1 The Law of Moses is like a shadow of the good things to come. This shadow isn't the good things themselves, because it cannot free people from sin by the sacrifices offered year after year. 2 If there were worshipers who already have their sins washed away and their consciences made clear, there would not be any need to go on offering sacrifices. 3-4 But the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins. It only reminds people of their sins from one year to the next.
5 When Christ came into the world, he said to God,
“Sacrifices and offerings
are not what you want,
but you have given me
my body.
6 No, you are not pleased
with animal sacrifices
and offerings for sin.”
7 Then Christ said,
“And so, my God,
I have come to do
what you want,
as the Scriptures say.”
8 The Law teaches that offerings and sacrifices must be made because of sin. But why did Christ mention these things and say that God did not want them? 9 Well, it was to do away with offerings and sacrifices and to replace them. This is what he meant by saying to God, “I have come to do what you want.” 10 So we are made holy because Christ obeyed God and offered himself once for all.
11 The priests do their work each day, and they keep on offering sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12 But Christ offered himself as a sacrifice that is good forever. Now he is sitting at God's right side, 13 and he will stay there until his enemies are put under his power. 14 By his one sacrifice he has forever set free from sin the people he brings to God.
15 The Holy Spirit also speaks of this by telling us that the Lord said,
16 “When the time comes,
I will make an agreement
with them.
I will write my laws
on their minds and hearts.
17 Then I will forget
about their sins
and no longer remember
their evil deeds.”
18 When sins are forgiven, there is no more need to offer sacrifices.
Encouragement and Warning
19 My friends, the blood of Jesus gives us courage to enter the most holy place 20 by a new way that leads to life! And this way takes us through the curtain that is Christ himself.
21 We have a great high priest who is in charge of God's house. 22 So let's come near God with pure hearts and a confidence that comes from having faith. Let's keep our hearts pure, our consciences free from evil, and our bodies washed with clean water. 23 We must hold tightly to the hope we say is ours. After all, we can trust the one who made the agreement with us. 24 We should keep on encouraging each other to be thoughtful and to do helpful things. 25 Some people have given up the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord's coming is getting closer.
26 No sacrifices can be made for people who decide to sin after they find out about the truth. 27 They are God's enemies, and all they can look forward to is a terrible judgment and a furious fire. 28 If two or more witnesses accused someone of breaking the Law of Moses, that person could be put to death. 29 But it is much worse to dishonor God's Son and to disgrace the blood of the promise that made us holy. And it is just as bad to insult the Holy Spirit, who shows us mercy. 30 We know that God has said he will punish and take revenge. We also know that the Scriptures say the Lord will judge his people. 31 It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God!
32 Don't forget all the hard times you went through when you first received the light. 33 Sometimes you were abused and mistreated in public, and at other times you shared in the sufferings of others. 34 You were kind to people in jail. And you gladly let your possessions be taken away, because you knew you had something better, something that would last forever.
35 Keep on being brave! It will bring you great rewards. 36 Learn to be patient, so you will please God and be given what he has promised. 37 As the Scriptures say,
“God is coming soon!
It won't be very long.
38 The people God accepts
will live because
of their faith.
But he isn't pleased
with anyone
who turns back.”
39 We are not like those people who turn back and get destroyed. We will keep on having faith until we 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.
