Hebrews 12:1–17

¹Let us also therefore, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight, and sin which so easily entangles us, run with endurance the race that lies before us, ²looking stedfastly on Jesus the leader and completer of faith: who, in view of the joy lying before him, endured the cross, having despised the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³For consider well him who endured so great contradiction from sinners against himself, that ye be not weary, fainting in your minds.

⁴Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, wrestling against sin. ⁵And ye have quite forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when reproved by him; ⁶for whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives. ⁷Ye endure for chastening, God conducts himself towards you as towards sons; for who is the son that the father chastens not? ⁸But if ye are without chastening, of which all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. ⁹Moreover we have had the fathers of our flesh as chasteners, and we reverenced them; shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live? ¹⁰For they indeed chastened for a few days, as seemed good to them; but he for profit, in order to the partaking of his holiness. ¹¹But no chastening at the time seems to be matter of joy, but of grief; but afterwards yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those exercised by it. ¹²Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down, and the failing knees; ¹³and make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame be not turned aside; but that rather it may be healed. ¹⁴Pursue peace with all, and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord: ¹⁵watching lest there be any one who lacks the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it; ¹⁶lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one meal sold his birthright; ¹⁷for ye know that also afterwards, desiring to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, (for he found no place for repentance) although he sought it earnestly with tears.