HEB 9:11-28

Redemption through His Blood

11But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, through the greater and more perfect tent — not made by hands, that is, not of this creation —

12he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

13For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh,

14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

15Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

16For where there is a covenant, the death of the one who made it must be established.

17For a covenant takes effect only at death, since it is not in force while the one who made it is alive.

18Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.

19For when every commandment had been declared by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the scroll itself and all the people,

20saying, "This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded you."

21And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship.

22Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

23Therefore it was necessary for the representations of the things in the heavenly places to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

24For Christ did not enter a holy place made by hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

25Nor did he enter to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood that is not his own,

26for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

27And just as it is appointed for people to die once, and after that comes judgment,

28so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

In the world it was spoken into

In the first century, the Jewish sacrificial system was central to maintaining ritual purity and atonement, with the high priest entering the Holy of Holies annually on Yom Kippur, offering the blood of goats and bulls. This system was deeply tied to the physical tabernacle and later the Temple, understood as God’s dwelling place. The author contrasts this with Christ’s role as a high priest who enters a 'greater and more perfect tabernacle,' not made by human hands, signifying a transcendent, eternal reality. The mention of Christ’s blood evokes the concept of (redemption), which in Greco-Roman and Jewish contexts often referred to the ransom of captives or the release from debt. The author argues that Christ’s sacrifice, unlike animal sacrifices, purifies not just the flesh but the (conscience), addressing the internal moral condition. The (covenant) language also resonates with legal and testamentary practices, emphasizing the permanence and efficacy of Christ’s act. This framing would challenge Jewish listeners to see Christ’s sacrifice as the fulfillment and surpassing of the Temple system, while Gentile listeners would understand it as a definitive act of divine redemption.

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How other translations render this

HEB 9:11

KJV: But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
BSB: But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made by hands and is not a part of this creation.
Koinōnos: But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, through the greater and more perfect tent — not made by hands, that is, not of this creation —

HEB 9:12

KJV: Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
BSB: He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.
Koinōnos: he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

HEB 9:13

KJV: For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
BSB: For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean,
Koinōnos: For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh,

HEB 9:14

KJV: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
BSB: how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!
Koinōnos: how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

HEB 9:15

KJV: And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
BSB: Therefore Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that He has died to redeem them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.
Koinōnos: Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

HEB 9:16

KJV: For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
BSB: In the case of a will, it is necessary to establish the death of the one who made it,
Koinōnos: For where there is a covenant, the death of the one who made it must be established.

HEB 9:17

KJV: For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
BSB: because a will does not take effect until the one who made it has died; it cannot be executed while he is still alive.
Koinōnos: For a covenant takes effect only at death, since it is not in force while the one who made it is alive.

HEB 9:18

KJV: Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.
BSB: That is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.
Koinōnos: Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.

HEB 9:19

KJV: For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,
BSB: For when Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people,
Koinōnos: For when every commandment had been declared by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the scroll itself and all the people,

HEB 9:20

KJV: Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
BSB: saying, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”
Koinōnos: saying, "This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded you.

HEB 9:21

KJV: Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
BSB: In the same way, he sprinkled with blood the tabernacle and all the vessels used in worship.
Koinōnos: And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship.

HEB 9:22

KJV: And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
BSB: According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Koinōnos: Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

HEB 9:23

KJV: It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
BSB: So it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Koinōnos: Therefore it was necessary for the representations of the things in the heavenly places to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

HEB 9:24

KJV: For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
BSB: For Christ did not enter a man-made copy of the true sanctuary, but He entered heaven itself, now to appear on our behalf in the presence of God.
Koinōnos: For Christ did not enter a holy place made by hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

HEB 9:25

KJV: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
BSB: Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.
Koinōnos: Nor did he enter to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood that is not his own,

HEB 9:26

KJV: For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
BSB: Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Koinōnos: for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

HEB 9:27

KJV: And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
BSB: Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment,
Koinōnos: And just as it is appointed for people to die once, and after that comes judgment,

HEB 9:28

KJV: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
BSB: so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.
Koinōnos: so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

HEB 9:12

redemption:The word translated 'redemption' refers to a release secured by paying a ransom. It implies a price was paid to free someone or something from bondage or obligation.

HEB 9:14

conscience:The term used here for 'conscience' originally referred to a shared knowledge or an inner awareness, often implying a moral sense of right and wrong.

HEB 9:15

of a covenant:The word translated 'covenant' often referred to a legal disposition of property, like a will or testament, which became effective upon the death of the one making it.

HEB 9:23

representations:The word translated 'representations' carries the sense of a pattern or an example that serves as a model for something else, often implying an inferior copy of a superior original.