Bilingual reading

For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near.

Or else wouldn’t they have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins?

But in those sacrifices there is a yearly reminder of sins.

For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.

Therefore when he comes into the world, he says, “You didn’t desire sacrifice and offering, but you prepared a body for me.

You had no pleasure in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin.

Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of me) to do your will, O God.’”

Previously saying, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you didn’t desire, neither had pleasure in them” (those which are offered according to the law),

then he has said, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He takes away the first, that he may establish the second,

by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Every priest indeed stands day by day serving and offering often the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins,

but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God,

from that time waiting until his enemies are made the footstool of his feet.

For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,

“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,” says the Lord, “I will put my laws on their heart, I will also write them on their mind;” then he says,

“I will remember their sins and their iniquities no more.”

Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus,

by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh,

and having a great priest over God’s house,

let’s draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and having our body washed with pure water,

let’s hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering; for he who promised is faithful.

Let’s consider how to provoke one another to love and good works,

not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins,

but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries.

A man who disregards Moses’ law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses.

How much worse punishment do you think he will be judged worthy of who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

For we know him who said, “Vengeance belongs to me. I will repay,” says the Lord. Again, “The Lord will judge his people.”

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

But remember the former days, in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings:

partly, being exposed to both reproaches and oppressions, and partly, becoming partakers with those who were treated so.

For you both had compassion on me in my chains and joyfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an enduring one in the heavens.

Therefore don’t throw away your boldness, which has a great reward.

For you need endurance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

“In a very little while, he who comes will come and will not wait.

But the righteous one will live by faith. If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the saving of the soul.

ولَمَّا كانَتِ الشَّريعَةُ تَشتَمِلُ على ظِلِّ الخَيراتِ المُستَقبَلَة، لا عَلى تَجسيدِ الحَقائِق نَفسِه، فهي عاجِزَةٌ أَبَدَ الدُّهور، بِتِلْكَ الذَّبائِحِ الَّتي تُقَرَّبُ كُلَّ سَنَةٍ على مَرِّ الدُّهور، أَن تَجعَلَ الَّذينَ يَتَقَرَّبونَ بِها كامِلين

ولَولا ذٰلِك لَكُفَّ عن تَقْريبِها، لِأَنَّ الَّذينَ يَقومونَ بِشَعائِرِ العِبادة، إِذا تَمَّت لَهُمُ الطَّهارَةُ مَرَّةً واحِدَة، لم يَبْقَ في ضَميرِهِم شَيءٌ مِنَ الخَطيئَة

في حينِ أَنَّ تِلْكَ الذَّبائِحَ ذِكْرى لِلخَطايا كُلَّ سَنَة

لِأَنَّ دَمَ الثِّيرانِ والتُّيوسِ لا يُمكِنُه أَن يُزيلَ الخَطايا

لِذٰلِكَ قالَ المسيحُ عِندَ دُخولِه العالَم: «لم تَشَأْ ذَبيحَةً ولا قُرْبانًا ولٰكِنَّكَ أَعدَدتَ لي جَسَدًا

لم تَرتَضِ المُحرَقاتِ ولا الذَّبائِحَ عن الخَطايا

فقُلتُ حينَئِذٍ (وقَد كانَ الكَلامُ عَلَيَّ في طَيِّ الكِتاب): هاءَنَذا آتٍ، أَللَّهُمَّ لِأَعمَلَ بِمَشيئَتِكَ»

فقَد قالَ أَوَّلًا: «ذَبائِحُ وقَرابينُ ومُحرَقاتٌ وذَبائِحُ كَفَّارَةٌ لِلخَطايا لم تَشَأْها ولَم تَرتَضِها» (معَ أَنَّها تُقَرَّبُ كَما تَقْضي الشَّريعَة)

ثُمَّ قال: «هاءَنَذا آتٍ لِأَعمَلَ بِمَشيئَتِكَ». فقَد أَبطَلَ العِبادةَ الأُولى لِيُقيمَ العِبادةَ الأُخْرى

وبتِلكَ المَشيئَة، صِرْنا مُقَدَّسينَ بِالقُرْبانِ الَّذي قُرِّبَ فيه جَسَدُ يَسوعَ المَسيحِ مَرَّةً واحِدَة

وإِنَّ كُلَّ كاهِنٍ يَقِفُ كُلَّ يَومٍ فيَقومُ بِشَعائِرِ العِبادَة ويُقَرِّبُ الذَّبائِحَ نَفْسَها مِرارًا كَثيرة، ولا يُمكِنُها أَبدًا أَن تَمحُوَ الخَطايا

أَمَّا هو فقَد قَرَّبَ ذَبيحَةً واحِدَةً كَفَّارَةً لِلخَطايا، ثُمَّ جَلَسَ عن يَمينِ اللهِ لِلأَبَد

مُنتَظِرًا بَعدَ ذٰلِك «أَن يَجعَلَ أَعداءَه مَوطِئًا لِقَدَمَيه»

لِأَنَّه بِقُرْبانٍ واحِدٍ جَعَلَ المُقَدَّسينَ كامِلينَ أَبَدَ الدُّهور

وذٰلِكَ ما يَشهَدُ بِه لَنا الرُّوحُ القُدُسُ أَيضًا. فبَعدَ أَن قال

«هُوَذا العَهْدُ الَّذي أُعاهِدُهم إِيَّاه بَعدَ تِلْكَ الأَيَّام، يقولُ الرَّبّ: أَجعَلُ شَريعَتي في قُلوبِهِم وأَكتُبُها في ضَمائِرِهِم

ولَن أَذكُرَ خَطاياهم وآثامَهم»

فحَيثُ يَكونُ غُفْرانُ الخَطايا والآثام، لا يَبْقى مِن قُرْبانٍ مِن أَجْلِ الخَطيئَة

ولَمَّا كُنَّا واثِقينَ، أَيُّها الإِخوَة، بِأَنَّ لَنا سَبيلًا إِلى القُدْس بِدَمِ يسوع

سَبيلًا جَديدةً حَيَّةً فَتَحَها لَنا مِن خِلالِ الحِجاب، أَي جَسَدِه

وأَنَّ لَنا كاهِنًا عَظيمًا على بَيتِ الله

فلْنَدْنُ بِقَلْبٍ صادِقٍ وبِتَمامِ الإِيمان، وقُلوبُنا مُطَهَّرَةٌ مِن أَدْناسِ الضَّميرِ وأَجْسادُنا مَغْسولَةٌ بِماءٍ طاهِر

ولْنَتَمَسَّكْ بما نَشهَدُ لَه مِنَ الرَّجاءِ ولا نَحِدْ عَنه، لِأَنَّ الَّذي وَعَدَ أَمين

ولْيَنتَبِهْ بَعضُنا إِلى بَعضٍ لِلحَثِّ على المَحبَّةِ والأَعمالِ الصَّالِحة

ولا تَنقَطِعوا عنِ ٱجتِماعاتِنا كَما ٱعْتادَ بَعضُكم أَن يَفعَل، بل حُثُّوا بَعضُكم بَعضًا وزِيدوا مِن ذٰلِك على قَدْرِ ما تَرَونَ أَنَّ اليَومَ يَقتَرِب

فإِنَّه إِذا خَطِئْنا عَمْدًا، بَعدَما حَصَلْنا على مَعرِفَةِ الحَقّ، فلا تَبْقى هُناكَ ذَبيحَةٌ كَفَّارَةٌ لِلخَطايا

بلِ ٱنتِظارٌ رَهيبٌ لِلدَّينونةِ ونارٌ مُستَعِرَةٌ تَلتَهِمُ العُصاة

مَن خالَفَ شَريعَةَ موسى قُتِلَ مِن غَيرِ رَحمَةٍ «بِناءً على قَولِ شاهِدَينِ أَو ثَلاثة»

فأَيَّ عِقابٍ أَشَدَّ مِن ذٰلك العِقابِ يَستَحِقُّ، كما تَرَون، مَن داسَ ٱبنَ الله وعَدَّ دَمَ العَهْدِ الَّذي قُدِّسَ بِه نَجِسًا وٱستَهانَ بِرُوحِ النِّعمَة؟

فنَحنُ نَعرِفُ ذاكَ الَّذي قال: «لِيَ الِٱنتِقامُ وأَنا الَّذي يُجازي». وقالَ أَيضًا: «إِنَّ الرَّبَّ سيَدينُ شَعْبَه»

ما أَرهَبَ الوُقوعَ في يَدِ اللهِ الحَيّ!

ولٰكِنِ ٱذكُروا أَيَّامَ الماضي، الَّتي فيها تَلقَّيتُمُ النُّور فجاهَدتُم جِهادًا كَثيرًا مُتَحَمِّلينَ الآلام

فصِرتُم تارَةً عُرضَةً لِلتَّعْيِيرِ والشَّدائِد، وتارةً شُرَكاءَ الَّذينَ عومِلوا بِمِثْلِ ذٰلِك

فقَد شارَكْتُمُ السُّجَناءَ في آلامِهِم وتَقبَّلْتُم فَرِحينَ أَن تُنهَبَ أَموالُكُم، عالِمينَ أَنَّ لَكم ثَروَةً أَفْضَلَ لا تَزول

لا تُضيعوا إِذًا ثِقَتَكم فلَها جَزاءٌ عَظيم

وإِنَّ بِكُم حاجَةً إِلى الصَّبْرِ لِتَعمَلوا بِمَشيئَةِ الله فتَحصُلوا على المَوعِد

«قَليلًا قَليلًا مِنَ الوَقْت فيَأتي الآتي ولا يُبطِئ

إِنَّ البارَّ لَدَيَّ بِالإِيمانِ يَحْيا وإِنِ ٱرتَدَّ، لَم تَرْضَ عَنه نَفْسي»

فلَسْنا أَبناءَ الِٱرتِدادِ لِنَهلِك، بل أَبناءُ الإِيمان، لِخَلاصِ النَّفْس