20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:

21 (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)

22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

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;

A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.

For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:

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.

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.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

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:

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.

20 And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:

“The Lord has sworn
    and will not change his mind:(A)
    ‘You are a priest forever.’”[a](B)

22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.(C)

23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.(D) 25 Therefore he is able to save(E) completely[b] those who come to God(F) through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.(G)

26 Such a high priest(H) truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners,(I) exalted above the heavens.(J) 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices(K) day after day, first for his own sins,(L) and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all(M) when he offered himself.(N) 28 For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness;(O) but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son,(P) who has been made perfect(Q) forever.

The High Priest of a New Covenant

Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest,(R) who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,(S) and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle(T) set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.

Every high priest(U) is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices,(V) and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer.(W) If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law.(X) They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy(Y) and shadow(Z) of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned(AA) when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”[c](AB) But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant(AC) of which he is mediator(AD) is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.(AE) But God found fault with the people and said[d]:

“The days are coming, declares the Lord,
    when I will make a new covenant(AF)
with the people of Israel
    and with the people of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant
    I made with their ancestors(AG)
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(AH) 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.(AI)
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.(AJ)
11 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
    or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,(AK)
    from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will forgive their wickedness
    and will remember their sins no more.(AL)[e](AM)

13 By calling this covenant “new,”(AN) he has made the first one obsolete;(AO) and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 7:21 Psalm 110:4
  2. Hebrews 7:25 Or forever
  3. Hebrews 8:5 Exodus 25:40
  4. Hebrews 8:8 Some manuscripts may be translated fault and said to the people.
  5. Hebrews 8:12 Jer. 31:31-34