Hebrews 11:4–31

⁴By faith ^hAbel offered to God ⁱa more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And ^jthrough his faith, though he died, he ^kstill speaks. ⁵By faith ^lEnoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. ⁶And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God ^mmust believe that he exists and ^mthat he rewards those who seek him. ⁷By faith ⁿNoah, being warned by God concerning ^oevents as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of ^pthe righteousness that comes by faith.

⁸By faith ^qAbraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place ^rthat he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹By faith he went to live in ^sthe land of promise, as in a foreign land, ^tliving in tents ^uwith Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰For he was looking forward to ^vthe city that has ^wfoundations, ^xwhose designer and builder is God. ¹¹By faith ^ySarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered ^zhim faithful who had promised. ¹²Therefore from one man, and ^ahim as good as dead, were born descendants ^bas many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

¹³These all died in faith, ^cnot having received the things promised, but ^dhaving seen them and greeted them from afar, and ^ehaving acknowledged that they were ^fstrangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, ^gthey would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed ^hto be called their God, for ⁱhe has prepared for them a city.

¹⁷By faith ^jAbraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, ¹⁸of whom it was said, ^k“Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” ^19lHe considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. ²⁰By faith ^mIsaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. ²¹By faith ⁿJacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, ^obowing in worship over the head of his staff. ²²By faith ^pJoseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.

²³By faith ^qMoses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of ^rthe king’s edict. ²⁴By faith Moses, when he was grown up, ^srefused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ^25tchoosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy ^uthe fleeting pleasures of sin. ^26vHe considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to ^wthe reward. ²⁷By faith he ^xleft Egypt, ^ynot being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured ^zas seeing him who is invisible. ²⁸By faith ^ahe kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.

²⁹By faith ^bthe people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. ³⁰By faith ^cthe walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. ³¹By faith ^dRahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she ^ehad given a friendly welcome to the spies.