1 T here were special ways of worship and a special holy place made by man for the Old Way of Worship.

Legămîntul dintîi avea şi el porunci privitoare la slujba dumnezeiască şi la un locaş pămîntesc de închinare.

2 A big tent was built and set up. It was called the holy place. It had a light and a table, and the holy bread was on the table.

În adevăr, s'a făcut un cort. În partea dinainte, numită,, Locul Sfînt``, era sfeşnicul, masa şi pînile pentru punerea înaintea Domnului;

3 B ehind the second curtain there was another tent. This was called the Holiest Place of All.

după perdeaua a doua se afla partea cortului care se chema,, Locul prea sfînt``.

4 I n the inside tent there was an altar where special perfume was burned. There was also a large box made of wood called the box of the Way of Worship. Both of these were covered with gold inside and out. Inside the box was a pot made of gold with the bread from heaven. It also had in it Aaron’s stick that once started to grow. The stones on which the Law of Moses was written were in it.

El avea un altar de aur pentru tămîie, şi chivotul legămîntului, ferecat peste tot cu aur. În chivot era un vas de aur cu mană, toiagul lui Aaron, care înfrunzise, şi tablele legămîntului.

5 A bove the box were the cherubim of honor. Their wings were spread up and over and met in the center. On the top of the box and under the shadow of their wings was the mercy-seat. We cannot tell anymore about these things now.

Deasupra erau heruvimii slavei, cari acopereau capacul ispăşirii cu umbra lor. Nu este vremea să vorbim acum cu deamăruntul despre aceste lucruri.

6 W hen everything was finished, the Jewish religious leaders went in and out of the outside tent to do the things which had to be done to worship God.

Şi după ce au fost întocmite astfel lucrurile acestea, preoţii cari fac slujbele, intră totdeauna în partea dintîi a cortului.

7 O nce each year the head religious leader would go into the inside tent alone. He would not go in without blood. He gave this blood to God as a gift in worship for his own sins and for the sins of all the people who sinned without knowing it.

Dar în partea a doua intră numai marele preot, odată pe an, şi nu fără sînge, pe care îl aduce pentru sine însuş şi pentru păcatele din neştiinţă ale norodului.

8 A nd so the Holy Spirit is teaching that, with the Old Way of Worship, the people could not go into the Holiest Place of All as long as the outside tent and its Old Way of Worship were being used.

Prin aceasta, Duhul Sfînt arăta că drumul în Locul prea sfînt, nu era încă deschis cîtă vreme sta în picioare cortul dintîi.

9 T he outside tent is a picture of that day. With the Old Way of Worship, animals killed and gifts given in worship to God could not take away the guilty feeling of sin.

Aceasta era o asemănare pentru vremurile de acum, cînd se aduc daruri şi jertfe, cari nu pot duce pe cel ce se închină în felul acesta, la desăvîrşirea cerută de cugetul lui.

10 T he Old Way of Worship was made up of Laws about what to eat and drink. These Laws told how to wash and other things to do with the body. These things had to be done until Christ came to bring a better way of worship. The New Way of Worship Has a Better Gift

Ele sînt doar nişte porunci pămînteşti, date, ca toate cele privitoare la mîncări, băuturi şi felurite spălături, pînă la o vreme de îndreptare.

11 B ut Christ came as the Head Religious Leader of the good things God promised. He made the way for man to go to God. He was a greater and more perfect tent. He was not made by human hands and was not a part of this earth.

Dar Hristos a venit ca Mare Preot al bunurilor viitoare, a trecut prin cortul acela mai mare şi mai desăvîrşit, care nu este făcut de mîni, adică nu este din zidirea aceasta;

12 C hrist went into the Holiest Place of All one time for all people. He did not take the blood of goats and young cows to give to God as a gift in worship. He gave His own blood. By doing this, He bought us with His own blood and made us free from sin forever.

şi a intrat, odată pentru totdeauna, în Locul prea sfînt, nu cu sînge de ţapi şi de viţei, ci cu însuş sîngele Său, după ce a căpătat o răscumpărare vecinică.

13 W ith the Old Way of Worship, the blood and ashes of animals could make men clean after they had sinned.

Căci dacă sîngele taurilor şi al ţapilor şi cenuşa unei vaci, stropită peste cei întinaţi, îi sfinţeşte şi le aduce curăţirea trupului,

14 H ow much more the blood of Christ will do! He gave Himself as a perfect gift to God through the Spirit that lives forever. Now your heart can be free from the guilty feeling of doing work that is worth nothing. Now you can work for the living God.

cu cît mai mult sîngele lui Hristos, care, prin Duhul cel vecinic, S'a adus pe Sine însuş jertfă fără pată lui Dumnezeu, vă va curăţi cugetul vostru de faptele moarte, ca să slujiţi Dumnezeului cel viu!

15 C hrist is the One Who gave us this New Way of Worship. All those who have been called by God may receive life that lasts forever just as He promised them. Christ bought us with His blood when He died for us. This made us free from our sins which we did under the Old Way of Worship.

Şi tocmai de aceea este El mijlocitorul unui legămînt nou, pentru ca, prin moartea Lui pentru răscumpărarea din abaterile făptuite supt legămîntul dintîi, cei ce au fost chemaţi, să capete vecinica moştenire, care le -a fost făgăduită.

16 W hen a man wants to give his money to someone after he dies, he writes it all down on paper. But that paper is worth nothing until the man is dead.

În adevăr, acolo unde este un testament, trebuie neapărat să aibă loc moartea celui ce l -a făcut.

17 T hat piece of paper means nothing as long as he is alive. It is good only when he dies.

Pentrucă un testament nu capătă putere decît după moarte. N'are nici o putere cîtă vreme trăieşte cel ce l -a făcut.

18 T he Old Way of Worship had to have a death to make it good. The blood of an animal was used.

De aceea şi întîiul legămînt n'a fost sfinţit fără sînge.

19 M oses told the people all the things they had to obey in the Law. Then he took the blood of animals together with water and put it on the Book of the Law and on all the people. He used special branches and red wool as he put it on them.

Şi într'adevăr, Moise, după ce a rostit înaintea întregului norod toate poruncile Legii, a luat sînge de viţei şi de ţapi, cu apă, lînă stacojie şi isop, a stropit cartea şi tot norodul,

20 M oses said, “This is the blood of the Way of Worship which God said you must obey.”

şi a zis:,, Acesta este sîngele legămîntului, care a poruncit Dumnezeu să fie făcut cu voi.``

21 I n the same way, Moses put the blood on the tent and on all the things used in worship.

De asemenea, a stropit cu sînge cortul şi toate vasele pentru slujbă.

22 T he Law says that almost everything is made clean by blood. Sins are not forgiven unless blood is given. One Perfect Gift

Şi, după Lege, aproape totul este curăţit cu sînge; şi fără vărsare de sînge, nu este iertare.

23 T he tent to worship in and the things inside to worship with were like the things in heaven. They were made clean by putting blood on them. But the things in heaven were made clean by a much better gift of worship.

Dar, deoarece chipurile lucrurilor cari sînt în ceruri, au trebuit curăţite în felul acesta, trebuia ca înseşi lucrurile cereşti să fie curăţite cu jertfe mai bune decît acestea.

24 F or Christ did not go into the Holiest Place of All that was made by men, even if it was like the true one in heaven. He went to heaven itself and He is before God for us.

Căci Hristos n'a intrat într'un locaş de închinare făcut de mînă omenească, după chipul adevăratului locaş de închinare, ci a intrat chiar în cer, ca să Se înfăţişeze acum, pentru noi, înaintea lui Dumnezeu.

25 C hrist has not given Himself many times, as the head religious leader here on earth went into the Holiest Place of All each year with blood that was not his own.

Şi nu ca să Se aducă de mai multe ori jertfă pe Sine însuş, ca marele preot, care intră în fiecare an în Locul prea sfînt cu un sînge, care nu este al lui;

26 F or then Christ would have had to die many times since the world began. But He came once at the end of the Old Way of Worship. He gave Himself once for all time. He gave Himself to destroy sin.

fiindcă atunci ar fi trebuit să pătimească de mai multe ori dela întemeierea lumii; pe cînd acum, la sfîrşitul veacurilor, S'a arătat o singură dată, ca să şteargă păcatul prin jertfa Sa.

27 I t is in the plan that all men die once. After that, they will stand before God and be judged.

Şi, după cum oamenilor le este rînduit să moară o singură dată, iar după aceea vine judecata,

28 I t is the same with Christ. He gave Himself once to take away the sins of many. When He comes the second time, He will not need to give Himself again for sin. He will save all those who are waiting for Him.

tot aşa, Hristos, după ce S'a adus jertfă o singură dată, ca să poarte păcatele multora, Se va arăta a doua oară, nu în vederea păcatului, ca să aducă mîntuirea celor ce -L aşteaptă.