29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as though they were on dry land. When the Egyptians attempted to do this, they were drowned.w

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after being marched around by the Israelites for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute welcomed the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed.x

32 And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah,y David, Samuel, and the prophets,z 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms,aa administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,ab 34 quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.a 35 Women received their dead, raised to life again. Other people were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment.b 37 They were stoned,F,c they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins,d destitute, afflicted, and mistreated. 38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

39 All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.e

THE CALL TO ENDURANCE

12 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnessesf surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with enduranceg the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus,A the pioneer and perfecterB of our faith. For the joy that lay before him,C he endured the cross, despising the shame,h and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.