Zion’s Children to Be Brought Home

² For he says,

Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation!^(A)

⁷ In the days of his flesh, Jesus^[a] offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.^(A)

²⁴ and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.^(A)

⁶ But Jesus^[a] has now obtained a more excellent ministry, and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on the basis of better promises.^(A)

¹² remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.^{(A) 13} But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.^{(B) 14} For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us,^{(C) 15} abolishing the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace,^{(D) 16} and might reconcile both to God in one body^[a] through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it.^{[b](E) 17} So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, ¹⁸ for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father.^{(F) 19} So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God,^(G)