Hebrews 11–12

Heroes of Faith

11Now faith is the reality ^zof what is hoped for, the proof ^aof what is not seen. ^b2For our ancestors won God’s approval by it.

³By faith we understand that the universe was ^ccreated by God’s command, ^deso that what is seen has been made from things that are not visible.

⁴By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith. ^f

⁵By faith Enoch was taken away so he did not experience death, and he was not to be found because God took him away. ^gFor prior to his removal he was approved, since he had pleased God. ^h6Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.

⁷By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family. By faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. ⁱ

⁸By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went out to a place he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he was going. ^j9By faith he stayed as a foreigner in the land of promise, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, coheirs of the same promise. ^k10For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. ^l

¹¹By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she ^mconsidered that the One who had promised was faithful. ⁿ¹²Therefore from one man—in fact, from one as good as dead—came offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as innumerable as the grains of sand by the seashore. ^o

¹³These all died in faith without having received the promises, but they saw them from a distance, ^pgreeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. ^q14Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. ¹⁶But they now desire a better place—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. ^r

¹⁷By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. ^sHe received the promises and he was offering his unique son, ¹⁸the one it had been said about, Your seed will be traced ^tthrough Isaac. ^uv19He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead, ^wand as an illustration, ^xhe received him back.

²⁰By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau ^yconcerning things to come. ²¹By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and he worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. ^za22By faith Joseph, as he was nearing the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions concerning his bones. ^b

²³By faith, after Moses was born, he was hidden by his parents for three months, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they didn’t fear the king’s edict. ^c24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter ²⁵and chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the short-lived pleasure of sin. ^d26For he considered the reproach because of the Messiah to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, since his attention was on the reward. ^e

²⁷By faith he left Egypt behind, not being afraid of the king’s anger, for Moses persevered as one who sees Him who is invisible. ^f28By faith he instituted the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch the Israelites. ²⁹By faith they crossed the Red Sea as though they were on dry land. When the Egyptians attempted to do this, they were drowned. ^g

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

³²And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, ⁱDavid, Samuel, and the prophets, ^j33who by faith conquered kingdoms, ^kadministered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, ^l34quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength after being weak, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight. ^m35Women received their dead—they were raised to life again. Some men were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection, ³⁶and others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment. ⁿ³⁷They were stoned, ^opthey were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, ^qdestitute, afflicted, and mistreated. ³⁸The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

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

The Call to Endurance

12Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses ^ssurrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance ^tthe race that lies before us, ²keeping our eyes on Jesus, ^uthe source and perfecter ^vof our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him ^wendured a cross and despised the shame ^xand has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.

Fatherly Discipline

³For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, so that you won’t grow weary and lose heart. ^y4In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ⁵And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons:

My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly

or faint when you are reproved by Him,

⁶for the Lord disciplines the one He loves

and punishes every son He receives. ^za

⁷Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? ⁸But if you are without discipline—which all ^breceive ^c—then you are illegitimate children and not sons. ^d9Furthermore, we had natural fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? ^e10For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but He does it for our benefit, so that we can share His holiness. ^f11No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace ^gand righteousness to those who have been trained by it. ^h

¹²Therefore strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees, ⁱ¹³and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated ^jbut healed instead. ^k

Warning against Rejecting God’s Grace

¹⁴Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness ^l—without it no one will see the Lord. ^m15Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and by it, defiling many. ⁿ¹⁶And make sure that there isn’t any immoral or irreverent ^operson like Esau, who sold his birthright in exchange for one meal. ^p17For you know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected because he didn’t find any opportunity for repentance, though he sought it with tears. ^q

¹⁸For you have not come to what could be touched, to a blazing fire, to darkness, gloom, and storm, ¹⁹to the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of words. (Those who heard it begged that not another word be spoken to them, ²⁰for they could not bear what was commanded: And if even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned! ^rs21The appearance was so terrifying that Moses said, I am terrified and trembling. ^tu) ²²Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem), to myriads of angels in festive gathering, ^v23to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written ^win heaven, to God who is the Judge of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect, ^x24to Jesus (mediator ^yof a new covenant ^z), and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the blood of Abel. ^a

²⁵Make sure that you do not reject the One who speaks. For if they did not escape when they rejected Him who warned them on earth, even less will we if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven. ^b26His voice shook the earth at that time, but now He has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven. ^cd27This expression, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what can be shaken ^e—that is, created things—so that what is not shaken might remain. ²⁸Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. ^fBy it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, ^g29for our God is a consuming fire. ^h