4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
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The plain fact is that bull and goat blood can't get rid of sin.
5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;
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That is what is meant by this prophecy, put in the mouth of Christ: You don't want sacrifices and offerings year after year; you've prepared a body for me for a sacrifice.
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.
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It's not fragrance and smoke from the altar that whet your appetite.
7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'"
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So I said, "I'm here to do it your way, O God, the way it's described in your Book."
8 When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law),
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When he said, "You don't want sacrifices and offerings," he was referring to practices according to the old plan.
9 then he added, "Behold, I have come to do your will." He does away with the first in order to establish the second.
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When he added, "I'm here to do it your way," he set aside the first in order to enact the new plan -
10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
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God's way - by which we are made fit for God by the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus.
11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
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Every priest goes to work at the altar each day, offers the same old sacrifices year in, year out, and never makes a dent in the sin problem.
12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
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As a priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! Then he sat down right beside God
13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
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and waited for his enemies to cave in.
14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
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It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process.
15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
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The Holy Spirit confirms this:
16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,"
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This new plan I'm making with Israel isn't going to be written on paper, isn't going to be chiseled in stone; This time "I'm writing out the plan in them, carving it on the lining of their hearts."
17 then he adds, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."
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He concludes, I'll forever wipe the slate clean of their sins.
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
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Once sins are taken care of for good, there's no longer any need to offer sacrifices for them.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.