New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary.
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Now the first agreement had its rules of worship, and a holy order.
2 For a tent was constructed, the first one, in which were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of the Presence; this is called the Holy Place.
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For the first Tent was made ready, having in it the vessels for the lights and the table and the ordering of the bread; and this is named the holy place.
3 Behind the second curtain was a tent called the Holy of Holies.
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And inside the second veil was the place which is named the Holy of holies;
4 In it stood the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which there were a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;
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Having a vessel of gold in it for burning perfumes, and the ark of the agreement, which was covered with gold and which had in it a pot made of gold for the manna, and Aaron's rod which put out buds, and the stones with the writing of the agreement;
5 above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot speak now in detail.
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And over it were the winged ones of glory with their wings covering the mercy-seat; about which it is not possible now to say anything in detail.
6 Such preparations having been made, the priests go continually into the first tent to carry out their ritual duties;
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Now while these things were in existence, the priests went into the first Tent at all times, for prayer and the making of offerings.
7 but only the high priest goes into the second, and he but once a year, and not without taking the blood that he offers for himself and for the sins committed unintentionally by the people.
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But only the high priest went into the second, once a year, not without making an offering of blood for himself and for the errors of the people:
8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary has not yet been disclosed as long as the first tent is still standing.
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The Holy Spirit witnessing by this that the way into the holy place had not at that time been made open, while the first Tent was still in being;
9 This is a symbol of the present time, during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper,
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And this is an image of the present time; when the offerings which are given are not able to make the heart of the worshipper completely clean,
10 but deal only with food and drink and various baptisms, regulations for the body imposed until the time comes to set things right.
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Because they are only rules of the flesh, of meats and drinks and washings, which have their place till the time comes when things will be put right.
11 But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation),
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But now Christ has come as the high priest of the good things of the future, through this greater and better Tent, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this world,
12 he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.
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And has gone once and for ever into the holy place, having got eternal salvation, not through the blood of goats and young oxen, but through his blood.
13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified,
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For if the blood of goats and oxen, and the dust from the burning of a young cow, being put on the unclean, make the flesh clean:
14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!
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How much more will the blood of Christ, who, being without sin, made an offering of himself to God through the Holy Spirit, make your hearts clean from dead works to be servants of the living God?
15 For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant.
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And for this cause it is through him that a new agreement has come into being, so that after the errors under the first agreement had been taken away by his death, the word of God might have effect for those who were marked out for an eternal heritage.
16 Where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.
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Because where there is a testament, there has to be the death of the man who made it.
17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.
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For a testament has effect after death; for what power has it while the man who made it is living?
18 Hence not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.
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So that even the first agreement was not made without blood.
19 For when every commandment had been told to all the people by Moses in accordance with the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the scroll itself and all the people,
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For when Moses had given all the rules of the law to the people, he took the blood of goats and young oxen, with water and red wool and hyssop, and put it on the book itself and on all the people,
20 saying, "This is the blood of the covenant that God has ordained for you."
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Saying, This blood is the sign of the agreement which God has made with you.
21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship.
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And the blood was put on the Tent and all the holy vessels in the same way.
22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
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And by the law almost all things are made clean with blood, and without blood there is no forgiveness.
23 Thus it was necessary for the sketches of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves need better sacrifices than these.
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For this cause it was necessary to make the copies of the things in heaven clean with these offerings; but the things themselves are made clean with better offerings than these.
24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
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For Christ did not go into a holy place which had been made by men's hands as the copy of the true one; but he went into heaven itself, and now takes his place before the face of God for us.
25 Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own;
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And he did not have to make an offering of himself again and again, as the high priest goes into the holy place every year with blood which is not his;
26 for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself.
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For then he would have undergone a number of deaths from the time of the making of the world: but now he has come to us at the end of the old order, to put away sin by the offering of himself.
27 And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment,
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And because by God's law death comes to men once, and after that they are judged;
28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
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So Christ, having at his first coming taken on himself the sins of men, will be seen a second time, without sin, by those who are waiting for him, for their salvation.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.