Young's Literal Translation YLT
The Message Bible MSG
1 It had, indeed, then (even the first tabernacle) ordinances of service, also a worldly sanctuary,
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That first plan contained directions for worship, and a specially designed place of worship.
2 for a tabernacle was prepared, the first, in which was both the lamp-stand, and the table, and the bread of the presence -- which is called `Holy;'
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A large outer tent was set up. The lampstand, the table, and "the bread of presence" were placed in it. This was called "the Holy Place."
3 and after the second vail a tabernacle that is called `Holy of holies,'
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Then a curtain was stretched, and behind it a smaller, inside tent set up. This was called "the Holy of Holies."
4 having a golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid all round about with gold, in which [is] the golden pot having the manna, and the rod of Aaron that budded, and the tables of the covenant,
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In it were placed the gold incense altar and the gold-covered ark of the covenant containing the gold urn of manna, Aaron's rod that budded, the covenant tablets,
5 and over it cherubim of the glory, overshadowing the mercy-seat, concerning which we are not now to speak particularly.
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and the angel-wing-shadowed mercy seat. But we don't have time to comment on these now.
6 And these things having been thus prepared, into the first tabernacle, indeed, at all times the priests do go in, performing the services,
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After this was set up, the priests went about their duties in the large tent.
7 and into the second, once in the year, only the chief priest, not apart from blood, which he doth offer for himself and the errors of the people,
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Only the high priest entered the smaller, inside tent, and then only once a year, offering a blood sacrifice for his own sins and the people's accumulated sins.
8 the Holy Spirit this evidencing that not yet hath been manifested the way of the holy [places], the first tabernacle having yet a standing;
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This was the Holy Spirit's way of showing with a visible parable that as long as the large tent stands, people can't just walk in on God.
9 which [is] a simile in regard to the present time, in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which are not able, in regard to conscience, to make perfect him who is serving,
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Under this system, the gifts and sacrifices can't really get to the heart of the matter, can't assuage the conscience of the people,
10 only in victuals, and drinks, and different baptisms, and fleshly ordinances -- till the time of reformation imposed upon [them].
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but are limited to matters of ritual and behavior. It's essentially a temporary arrangement until a complete overhaul could be made.
11 And Christ being come, chief priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands -- that is, not of this creation --
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But when the Messiah arrived, high priest of the superior things of this new covenant, he bypassed the old tent and its trappings in this created world and went straight into heaven's "tent" - the true Holy Place - once and for all.
12 neither through blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, did enter in once into the holy places, age-during redemption having obtained;
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He also bypassed the sacrifices consisting of goat and calf blood, instead using his own blood as the price to set us free once and for all.
13 for if the blood of bulls, and goats, and ashes of an heifer, sprinkling those defiled, doth sanctify to the purifying of the flesh,
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If that animal blood and the other rituals of purification were effective in cleaning up certain matters of our religion and behavior,
14 how much more shall the blood of the Christ (who through the age-during Spirit did offer himself unblemished to God) purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
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think how much more the blood of Christ cleans up our whole lives, inside and out.
15 And because of this, of a new covenant he is mediator, that, death having come, for redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, those called may receive the promise of the age-during inheritance,
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Through the Spirit, Christ offered himself as an unblemished sacrifice, freeing us from all those dead-end efforts to make ourselves respectable, so that we can live all out for God.
16 for where a covenant [is], the death of the covenant-victim to come in is necessary,
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Like a will that takes effect when someone dies, the new covenant was put into action at Jesus' death. His death marked the transition from the old plan to the new one, canceling the old obligations and accompanying sins, and summoning the heirs to receive the eternal inheritance that was promised them. He brought together God and his people in this new way.
17 for a covenant over dead victims [is] stedfast, since it is no force at all when the covenant-victim liveth,
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18 whence not even the first apart from blood hath been initiated,
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Even the first plan required a death to set it in motion.
19 for every command having been spoken, according to law, by Moses, to all the people, having taken the blood of the calves and goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, he both the book itself and all the people did sprinkle,
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After Moses had read out all the terms of the plan of the law - God's "will" - he took the blood of sacrificed animals and, in a solemn ritual, sprinkled the document and the people who were its beneficiaries.
20 saying, `This [is] the blood of the covenant that God enjoined unto you,'
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And then he attested its validity with the words, "This is the blood of the covenant commanded by God."
21 and both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the service with blood in like manner he did sprinkle,
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He did the same thing with the place of worship and its furniture.
22 and with blood almost all things are purified according to the law, and apart from blood-shedding forgiveness doth not come.
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Moses said to the people, "This is the blood of the covenant God has established with you." Practically everything in a will hinges on a death. That's why blood, the evidence of death, is used so much in our tradition, especially regarding forgiveness of sins.
23 [It is] necessary, therefore, the pattern indeed of the things in the heavens to be purified with these, and the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these;
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That accounts for the prominence of blood and death in all these secondary practices that point to the realities of heaven. It also accounts for why, when the real thing takes place, these animal sacrifices aren't needed anymore, having served their purpose.
24 for not into holy places made with hands did the Christ enter -- figures of the true -- but into the heaven itself, now to be manifested in the presence of God for us;
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For Christ didn't enter the earthly version of the Holy Place; he entered the Place Itself, and offered himself to God as the sacrifice for our sins.
25 nor that he may many times offer himself, even as the chief priest doth enter into the holy places every year with blood of others;
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He doesn't do this every year as the high priests did under the old plan with blood that was not their own;
26 since it had behoved him many times to suffer from the foundation of the world, but now once, at the full end of the ages, for putting away of sin through his sacrifice, he hath been manifested;
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if that had been the case, he would have to sacrifice himself repeatedly throughout the course of history. But instead he sacrificed himself once and for all, summing up all the other sacrifices in this sacrifice of himself, the final solution of sin.
27 and as it is laid up to men once to die, and after this -- judgment,
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Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences.
28 so also the Christ, once having been offered to bear the sins of many, a second time, apart from a sin-offering, shall appear, to those waiting for him -- to salvation!
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Christ's death was also a one-time event, but it was a sacrifice that took care of sins forever. And so, when he next appears, the outcome for those eager to greet him is, precisely, salvation.