The Day of Atonement^(A)

²⁶ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁷ “The tenth day of this seventh month^(B) is the Day of Atonement.^(C) Hold a sacred assembly^(D) and deny yourselves,^[a] and present a food offering to the Lord. ²⁸ Do not do any work^(E) on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord your God. ²⁹ Those who do not deny themselves on that day must be cut off from their people.^{(F) 30} I will destroy from among their people^(G) anyone who does any work on that day. ³¹ You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance^(H) for the generations to come, wherever you live. ³² It is a day of sabbath rest^(I) for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.”^(J)

The Day of Atonement^(A)

⁷ “‘On the tenth day of this seventh month hold a sacred assembly. You must deny yourselves^[a](B) and do no work.^{(C) 8} Present as an aroma pleasing to the Lord a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect.^{(D) 9} With the bull offer a grain offering^(E) of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths;^{(F) 10} and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth.^{(G) 11} Include one male goat^(H) as a sin offering, in addition to the sin offering for atonement and the regular burnt offering^(I) with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.^(J)

⁶ When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly^(A) into the outer room to carry on their ministry. ⁷ But only the high priest entered^(B) the inner room,^(C) and that only once a year,^(D) and never without blood,^(E) which he offered for himself^(F) and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.^{(G) 8} The Holy Spirit was showing^(H) by this that the way^(I) into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. ⁹ This is an illustration^(J) for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered^(K) were not able to clear the conscience^(L) of the worshiper. ¹⁰ They are only a matter of food^(M) and drink^(N) and various ceremonial washings^(O)—external regulations^(P) applying until the time of the new order.

The Blood of Christ

¹¹ But when Christ came as high priest^(Q) of the good things that are now already here,^[a](R) he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle^(S) that is not made with human hands,^(T) that is to say, is not a part of this creation. ¹² He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves;^(U) but he entered the Most Holy Place^(V) once for all^(W) by his own blood,^(X) thus obtaining^[b] eternal redemption. ¹³ The blood of goats and bulls^(Y) and the ashes of a heifer^(Z) sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. ¹⁴ How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit^(AA) offered himself^(AB) unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences^(AC) from acts that lead to death,^[c](AD) so that we may serve the living God!^(AE)

¹⁵ For this reason Christ is the mediator^(AF) of a new covenant,^(AG) that those who are called^(AH) may receive the promised^(AI) eternal inheritance^(AJ)—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.^(AK)

¹⁶ In the case of a will,^[d] it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, ¹⁷ because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. ¹⁸ This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.^{(AL) 19} When Moses had proclaimed^(AM) every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves,^(AN) together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people.^{(AO) 20} He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”^{[e](AP) 21} In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. ²² In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood,^(AQ) and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.^(AR)

²³ It was necessary, then, for the copies^(AS) of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴ For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one;^(AT) he entered heaven itself,^(AU) now to appear for us in God’s presence.^{(AV) 25} Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place^(AW) every year with blood that is not his own.^{(AX) 26} Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world.^(AY) But he has appeared^(AZ) once for all^(BA) at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.^{(BB) 27} Just as people are destined to die once,^(BC) and after that to face judgment,^{(BD) 28} so Christ was sacrificed once^(BE) to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time,^(BF) not to bear sin,^(BG) but to bring salvation^(BH) to those who are waiting for him.^(BI)