Tuesday, December 22, 2026

^9:8The Holy Spirit is indicating this, that the way into the Holy Place wasn’t yet revealed while the first tabernacle was still standing. ⁹This is a symbol of the present age, where gifts and sacrifices are offered that are incapable, concerning the conscience, of making the worshiper perfect, ¹⁰being only (with foods and drinks and various washings) fleshly ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation. ¹⁵For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, since a death has occurred for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, that those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. ¹⁶For where a last will and testament is, there must of necessity be the death of him who made it. ¹⁷For a will is in force where there has been death, for it is never in force while he who made it lives. ¹⁸Therefore even the first covenant has not been dedicated without blood. ¹⁹For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, ²⁰saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” ²¹He sprinkled the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry in the same way with the blood. ²²According to the law, nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission. ²³It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things in the heavens should be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

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^10:2Pharisees came to him testing him, and asked him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” ³He answered, “What did Moses command you?” ⁴They said, “Moses allowed a certificate of divorce to be written, and to divorce her.” ⁵But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart, he wrote you this commandment. ⁶But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. ⁷For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will join to his wife, ⁸and the two will become one flesh, so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” ¹⁰In the house, his disciples asked him again about the same matter. ¹¹He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. ¹²If a woman herself divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

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^9:8The Holy Spirit is indicating this, that the way into the Holy Place wasn’t yet revealed while the first tabernacle was still standing. ⁹This is a symbol of the present age, where gifts and sacrifices are offered that are incapable, concerning the conscience, of making the worshiper perfect, ¹⁰being only (with foods and drinks and various washings) fleshly ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation. ¹⁵For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, since a death has occurred for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, that those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. ¹⁶For where a last will and testament is, there must of necessity be the death of him who made it. ¹⁷For a will is in force where there has been death, for it is never in force while he who made it lives. ¹⁸Therefore even the first covenant has not been dedicated without blood. ¹⁹For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, ²⁰saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” ²¹He sprinkled the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry in the same way with the blood. ²²According to the law, nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission. ²³It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things in the heavens should be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

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^4:22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the servant, and one by the free woman. ²³However, the son by the servant was born according to the flesh, but the son by the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Hagar. ²⁵For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children. ²⁶But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all. ²⁷For it is written, “Rejoice, you barren who don’t bear. Break out and shout, you who don’t travail. For the desolate women have more children than her who has a husband.” ²⁸Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise. ²⁹But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. ³⁰However, what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the servant and her son, for the son of the servant will not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant, but of the free woman.

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^21:12But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake. ¹³It will turn out as a testimony for you. ¹⁴Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand how to answer, ¹⁵for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand or to contradict. ¹⁶You will be handed over even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will cause some of you to be put to death. ¹⁷You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake. ¹⁸And not a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹“By your endurance you will win your lives.

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^8:16“No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a container or puts it under a bed; but puts it on a stand, that those who enter in may see the light. ¹⁷For nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light. ¹⁸Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has.” ¹⁹His mother and brothers came to him, and they could not come near him for the crowd. ²⁰Some people told him, “Your mother and your brothers stand outside, desiring to see you.” ²¹But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

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