¹Sheria ya Wayahudi si picha kamili ya mambo yale halisi: ni kivuli tu cha mema yanayokuja. Dhabihu zilezile hutolewa daima, mwaka baada ya mwaka. Sheria yawezaje, basi, kwa njia ya dhabihu hizo, kuwafanya wale wanaoabudu wawe wakamilifu?

¹For the law having a shadow of the good [things] to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect them that draw nigh.

²Kama hao watu wanaomwabudu Mungu wangekuwa wametakaswa dhambi zao kweli, hawangejisikia tena kuwa na dhambi, na dhabihu hizo zote zingekoma.

²Else would they not have ceased to be offered? because the worshippers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

³Lakini dhabihu hizo hufanyika kila mwaka kuwakumbusha watu dhambi zao.

³But in those [sacrifices] there is a remembrance made of sins year by year.

⁴Maana damu ya fahali na mbuzi haiwezi kamwe kuondoa dhambi.

⁴For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.

⁵Ndiyo maana Kristo alipokuwa anakuja ulimwenguni, alimwambia Mungu: "Hukutaka dhabihu wala sadaka, lakini umenitayarishia mwili.

⁵Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, But a body didst thou prepare for me;

⁶Sadaka za kuteketezwa au za kuondoa dhambi hazikupendezi.

⁶In whole burnt offerings and [sacrifices] for sin thou hadst no pleasure:

⁷Hapo nikasema: Niko hapa ee Mungu, tayari kufanya mapenzi yako kama ilivyoandikwa juu yangu katika kitabu cha Sheria."

⁷Then said I, Lo, I am come (In the roll of the book it is written of me) To do thy will, O God.

⁸Kwanza alisema: "Hutaki, wala hupendezwi na dhabihu na sadaka, sadaka za kuteketezwa na za kuondoa dhambi." Alisema hivyo ingawa sadaka hizi zote hutolewa kufuatana na Sheria.

⁸Saying above, Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and [sacrifices] for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein (the which are offered according to the law),

⁹Kisha akasema: "Niko hapa, ee Mungu, tayari kufanya mapenzi yako." Hivyo Mungu alibatilisha dhabihu za zamani na mahali pake akaweka dhabihu nyingine moja.

⁹then hath he said, Lo, I am come to do thy will. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

¹⁰Kwa kuwa Yesu Kristo alitimiza mapenzi ya Mungu, sisi tunatakaswa dhambi zetu kwa ile dhabihu ya mwili wake aliyotoa mara moja tu, ikatosha.

¹⁰By which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

¹¹Kila kuhani Myahudi humhudumia Mungu kila siku, akitoa dhabibu zilezile mara nyingi, dhabibu ambazo haziwezi kuondoa dhambi.

¹¹And every priest indeed standeth day by day ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, the which can never take away sins:

¹²Lakini Kristo alitoa dhabihu moja tu kwa ajili ya dhambi, dhabihu ifaayo milele, kisha akaketi upande wa kulia wa Mungu.

¹²but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

¹³Huko anangoja mpaka adui zake watakapowekwa kama kibao chini ya miguu yake.

¹³henceforth expecting till his enemies be made the footstool of his feet.

¹⁴Basi, kwa dhabihu yake moja tu, amewafanya kuwa wakamilifu milele wale wanaotakaswa dhambi zao.

¹⁴For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

¹⁵Naye Roho Mtakatifu anatupa ushahidi wake. Kwanza anasema:

¹⁵And the Holy Spirit also beareth witness to us; for after he hath said,

¹⁶"Hili ndilo agano nitakalofanya nao, katika siku zijazo, asema Bwana: Nitaweka sheria zangu mioyoni mwao, na kuziandika akilini mwao."

¹⁶This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, saith the Lord: I will put my laws on their heart, And upon their mind also will I write them; [then saith he,]

¹⁷Kisha akaongeza kusema: "Sitakumbuka tena dhambi zao, wala vitendo vyao vya uhalifu."

¹⁷And their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

¹⁸Basi, dhambi zikisha ondolewa, hakutakuwa na haja tena ya kutoa dhabihu za kuondoa dhambi.

¹⁸Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

¹⁹Basi, ndugu, kwa damu ya Yesu tunapewa moyo thabiti wa kuingia Mahali Patakatifu.

¹⁹Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus,

²⁰Yeye ametufungulia njia mpya na yenye uzima kupitia lile pazia, yaani kwa njia ya mwili wake mwenyewe.

²⁰by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

²¹Basi, tunaye kuhani maarufu aliye na mamlaka juu ya nyumba ya Mungu.

²¹and [having] a great priest over the house of God;

²²Kwa hiyo tumkaribie Mungu kwa moyo mnyofu na imani timilifu, kwa mioyo iliyotakaswa dhamiri mbaya, na kwa miili iliyosafishwa kwa maji safi.

²²let us draw near with a true heart in fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience: and having our body washed with pure water,

²³Tushikilie imara tumaini lile tunalokiri, maana Mungu aliyefanya ahadi zake ni mwaminifu.

²³let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not; for he is faithful that promised:

²⁴Tujitahidi kushughulikiana kwa ajili ya kuongezeana bidii ya kupendana na kutenda mema.

²⁴and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works;

²⁵Tusiache ile desturi ya kukutana pamoja, kama vile wengine wanavyofanya. Bali tunapaswa kusaidiana kwani, kama mwonavyo, Siku ile ya Bwana inakaribia.

²⁵not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting [one another]; and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.

²⁶Maana, tukiendelea kutenda dhambi makusudi baada ya kufahamu ukweli, hakuna dhabihu iwezayo kutolewa tena kwa ajili ya kuondoa dhambi.

²⁶For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins,

²⁷Linalobaki ni kungojea tu kwa hofu hukumu ya Mungu na moto mkali utakaowaangamiza wote wanaompinga.

²⁷but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries.

²⁸Mtu yeyote asiyeitii Sheria ya Mose, huuawa bila ya huruma kukiwa na ushahidi wa watu wawili au watatu.

²⁸A man that hath set at nought Moses law dieth without compassion on [the word of] two or three witnesses:

²⁹Je, mtu yule anayempuuza Mwana wa Mungu na kuidharau damu ya agano la Mungu iliyomtakasa, mtu anayemtukana Roho wa Mungu, anastahili kupata adhabu kali ya namna gani?

²⁹of how much sorer punishment, think ye, shall he be judged worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

³⁰Maana tunamfahamu yule aliyesema, "Mimi nitalipiza kisasi, mimi nitalipiza," na ambaye alisema pia, "Bwana atawahukumu watu wake."

³⁰For we know him that said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

³¹Kuanguka mikononi mwa Mungu aliye hai ni jambo la kutisha mno!

³¹It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

³²Kumbukeni yaliyotokea siku zile za kwanza mlipoangaziwa mwanga wa Mungu. Ingawa siku zile mlipatwa na mateso mengi, ninyi mlistahimili.

³²But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were enlightened, ye endured a great conflict of sufferings;

³³Mara nyingine mlitukanwa na kufedheheshwa hadharani; mara nyingine mlikuwa radhi kuungana na wale walioteswa namna hiyohiyo.

³³partly, being made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, becoming partakers with them that were so used.

³⁴Mlishiriki mateso ya wafungwa, na mliponyang'anywa mali yenu mlistahimili kwa furaha, maana mlijua kwamba mnayo mali bora zaidi na ya kudumu milele.

³⁴For ye both had compassion on them that were in bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of you possessions, knowing that ye have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one.

³⁵Basi, msipoteze uhodari wenu, maana utawapatieni tuzo kubwa.

³⁵Cast not away therefore your boldness, which hath great recompense of reward.

³⁶Mnahitaji kuwa na uvumilivu, ili mweze kufanya anayotaka Mungu na kupokea kile alichoahidi.

³⁶For ye have need of patience, that, having done the will of God, ye may receive the promise.

³⁷Maana kama yasemavyo Maandiko: "Bado kidogo tu, na yule anayekuja, atakuja, wala hatakawia.

³⁷For yet a very little while, He that cometh shall come, and shall not tarry.

³⁸Lakini mtu wangu aliye mwadilifu ataamini na kuishi; walakini akirudi nyuma, mimi sitapendezwa naye."

³⁸But my righteous one shall live by faith: And if he shrink back, my soul hath no pleasure in him.

³⁹Basi, sisi hatumo miongoni mwa wale wanaorudi nyuma na kupotea, ila sisi tunaamini na tunaokolewa.

³⁹But we are not of them that shrink back unto perdition; but of them that have faith unto the saving of the soul.