Hebrews 11; Hebrews
12; Hebrews 13
1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of
what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended
for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at
God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4 By
faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was
commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by
faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. 5 By faith
Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could
not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was
commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is
impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he
exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 7 By
faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to
save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the
righteousness that comes by faith. 8 By faith Abraham, when
called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and
went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By
faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign
country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of
the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city
with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By
faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was
enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the
promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead,
came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the
sand on the seashore. 13 All these people were still living by
faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw
them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens
and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show
that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they
had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity
to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country--a
heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has
prepared a city for them. 17 By faith Abraham, when God tested
him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about
to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said
to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be
reckoned." 19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the
dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. 20 By
faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. 21By
faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as
he leaned on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, when
his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave
instructions about his bones. 23 By faith Moses' parents hid
him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary
child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. 24 By
faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's
daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people
of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26 He
regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures
of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By
faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw
him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the
sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the
firstborn of Israel. 29 By faith the people passed through the
Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were
drowned. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the
people had marched around them for seven days. 31 By faith the
prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who
were disobedient. 32 And what more shall I say? I do not have
time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the
prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms,
administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of
lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the
edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became
powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women
received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and
refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Some
faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in
prison. 37 They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were
put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins,
destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- 38 the world was not
worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes
in the ground. 39 These were all commended for their faith,
yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had
planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be
made perfect.
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud
of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so
easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for
us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter
of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its
shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider
him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow
weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin, you have
not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have
forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son,
do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he
rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." 7 Endure
hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not
disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and
everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true
sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us
and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of
our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a
little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we
may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the
time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness
and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore,
strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 "Make
level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but
rather healed. 14 Make every effort to live in peace with all
men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See
to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to
cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually
immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance
rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterward, as you know, when he
wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no
change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears. 18 You
have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire;
to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such
a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be
spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was
commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be
stoned." 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said,
"I am trembling with fear." 22 But you have come to
Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have
come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to
the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come
to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made
perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the
sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. 25 See
to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they
refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away
from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice
shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only
the earth but also the heavens." 27 The words "once
more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken--that is, created
things--so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore,
since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and
so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our
"God is a consuming fire."
1 Keep on loving each other as brothers. 2 Do
not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained
angels without knowing it. 3 Remember those in prison as if
you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you
yourselves were suffering. 4 Marriage should be honored by
all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all
the sexually immoral. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of
money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will
I leave you; never will I forsake you." 6 So we say with
confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do
to me?" 7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of
God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their
faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and
forever. 9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange
teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by
ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. 10 We
have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to
eat. 11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the
Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the
camp. 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to
make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Let us, then,
go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For
here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is
to come. 15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer
to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 And
do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God
is pleased. 17 Obey your leaders and submit to their
authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them
so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no
advantage to you. 18 Pray for us. We are sure that we have a
clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. 19 I
particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon. 20 May
the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back
from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip
you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is
pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever.
Amen. 22 Brothers, I urge you to bear with my word of
exhortation, for I have written you only a short letter. 23 I
want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives
soon, I will come with him to see you. 24 Greet all your
leaders and all God's people. Those from Italy send you their greetings. 25 Grace
be with you all.
