6When these things were all in place, the priests regularly entered the first room9:6 Greek first tent. as they performed their religious duties.

7But only the high priest ever entered the Most Holy Place, and only once a year. And he always offered blood for his own sins and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.

8By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle9:8 Or the first room; Greek reads the first tent. and the system it represented were still in use.

9This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them.

10For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established.

13Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity.

14Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds9:14 Greek from dead works. so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.

15That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.

16Now when someone leaves a will,9:16a Or covenant; also in 9:17. it is necessary to prove that the person who made it is dead.9:16b Or Now when someone makes a covenant, it is necessary to ratify it with the death of a sacrifice.

17The will goes into effect only after the person’s death. While the person who made it is still alive, the will cannot be put into effect.

18That is why even the first covenant was put into effect with the blood of an animal.

19For after Moses had read each of God’s commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats,9:19 Some manuscripts do not include and goats. along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God’s law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool.

20Then he said, “This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you.”9:20 Exod 24:8.

21And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship.

22In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.

23That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals.

24For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf.

25And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal.

26If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age9:26 Greek the ages. to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice.

27And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,

28so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.