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Hebrews 8
New Testament for Everyone
Hebrews 8
New Testament for Everyone
Better ministry, better covenant
8 The point of all this now appears. We have just such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the heavenly Majesty, 2 as a minister of the holy things and of the true Tabernacle, the one set up by God rather than by humans.
3 Every high priest, you see, is appointed in order to offer gifts and sacrifices, which is why this one, too, must have something to offer. 4 If he were on earth, he wouldn’t even be a priest, since there already are priests who make offerings in accordance with the law. 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly realities, in line with what Moses was told, when he was getting ready to construct the Tabernacle: “take care that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 6 Now, you see, Jesus has obtained a vastly superior ministry. In the same way, he is the mediator of a better covenant, which is established on better promises.
The promise of a new covenant
7 If the first covenant had been faultless, you see, there wouldn’t have been any reason to look for a second one. 8 God finds fault with them when he says:
See, says the Lord, the days are coming,
when I will complete, with the house of Israel,
with Judah’s house, also, a covenant that’s new:
9 not like the one which I made with their ancestors
on the day when I reached out and took them by the hand
to lead them away from the land of Egypt.
They didn’t remain, after all, in my covenant,
and (says the Lord) I ceased to care for them.
10 This is the covenant I will establish,
after those days with the house of Israel:
my laws I will place in their minds, says the Lord,
and write on their hearts; thus I shall be God
for all of them; they’ll be my people indeed.
11 No more will they need to teach their own neighbors,
or their brothers and sisters, to know me, the Lord;
for from least unto greatest, each one shall know me,
12 For I shall be merciful to their injustices
and as for their sins, I’ll forget them forever.
13 Thus, when it speaks of a new covenant, it puts the first one out of date. And something that is out of date, and growing old, is about to disappear.
Hebrews 8
New International Version
Hebrews 8
New International Version
The High Priest of a New Covenant
8 Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest,(A) who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,(B) 2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle(C) set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.
3 Every high priest(D) is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices,(E) and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer.(F) 4 If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law.(G) 5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy(H) and shadow(I) of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned(J) when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”[a](K) 6 But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant(L) of which he is mediator(M) is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.
7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.(N) 8 But God found fault with the people and said[b]:
“The days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant(O)
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
9 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors(P)
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,
and I turned away from them,
declares the Lord.
10 This is the covenant(Q) I will establish with the people of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.(R)
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.(S)
11 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,(T)
from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.(U)”[c](V)
13 By calling this covenant “new,”(W) he has made the first one obsolete;(X) and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 8:5 Exodus 25:40
- Hebrews 8:8 Some manuscripts may be translated fault and said to the people.
- Hebrews 8:12 Jer. 31:31-34
Hebrews 8
King James Version
Hebrews 8
King James Version
8 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
4 For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:
5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.
6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
New Testament for Everyone (NTFE) 
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
New International Version (NIV) 
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