Hebrews 12:1–17

Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith

12Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and ^wsin which clings so closely, and ^xlet us run ^ywith endurance the race that is ^zset before us, ²looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, ^awho for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising ^bthe shame, and ^cis seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do Not Grow Weary

^3dConsider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or ^efainthearted. ⁴In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ⁵And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

^f“My son, ^gdo not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

nor be weary when reproved by him.

⁶For ^hthe Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and chastises every son whom he receives.”

⁷It is for discipline that you have to endure. ⁱGod is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? ⁸If you are left without discipline, ^jin which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. ⁹Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to ^kthe Father of spirits ^land live? ¹⁰For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, ^mthat we may share his holiness. ¹¹ⁿFor the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields ^othe peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

¹²Therefore ^plift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, ¹³and ^qmake straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint ^rbut rather be healed. ^14sStrive for peace with everyone, and for the ^tholiness ^uwithout which no one will see the Lord. ¹⁵See to it that no one ^vfails to obtain the grace of God; that no ^w“root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; ¹⁶that no one is ^xsexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. ¹⁷For you know that ^yafterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.