Hebrews 10–12

Chapter 10

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.

²For then they would have ceased to be offered: because the worshippers once cleansed should have no conscience of sin any longer.

³But in them there is made a commemoration of sins every year:

⁴For it is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sin should be taken away.

⁵Wherefore, when he cometh into the world he saith: Sacrifice and oblation thou wouldest not: but a body thou hast fitted to me.

⁶Holocausts for sin did not please thee.

⁷Then said I: Behold I come: in the head of the book it is written of me: that I should do thy will, O God.

⁸In saying before, Sacrifices, and oblations, and holocausts for sin thou wouldest not, neither are they pleasing to thee, which are offered according to the law.

⁹Then said I: Behold, I come to do thy will, O God: He taketh away the first, that he may establish that which followeth.

¹⁰In the which will, we are sanctified by the oblation of the body of Jesus Christ once.

¹¹And every priest indeed standeth daily ministering and often offering the same sacrifices which can never take away sins.

¹²But this man, offering one sacrifice for sins, for ever sitteth on the right hand of God,

¹³From henceforth expecting until his enemies be made his footstool.

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

¹⁵And the Holy Ghost also doth testify this to us. For after that he said:

¹⁶And this is the testament which I will make unto them after those days, saith the Lord. I will give my laws in their hearts and on their minds will I write them:

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

¹⁸Now, where there is a remission of these, there is no more an oblation for sin.

¹⁹Having therefore, brethren, a confidence in the entering into the holies by the blood of Christ:

²⁰A new and living way which he hath dedicated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh:

²¹And a high priest over the house of God:

²²Let us draw near with a true heart, in fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with clean water.

²³Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering (for he is faithful that hath promised):

²⁴And let us consider one another, to provoke unto charity and to good works:

²⁵Not forsaking our assembly, as some are accustomed: but comforting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching.

²⁶For if we sin wilfully after having the knowledge of the truth, there is now left no sacrifice for sins:

²⁷But a certain dreadful expectation of judgment, and the rage of a fire which shall consume the adversaries.

²⁸A man making void the law of Moses dieth without any mercy under two or three witnesses:

²⁹How much more, do you think he deserveth worse punishments, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath esteemed the blood of the testament unclean, by which he was sanctified, and hath offered an affront to the Spirit of grace?

³⁰For we know him that hath said: Vengeance belongeth to me, and I will repay. And again: The Lord shall judge his people.

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

³²But call to mind the former days, wherein, being illuminated, you endured a great fight of afflictions.

³³And on the one hand indeed, by reproaches and tribulations, were made a gazingstock; and on the other, became companions of them that were used in such sort.

³⁴For you both had compassion on them that were in bands and took with joy the being stripped of your own goods, knowing that you have a better and a lasting substance.

³⁵Do not therefore lose your confidence which hath a great reward.

³⁶For patience is necessary for you: that, doing the will of God, you may receive the promise.

³⁷For yet a little and a very little while, and he that is to come will come and will not delay.

³⁸But my just man liveth by faith: but if he withdraw himself, he shall not please my soul.

³⁹But we are not the children of withdrawing unto perdition, but of faith to the saving of the soul.

Chapter 11

Now, faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not.

²For by this the ancients obtained a testimony.

³By faith we understand that the world was framed by the word of God: that from invisible things visible things might be made.

⁴By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice exceeding that of Cain, by which he obtained a testimony that he was just, God giving testimony to his gifts. And by it he being dead yet speaketh.

⁵By faith Henoch was translated that he should not see death: and he was not found because God had translated him. For before his translation he had testimony that he pleased God.

⁶But without faith it is impossible to please God. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is: and is a rewarder to them that seek him.

⁷By faith Noe, having received an answer concerning those things which as yet were not seen, moved with fear, framed the ark for the saving of his house: by the which he condemned the world and was instituted heir of the justice which is by faith.

⁸By faith he that is called Abraham obeyed to go out into a place which he was to receive for an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing whither he went.

⁹By faith he abode in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in cottages, with Isaac and Jacob, the co-heirs of the same promise.

¹⁰For he looked for a city that hath foundations: whose builder and maker is God.

¹¹By faith also Sara herself, being barren, received strength to conceive seed, even past the time of age: because she believed that he was faithful who had promised,

¹²For which cause there sprung even from one (and him as good as dead) as the stars of heaven in multitude and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

¹³All these died according to faith, not having received the promises but beholding them afar off and saluting them and confessing that they are pilgrims and strangers on the earth.

¹⁴For they that say these things do signify that they seek a country.

¹⁵And truly, if they had been mindful of that from whence they came out, they had doubtless, time to return.

¹⁶But now they desire a better, that is to say, a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

¹⁷By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

¹⁸(To whom it was said: In Isaac shalt thy seed be called:)

¹⁹Accounting that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Whereupon also he received him for a parable.

²⁰By faith also of things to come Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.

²¹By faith Jacob, dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and adored the top of his rod.

²²By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the going out of the children of Israel and gave commandment concerning his bones.

²³By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents: because they saw he was a comely babe, and they feared not the king’s edict.

²⁴By faith Moses, when he was grown up, denied himself to be the son of Pharao’s daughter:

²⁵Rather choosing to be afflicted with the people of God than to have the pleasure of sin for a time:

²⁶Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasure of the Egyptians. For he looked unto the reward.

²⁷By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the fierceness of the king: for he endured, as seeing him that is invisible.

²⁸By faith he celebrated the pasch and the shedding of the blood: that he who destroyed the firstborn might not touch them.

²⁹By faith they passed through the Red Sea, as by dry land: which the Egyptians attempting, were swallowed up.

³⁰By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, by the going round them seven days.

³¹By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with the unbelievers, receiving the spies with peace.

³²And what shall I yet say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, Barac, Samson, Jephthe, David, Samuel, and the prophets:

³³Who by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

³⁴Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, recovered strength from weakness, became valiant in battle, put to flight the armies of foreigners.

³⁵Women received their dead raised to life again. But others were racked, not accepting deliverance, that they might find a better resurrection.

³⁶And others had trial of mockeries and stripes: moreover also of bands and prisons.

³⁷They were stoned, they were cut asunder, they were tempted, they were put to death by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being in want, distressed, afflicted:

³⁸Of whom the world was not worthy: wandering in deserts, in mountains and in dens and in caves of the earth.

³⁹And all these, being approved by the testimony of faith, received not the promise:

⁴⁰God providing some better thing for us, that they should not be perfected without us.

Chapter 12

And therefore we also having so great a cloud of witnesses over our head, laying aside every weight and sin which surrounds us, let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us:

²Looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who, having joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and now sitteth on the right hand of the throne of God.

³For think diligently upon him that endured such opposition from sinners against himself that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds.

⁴For you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

⁵And you have forgotten the consolation which speaketh to you, as unto children, saying: My son, neglect not the discipline of the Lord: neither be thou wearied whilst thou art rebuked by…