Preface: Hebrews 10 continues with the theme that Jesus is the true sacrifice for our sins and the animal offerings from the Old Testament were foreshadowings of Jesus to come. The Jewish believers were not to return to these animal sacrifices, which was a horrible mistake, and would make them subject to discipline from God.

Bible Summary: The law is but a shadow. Animal blood cannot take away sins. Christ offered one sacrifice forever. So let us hold fast to our hope.

This should be the most extensive examination of Hebrews 10 available, where you will be able to examine in depth every word of the original text.

Brief Overview:

Outline of Chapter 10:

Preface

Introduction

         vv.     1–4           The Law is Not Reality; It Is a Foreshadowing

         vv.     5–18         Jesus the Messiah Is the Reality; Animal Sacrifices Are Not

         vv.    19–25         How the Jewish Believer Should Live

         vv.    26–31         A Severe Warning to Those Who Sin by Returning to the Mosaic Law

         vv.    32–39         Remember How You Started; Return to That Behavior

Chapter Summary

Addendum

Charts, Graphics and Short Doctrines:

         Preface               Preface

         Preface               Brief Overview

         Preface               Quotations

         Introduction         Titles and/or Brief Descriptions of Hebrews 10 (by Various Commentators)

         Introduction         Brief, but insightful observations of Hebrews 10 (various commentators)

         Introduction         Fundamental Questions About Hebrews 10

         Introduction 

         Introduction         The Prequel to Hebrews 10

         Introduction         The Principals of Hebrews 10

         Introduction         The Places of Hebrews 10

         Introduction         By the Numbers

         Introduction         A Synopsis of Hebrews 10

         Introduction         Outlines and Summaries of Hebrews 10 (Various Commentators)

         Introduction         A Synopsis of Hebrews 10 from the Summarized Bible

         Introduction 

         Introduction 

         Introduction         The Big Picture (Hebrews –)

         Introduction 

         Introduction 

         Introduction         Changes—additions and subtractions

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         v.      30              Which Book is Quoted Most Often in the New Testament (from Knowable Word)

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         v.      38              Comparing Hebrews with Habakkuk

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         Summary            A Set of Summary Doctrines and Commentary

         Summary            Why Hebrews 10 is in the Word of God

         Summary            What We Learn from Hebrews 10

         Summary            Jesus Christ in Hebrews 10

         Summary            A Brief Review of Hebrews 10

         Summary 

         Summary 

         Addendum          The Deity of Jesus Christ

         Addendum          Deity of Jesus Christ Links

         Addendum          Eternal Security Approaches (R. B. Thieme, Jr. from notes)

         Addendum          Isaiah 26 (ESV) and Commentary by Dr. Thomas Constable

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         Addendum          A Complete Translation of Hebrews 10

         Addendum          Doctrinal Teachers Who Have Taught Hebrews 10

         Addendum          Word Cloud from the Kukis Paraphrase of Hebrews 10

         Addendum          Word Cloud from Exegesis of Hebrews 10

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An Introduction to Hebrews 10

I ntroduction: Hebrews 10 tells us that the Mosaic Law is a temporary covenant, one which foretells of the good things to come; but it is not to be followed at this point in time (after Jesus has come and died for our sins). The writer of Hebrews gives quite a number of Old Testament passages which indicate that God really did not want our animal sacrifices. Such passages would have been quite confusing to people of that era; but they make much more sense when the fulfillment of the Levitical offerings had come.

A serious problem which had developed in Jerusalem and Judæa was, Jewish believers were returning to the Mosaic Law and going back to offering up animal sacrifices to God. The author of Hebrews does everything in his power to dissuade these believers of going down that path. After all, the animal offerings were meant to be foreshadowings and not the real thing. “Your attention needs to be upon Jesus; you should not return to the Law,” is the essence of what is being said in Hebrews 9–10.

There is certainly a question which needs to be considered regarding the covenants. There is the covenant to nation Israel, which is the Mosaic Law, referred to as the first covenant. Jeremiah speaks of the New Covenant, which is a covenant of Israel to replace the Mosaic Law. Properly speaking, this covenant fits into nation Israel in the Millennium.

Here is the tricky part: does the writer of Hebrews understand that he is in a new age, which age has a new covenant, which is not the same covenant that Jeremiah speaks of? Now, whether or not the author understands the new covenants of the Church Age, is this correctly taught in this chapter?

There is another consideration. How open is this audience of believing Jews to new teaching? It appears to me that this writer of Hebrews—whether he is knowledgeable or not of dispensations—is taking the right tact by not turning the original beliefs of these Jews completely upside down.

What is this writer trying to achieve? He needs for the readers of this epistle to recognize that Jesus fulfills are of the ceremonies which they engaged in. “These ceremonies all look forward to the Messiah. Messiah has come and fulfilled these ceremonies. Therefore, these ceremonies can be set aside.” Right there, that is a big massive change, because every Jewish believer has lived by these ceremonies all of their lives.

What is quite fascinating is, traditional unbelieving Jews today do not follow many of the dictates of the Law. For all Jewish gatherings, it is as if the last ten or twelve chapters of Exodus and first seven chapters of Leviticus did not exist.

The writer of Hebrews is more careful about what He says regarding the Law of Moses; whereas, in the epistle to the Romans, Paul (not the writer of Hebrews) pulls far fewer punches, at one point comparing the Law a minor actor who shows up on the stage for a short time and then walks off the stage for good.

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The Law is Not Reality; It Is a Foreshadowing

Portions of this passage were very difficult to translate.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:                       I will use the Westcott-Hort Greek text as the basis for my English translation. I use that test primarily because e-sword has a nice module by Rob Wolfram which has the interlinear English text, Strong’s #’s, and the Greek morphology. The e-sword tab is IWH+P. I do not use their English text for my translation. Also, throughout, I take in consideration alternate readings.

As a young Christian, I was quite interested in the alternative readings. After many decades of study, I have found that, as with the Hebrew text, disputed readings rarely have any affect on the interpretation of a text (apart from perhaps a half-dozen fairly well-known alternate readings, like the end of the book of Mark).

I will compare the Greek text to English translations of the Latin and Syriac (= Aramaic) texts, using the Douay-Rheims translation and George Lamsa’s translation from the Syriac. I often update these texts with non-substantive changes (e.g., you for thou, etc.).

In general, the Latin text is an outstanding translation from the Hebrew text into Latin and very trustworthy (I say this as a non-Catholic). Unfortunately, I do not read Latin—apart from some very obvious words—so I am dependent upon the English translation of the Latin (principally, the Douay-Rheims translation).

The Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls are irrelevant, as they preceded the writing of the New Testament by over 200 years.

Underlined words indicate differences in the text.

Ancient texts:

Westcott-Hort Text (Greek)    For a shadow is having and holding the Law of the good things about to be, not to her the image of the deeds (matters, things), according to a year the sacrifices of them (or, the same sacrifices), which they keep on leading toward the continuous, never able they are coming near to complete. Inasmuch as they would not cease being offered, because to the no one to keep on having and holding yet a consciousness of sins to the ones serving [God] once having been made clean.

Complete Apostles’ Bible      For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the image itself of the things, can never with the same sacrifices, which they offer continually every year, make those approaching perfect.

Otherwise they would not have ceased to be offered, because the worshippers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

Revised Douay-Rheims         .

Douay-Rheims 1899 (Amer.) For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things, by the selfsame sacrifices which they offer continually every year, can never make the comers thereunto perfect.

For then they would have ceased to be offered: because the worshippers once cleansed should have no conscience of sin any longer.

V. Alexander’s Aramaic T.     .

Eastern Aramaic Mnscrpts     .

James Murdock’s Syriac NT For in the law there was a shadow of the good things to come; not the substance of the things themselves. Therefore, although the same sacrifices were every year offered, they could never perfect those who offered them.

For, if they had perfected them, they would long ago have desisted from their offerings; because their conscience could no more disquiet them, who were once purified, on account of their sins.

Original Aramaic NT              For The Written Law had a shadow in it of good things that were coming. It was not the essence of those matters; because of this, while they were offering those sacrifices every year, they could never perfect those who offered them.

For if they had perfected them, doubtless, they would have ceased from their offerings, because their conscience would not have been buffeted by sin once they had themselves been purged;...

Plain English Aramaic Bible   .

Lamsa Peshitta (Syriac)         .

Significant differences: 

English Translations:          I have included translations which I disagree with and footnotes that I do not necessarily agree with. If I believe that the author is too far from the truth, I may even address that at the footnote. However, nearly all of the correct commentary will be found following the Greek text box and the translation of each phrase.

Limited Vocabulary Translations:

Bible in Basic English             For the law, being only a poor copy of the future good things, and not the true image of those things, is never able to make the people who come to the altar every year with the same offerings completely clean. 

For if this had been possible, would there not have been an end of those offerings, because the worshippers would have been made completely clean and would have been no longer conscious of sins?

Bible in Worldwide English     The law can show only a little about the good things that are coming. It cannot show the good things themselves. People come to worship God. But the law can never make them all right by the same sacrifices that are brought every year.

If the law could make people all right, they would stop making sacrifices. The people who come to worship would be made clean for all time, and they would not remember the wrong things they had done.

Easy English                          .

Easy-to-Read Version–2008  The law gave us only an unclear picture of the good things coming in the future. The law is not a perfect picture of the real things. The law tells people to offer the same sacrifices every year. Those who come to worship God continue to offer those sacrifices. But the law can never make them perfect. If the law could make people perfect, those sacrifices would have already stopped. They would already be clean from their sins, and they would not still feel guilty.

God’s Word™                         Moses' Teachings with their yearly cycle of sacrifices are only a shadow of the good things in the future. They aren't an exact likeness of those things. They can never make those who worship perfect. If these sacrifices could have made the worshipers perfect, the sacrifices would have stopped long ago. Those who worship would have been cleansed once and for all. Their consciences would have been free from sin.

Good News Bible (TEV)         The Jewish Law is not a full and faithful model of the real things; it is only a faint outline of the good things to come. The same sacrifices are offered forever, year after year. How can the Law, then, by means of these sacrifices make perfect the people who come to God?

If the people worshiping God had really been purified from their sins, they would not feel guilty of sin any more, and all sacrifices would stop.

The Message                         .

NIRV                                      .

New Life Version                    .

New Simplified Bible              .

Thought-for-thought translations; dynamic translations; paraphrases:

Contemporary English V.       The Law of Moses is like a shadow of the good things to come. This shadow isn't the good things themselves, because it cannot free people from sin by the sacrifices that are offered year after year. If there were worshipers who already have their sins washed away and their consciences made clear, there would not be any need to go on offering sacrifices.

The Living Bible                     .

New Berkeley Version           .

New Living Translation           .

The Passion Translation        The old system of living under the law presented us with only a faint shadow, a crude outline of the reality of the wonderful blessings to come. Even with its steady stream of sacrifices offered year after year, there still was nothing that could make our hearts perfect before God.  For if animal sacrifices could once and for all eliminate sin, they would have ceased to be offered and the worshipers would have clean consciences. Instead, once was not enough so by the repetitive sacrifices year after year, the worshipers were continually reminded of their sins, with their hearts still impure. V. 3 is included for context.

UnfoldingWord Simplified T.  For the law is only a shadow of the good things to come, not the real forms of those things themselves. Those who approach God can never be made perfect by the same sacrifices that the priests continually bring year after year. Otherwise, would the sacrifices not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed one time and would no longer have any consciousness of sin.

Williams’ New Testament      For since the law cast only a shadow of the blessings to come and did not possess the reality itself of those blessings, the priests with the same sacrifices that are perpetually offered year after year cannot make perfect those who come to worship. Otherwise, would they not have ceased offering them, because those who offered them, having once been purified, would have had no further consciousness of sins?

Partially literal and partially paraphrased translations:

American English Bible          .

Beck’s American Translation .

Breakthrough Version            You see, the law, having a shadow of the future good things, not the very image of the things, is not able to ever in any way complete the people coming to it each year with the same sacrifices that they offer up for the continuation. Otherwise, wouldn't they have stopped being offered up? Because of the fact for them to be having no conscience of sins anymore (the people ministering who have been cleaned once).

Common English Bible           .

Len Gane Paraphrase           For the law having a shadow of good things to come, not the thing itself, can never with those sacrifices, which they continually offer year after year, make those who come perfect. For wouldn't they have stopped being offered? Because worshipers, once purified, should have no more conscientiousness of sins.

A. Campbell's Living Oracles .

New Advent (Knox) Bible       .

NT for Everyone                     .

20^th Century New Testament The Law, though able to foreshadow the Better System which was coming, never had its actual substance. Its priests, with those sacrifices which they offer continuously year after year, can never make those who come to worship perfect. Otherwise, would not the offering of these sacrifices have been abandoned, as the worshipers, having been once purified, would have had their consciences clear from sins?

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

An Understandable Version   .

Berean Study Bible                For the law is only a shadow of the good things to come, not the realities themselves. It can never, by the same sacrifices offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 

If it could, would not the offerings have ceased? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt the guilt of their sins.

Christian Standard Bible        .

Conservapedia Translation    .

Evangelical Heritage V.          .

Ferrar-Fenton Bible                .

Free Bible Version                 The law is just a shadow of the good that was to come, and not the actual reality. So it can never through the repeated sacrifices offered year after year make right those who come to worship God. Otherwise wouldn’t the sacrifices have stopped being offered? If the worshipers had been made clean once and for all, they wouldn’t have had guilty consciences any longer.

God’s Truth (Tyndale)           .

International Standard V        The Law is a Reflection

For the Law, being only [The Gk. lacks only] a reflection [Or shadow] of the blessings to come and not their substance, can never make perfect those who come near by the same sacrifices repeatedly offered year after year.

Otherwise, would they not have stopped offering them, because the worshipers, cleansed once for all, would no longer be aware of any sins?

Lexham Bible                         .

Montgomery NT                     .

NIV, ©2011                             .

Riverside New Testament      .

Leicester A. Sawyer’s NT      For the law having a shadow of the good things that were to come, not the very likeness of the things, could not by the sacrifices which they offered continually every year perfect the Offerer; if they could, would they not have ceased to be offered, because those serving would have had no longer a knowledge of sins, having been once purified?

The Spoken English NT         .

UnfoldingWord Literal Text    .

Urim-Thummim Version         Because the Law is only a shadow (a sketch) of good things to come and not the real image of the things, can never with those sacrifices that they offered year by year continually make those that come perfect. Otherwise, would not the offerings have stopped? If the worshippers had once been cleansed, they would no longer have any consciousness of sin.

Weymouth New Testament    For, since the Law exhibits only an outline of the blessings to come and not a perfect representation of the things themselves, the priests can never, by repeating the same sacrifices which they continually offer year after year, give complete freedom from sin to those who draw near.

For then would not the sacrifices have ceased to be offered, because the consciences of the worshippers--who in that case would now have been cleansed once for all--would no longer be burdened with sins?

Wikipedia Bible Project          .

Worsley’s New Testament    For the law having but a faint shadow of good things to come, and not the full image of the things, can never, even by the great annual sacrifices which they offer statedly, make the comers thereunto perfect. For then they would have ceased to be offered, because the sacrificers, being once purified, would no longer retain any consciousness of sins.

Catholic Bibles (those having the imprimatur):

Christian Community (1988)     .

The Heritage Bible                 .

New American Bible (2002)   .

New American Bible (2011)   .

New English Bible–1970        .

New Jerusalem Bible             .

New RSV                               .

Revised English Bible–1989   .

Jewish/Hebrew Names Bibles:

Complete Jewish Bible           .

exeGeses companion Bible   .

Hebraic Roots Bible               For the (Levitical) Law had in it a shadow of the good things to come, but not the substance of those things themselves. Appearing year by year with the same sacrifices, which they offer continually, they never are able to perfect those who offered them.

Otherwise, if they had once been perfected they would have ceased to be offered? For from henceforth, their minds would not have driven them into the sins from which they had once been cleansed.

Holy New Covenant Trans.    .

The Scriptures 2009              For the Torah, having a shadow of the good matters to come, and not the image itself of the matters, was never able to make perfect those who draw near with the same slaughter offerings which they offer continually year by year.  Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered? Because those who served, once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

Tree of Life Version                The Torah has a shadow of the good things to come—not the form itself of the realities. For this reason it can never, by means of the same sacrifices they offer constantly year after year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers—cleansed once and for all—would no longer have consciousness of sins?

Weird English, Olde English, Anachronistic English Translations:

Accurate New Testament       ...shadow for Having The Law [of] the [things] intending good not her the form [of] the things in year [by] the them sacrifices whom* [They] offer to the [thing] continual never has (ability) the [men] approaching to perfect since not ever [They] stop Being Offered because of the+ no to have yet consciousness [of] offenses the [men] serving once having been cleansed...

Alpha & Omega Bible            .

Awful Scroll Bible                   For the Law, holding a shadow, of the good things meaning to be, is not itself, the likeness of the acts, it is able yet-not-at-any-time, by the same sacrifices, which they bring-near to offer, down along the years, into the carrying- of it -throughout, to make them coming-near, Perfected.

Whether-upon, they might not desist, being brought-near to be offered, because of they serving, having once for all been cleansed, to hold no-thing still, a perceiving-together of misses-of-the-mark.

Concordant Literal Version    For the law, having a shadow of the impending good things, not the selfsame image of the matters, they, with their same sacrifices which they are offering year by year, are never able to perfect to a finality those approaching."

Else would they not cease being offered, because those offering divine service, having been once cleansed, are having no longer any consciousness of sins?

exeGeses companion Bible   THE YEAR BY YEAR SACRIFICES UNDER THE TORAH

For the torah

having a shadow of the coming good

and not the very icon of the substance,

can never ever with those sacrifices

which they offered year by year in perpetuity

complete/shalam them who come.

Otherwise were they not to pause in offering them

- because the liturgizers purified once

still had no conscience of sins?

Orthodox Jewish Bible           For the Torah, als (since) it has only a shadow of the tovot ha'atidot (good things to come) and is not the etzem (actual) things, can never by the same yearly zevakhim (sacrifices), which they offer continually, make shleimut (whole, complete) those drawing kiruv (near).

Otherwise, would these zevakhim not have stopped being offered, because the worshipers, having experienced tohorah (purification, cleansing) even once, would no longer have had consciousness of averos?

Rotherham’s Emphasized B. .

Expanded/Embellished Bibles:

The Amplified Bible                .

An Understandable Version   For the Law of Moses was [only] a foreshadow of the good things that [were] to come [i.e., in the Messianic age], not the exact image of those things. It can never, by the same sacrifices, continually offered year after year, make [morally] perfect those who draw near [to God in worship]. If it could, would not those sacrifices have stopped being offered [by now], since the worshipers would have been [ceremonially] cleansed and would not have had a sense of guilt anymore?

Benjamin Brodie’s trans.       So the law, (which possessed a shadow of the good things which were to come [salvation], by means of those sacrifices which they [Levitical priests] kept on offering year-after-year [on the Day of Atonement], merely a representation of the event itself [Christ’s sacrificial death]), never had the power to bring to maturity those [legalistic adherents] who kept on approaching [the altar of sacrifice] uninterruptedly [some continued to rely on the law even after it was abrogated],

Otherwise, would not they have stopped being offered? For the ones who made it a practice to worship [at the altar of sacrifice], once they had been cleansed, would have had no more conscience of sins;.

The Expanded Bible              .

Jonathan Mitchell NT             For the Law (= Torah), holding a shadow of (having shade from) the impending good things (virtues; excellent, agreeable or useful qualities or results) – not the very image of or the same reproduced likeness from those transactions (results of executing or performing; effects of practices) – continues not even once able (or: still never has power) at any point to perfect (bring to the goal and destiny, finish, complete or mature) those folks repeatedly coming near (approaching) by offering the [other MSS: their] same sacrifices every year, on into the whole length (or: extended or stretched into the unbroken continuance) [of its existence].

Otherwise would they not cease being habitually offered? Because those constantly serving, upon having once for all been cleansed, would not still continue to have even one consciousness about sins (or: awareness of failures, mistakes or errors).

Syndein/Thieme                     .

Translation for Translators     .

The Voice                               .

Bible Translations with Many Footnotes:

Lexham Bible                         Christ’s One Sacrifice for Sin

For the law, possessing a shadow of the good things that are about to come, not the form of things itself, is never able year by year [Literally “according to year”] by means of the same sacrifices which they offer without interruption to make perfect those who draw near. For otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the ones who worship, having been purified once and for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?

NET Bible®                             .

New American Bible (2011)   .

The Passion Translation        .

Rotherham’s Emphasized B. .

The Spoken English NT         Christ’s Self-Offering Takes Away our Sins Once and for All
Now, the Law has a shadow of the good things that are coming. But it isn’t the form of those things itself. Year by year, with the same sacrifices all the time, it^a can never perfect the people who offer them.

After all, wouldn’t sacrifices have stopped being offered in that case? Because the worshipers wouldn’t be conscious of sins anymore. They’d have been cleansed once for all.

^a.Some mss have, “they,” referring to the sacrifices. More likely it’s talking about the Law.

Wilbur Pickering’s New T.     Animal blood is insufficient
You see, the Law is but a shadow of the good things to come, not their actual matter, so it can never perfect those who approach with the same sacrifices that they offer endlessly, year after year.

Otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshippers would have had no more consciousness of sins, having been cleansed once for all?

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

A Faithful Version                  For the priestly law, having only a shadow of the good things that are coming, and not the image of those things, with the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, is never able to make perfect those who come to worship. 

Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered? For once those who worship had been purified, they would no longer be conscious of sin.

Analytical-Literal Translation  For the Law having [only] a shadow of the good [things] coming, [and] not the very form of things, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually every year, they are never able to make the ones approaching perfect.

Otherwise, they would cease to be continually offered, because the ones sacredly serving would no longer have conscience of sins, having once for all [time] been purified, would they not?

Berean Literal Bible                .

Bond Slave Version               For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

C. Thomson updated NT        .

Charles Thomson NT             For the law having a shadow of the good things to come and not the very image of those things, can by no means make them who present themselves, perfect for ever by those sacrifices which they offer year after year.

Otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered? Since they who performed the service, being once purified, would no more have a consciousness of sins.

Context Group Version          For 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 complete those that draw near. Or else would they not have ceased to be offered? Because those who do the service, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of disgraceful acts.

English Standard Version      .

Far Above All Translation       For seeing that the law has a shadow of the good things to come, but not the image itself of the things, they can never – with the same sacrifices which they offer every year perpetually – perfect those who draw near.

For in that case, would they not have stopped being offered, because the ministers would not have any consciousness of sins any more, having been purified that one time?

Green’s Literal Translation    .

Literal New Testament           .

Literal Standard Version        .

Modern English Version         .

Modern Literal Version 2020  For* the law, having a shadow of the future good things, (not the same image of the matters), they are never able to complete the ones who come near with the same continual sacrifices which they are offering every year.

Otherwise, why would they not have ceased being offered? Because the ones who are giving-divine service to God, once having been cleansed, would then have a conscience of sins no more.

Modern KJV                           .

New American Standard B.    .

New European Version          .

New King James Version       .

NT (Variant Readings)           .

Niobi Study Bible                   Justified by Faith in Christ's Sacrifice

For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come and not the very image of those things, can never, with those sacrifices which they offered continually year by year, make those who come unto it perfect.

For then would not sacrifices have ceased to be offered? For worshipers once purged should have had no more consciousness of sins.

Revised Young's Lit. Trans.   .

R. B. Thieme, Jr. translation   For the law possessing a shadow of the coming good things [pertaining to salvation], not the real image of the events [of the cross], that is, the law is never able by means of those sacrifices which they offered year after year perpetually, [never able] to cause perfection to those who approached the altar [with a sacrifice].

Since if they really did perfect [animal sacrifices] [but they don’t] then they would not have ceased being offered, because the worshipers having been once and for all cleansed, not one no longer would be having a conscience of sins.

A Voice in the Wilderness      .

Updated Bible Version 2.17   .

Webster’s Translation           .

World English Bible                .

Worrell New Testament         .

Young’s Updated LT             .

The gist of this passage: 

1-2

Translation: For the Law, [which] keeps on having a shadow of the good things about to be,...

The Mosaic Law contains within it the shadow of the good things to come. All of the things which we read in Leviticus are shadows of the good things which will be.

The writer is summing up what he has written in Hebrews 9:22–28 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 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. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 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. (ESV; capitalized)

In fact, this short summation (The Law keeps on being a shadow of the good thing to come...) could have taken in more verses, but I did not want to repeat most of Hebrews 9 at this point. These shadows are covered in vv. 22–28: purification with blood, forgiveness of sins by the shedding of blood, the holy places (the Tabernacle and the Temple) which are made by human hands, the high priest—these things were all shadows of what was to come in the future—that is, Jesus to be our sacrifice for sins Who would go before the Presence of God on our behalf.

Translation: ...not the same image of the things,...

The Law itself is not the image of these things; but what the Law contains is. Image is the feminine singular noun eikôn (εἰκών) [pronounced ī-KOHN], which means, image, figure, likeness, statue, profile, or (figuratively) representation, resemblance; the exact image, the real likeness. Strong’s #1504. In context, these animal sacrifices are being compared to Jesus offering Himself on the cross (see Hebrews 9:19–10:7).

In other words, the animal sacrifices are a shadow image; they are not the real thing; they do not even look like the real thing.

Translation: ...in every year with the same sacrifices,...

Every single year, this same sacrifices are offered. The writer’s point is going to be, “These same sacrifices, offered year after year, are not efficacious.”

Translation: ...which they keep on offering up continually,...

These same sacrifices are offered up continuously. Person after person brings in their sacrifice; this animal is offered up to God.

The readers have seen this all of their lives.

Imagine if every time that you went to church, you watched the pastor cut the throats of a dozen or two dozen animals? This was the experience of the readers. They had seen this year after year for every year of their lives.

Translation: ...never able to consecrate the ones who keep on coming forward.

These animal sacrifices never completed their ask. They never consecrated anyone; they never came to a point of completion. As long as a person was alive, there would be animals sacrificed on his behalf.

Hebrews 10:1 For the Law, [which] keeps on having a shadow of the good things about to be, not the same image of the things, in every year with the same sacrifices, which they keep on offering up continually, never able to consecrate the ones who keep on coming forward. (Kukis nearly literal translation)

Translation: Or would they not cease to be offered?

If there had been a true consecration, would not these animal sacrifices ceased? “Okay, Charley Brown is now a-okay; no more sacrifices needed!” But that never happened. Until the day that Charley Brown died, animals were sacrificed on his behalf.

Translation: For no one would yet have a consciousness of sins,...

If these animal sacrifices could take away sin, would there not be a point at which that we would no longer have a consciousness of our sins? Wouldn’t they somehow be gone? Taken away?

Translation: ...once the ones serving God had been made clean.

Why has there never come a time when those serving God were made clean, once and for all? That is because the animal sacrifices were only a shadow of the good things to come. They were not an exact image of what God had for Israel. That exact image is Jesus.

Hebrews 10:2 Or would they not cease to be offered? For no one would yet have a consciousness of sins, once the ones serving God had been made clean. (Kukis nearly literal translation)

Hebrews 10:1–2 For the Law, [which] keeps on having a shadow of the good things about to be, not the same image of the things, in every year with the same sacrifices, which they keep on offering up continually, never able to consecrate the ones who keep on coming forward. Or would they not cease to be offered? For no one would yet have a consciousness of sins, once the ones serving God had been made clean. (Kukis nearly literal translation)

Hebrews 10:1–2 For the Mosaic Law continues to have within it a shadow of the good things to come, but it is not true nature of things. Year after year, there are those who keep coming forward with the same sacrifices, which are unable to purify them, and yet they keep offering them up continuously. Knowing this, don’t you think that these sacrifices might cease to be offered? Those who serve God, if they had been made clean, why do they continue to be conscious of their sins? (Kukis paraphrase)

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Here is how others have translated this passage:

Ancient texts:

Westcott-Hort Text (Greek)    But in them a remembering of sins according to a year. For impossible blood of bulls and of goats to take away sins.

Complete Apostles Bible        But in them there is a reminder of sins every year.

For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Revised Douay-Rheims         .

Douay-Rheims 1899 (Amer.) But in them there is made a commemoration of sins every year:

For it is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sin should be taken away.

V. Alexander’s Aramaic         .

Eastern Aramaic Manuscript  .

James Murdock’s Syriac NT But in those sacrifices, they every year recognized their sins.

For the blood of bulls and of goats cannot purge away sins.

Original Aramaic NT              But by those sacrifices they remember their sins every year,

For the blood of oxen and of yearling goats cannot purge sins.

Plain English Aramaic Bible   .

Lamsa Peshitta (Syriac)         .

Significant differences: 

Limited Vocabulary Translations:

Bible in Basic English             But year by year there is a memory of sins in those offerings. 

Because it is not possible for the blood of oxen and goats to take away sins.

Bible in Worldwide English     But, by making these sacrifices, they show that they do remember the wrong things they have done.

The blood of bulls and goats can never clean wrong things from peoples hearts.

Easy English                          .

Easy-to-Read Version–2008  But that's not what happens. Their sacrifices make them remember their sins every year, because it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

God’s Word™                         Instead, this yearly cycle of sacrifices reminded people of their sins. (The blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins.)

Good News Bible (TEV)         As it is, however, the sacrifices serve year after year to remind people of their sins. For the blood of bulls and goats can never take away sins.

The Message                         .

NIRV                                      .

New Life Version                    .

New Simplified Bible              .

Thought-for-thought translations; dynamic translations; paraphrases:

Contemporary English V.       But the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins. It only reminds people of their sins from one year to the next.

The Living Bible                     .

New Berkeley Version           .

New Century Version             .

New Living Translation           .

The Passion Translation        For if animal sacrifices could once and for all eliminate sin, they would have ceased to be offered and the worshipers would have clean consciences. Instead, once was not enough so by the repetitive sacrifices year after year, the worshipers were continually reminded of their sins, with their hearts still impure.  For what power does the blood of bulls and goats have to remove sin’s guilt? V. 2 is included for context.

UnfoldingWord Simplified T.  But with those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Williams’ New Testament      On the other hand, through these sacrifices there is given a real reminder of their sins, for the blood of bulls and goats is unable to take away sins.

Partially literal and partially paraphrased translations:

American English Bible          .

Beck’s American Translation .

Breakthrough Version            But in these sacrifices there is a remembering of sins each year. You see, it is impossible for the blood of bulls and male goats to be taking away sins.

Common English Bible           .

Len Gane Paraphrase           But in those [sacrifices there is] a recollection of sins every year, because [it is] impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

A. Campbell's Living Oracles But, in these, there is a remembrance of sins yearly. Besides, it is impossible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

New Advent (Knox) Bible       .

NT for Everyone                     .

20^th Century New Testament But, on the contrary, these sacrifices recall their sins to mind year after year. For the blood of bulls and goats is powerless to remove sins.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

An Understandable Version   .

Berean Study Bible                Instead, those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and of goats to take away sins.

Christian Standard Bible        .

Conservapedia Translation    .

Evangelical Heritage V.          .

Revised Ferrar-Fenton Bible  .

Free Bible Version                 But in fact those sacrifices remind people of sins year after year, because it’s impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to remove sins.

God’s Truth (Tyndale)           .

Holman Christian Standard    .

International Standard V        .

Lexham Bible                         .

Montgomery NT                     .

NIV, ©2011                             .

Riverside New Testament      But in the sacrifices these are called to mind every year. For the blood of bulls and goats is powerless to take away sins.

Leicester A. Sawyer’s NT      .

The Spoken English NT         But it’s just the opposite-there’s a yearly reminder of sins in the sacrifices!

Because the blood of bulls and goats can’t take away sins!

UnfoldingWord Literal Text    .

Urim-Thummim Version         But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. Because it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

Weymouth New Testament    But in those sacrifices sins are recalled to memory year after year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Wikipedia Bible Project          .

Worsley’s New Testament    Whereas in these very sacrifices there is a recalling of sins to mind every year. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

Catholic Bibles (those having the imprimatur):

Christian Community (1988)  .

The Heritage Bible                 .

New American Bible (2002)   .

New American Bible (2011)   .

New English Bible–1970        .

New Jerusalem Bible             .

New RSV                               .

Revised English Bible–1989   .

Jewish/Hebrew Names Bibles:

Complete Jewish Bible           .

Hebraic Roots Bible               But in those sacrifices they remembered their sins year by year, for it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away (the penalty of) sins⁵.

⁵ When Yahshua magnified the Torah (Mat 5:17-48) He showed that all humans by intent are murderers, adulterers, blasphemers, and idolaters, all which according to Torah bring the death penalty. Deu 19:21 states eye for eye, tooth for tooth and life for life. Killing an animal could not take away the penalty for those sins because an animal's life is not equal with a human life. Only by Yahshua being the eternal Son of Yahweh and Creator of everyone can His one eternal sacrifice pay the penalty for all sin.

Holy New Covenant Trans.    But every year, when the sacrifices were made, the people remembered their sins. Goat’s blood or bull’s blood could never take away sin.

The Scriptures 2009              But in those offerings is a reminder of sins year by year.  For it is impossible for blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Tree of Life Version                .

Weird English, Olde English, Anachronistic English Translations:

Accurate New Testament       ...but in them {is} Reminder [of] offenses in year Impossible for {is} blood [of] bulls and [of] goats to remove offenses...

Alpha & Omega Bible            .

Awful Scroll Bible                   Notwithstanding, from-within those, there is a reminding-back, of the misses-of-the-mark, along down the years. For it is im-possible, that the blood of bulls and goats, to take-away misses-of-the-mark.

Concordant Literal Version    But in them there is a recollection of sins year by year; for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and of he-goats to be eliminating sins.

exeGeses companion Bible   - But in them, a remembrance of sins every year?

For it is impossible

for the blood of bulls and of goats to remove sins.

Orthodox Jewish Bible           But by those zevakhim there is a zikaron (remembrance) and a reminder of averos year after year.

For it is impossible for the dahm of parim (young bulls) and se'irim (goats) to take away chatta'im (sins).

Rotherham’s Emphasized B. .

Expanded/Embellished Bibles:

The Amplified Bible                .

An Understandable Version   But those sacrifices were [only] a reminder of [the people’s] sins year after year, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Benjamin Brodie’s trans.       But in those [Levitical offerings], there was a remembrance of sins every year, For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. [I do not recall Brodie using both brackets and italics together.]

The Expanded Bible              .

Jonathan Mitchell NT             But in contrast, in these folks [there is] yearly (or: year by year) a remembrance of sins (a recollection of failures and falling short of the goal).

For you see, blood from bulls and from he-goats [is] without ability [and is] powerless to be periodically carrying away sins (or: lifting failures from; taking off misses of the target).

P. Kretzmann Commentary    .

Syndein/Thieme                     .

Translation for Translators     .

The Voice                               .

Bible Translations with Many Footnotes:

Lexham Bible                         But in them there is a reminder of sins year by year [Literally “according to year”]. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.