Hold Fast the Confession of Our Hope

19 Therefore, brothers, since we* have confidence for the entrance into the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way which he inaugurated for us through the curtain, that is, his flesh, 21 and since we haveg a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach with a true heart in the full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for the one who promised is faithful. 24 And let us think about ⌊how to stir one another up to love⌋h and good works, 25 not abandoning ⌊our meeting together⌋i, as is the habit of some, but encouraging each other, and by so much more as you see the day drawing near.

A Serious Warning Against Continuing Deliberate Sin

26 For if* we keep on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire that is about to consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment do you think the person will be considered worthy of who treats with disdain the Son of God and who considers ordinary the blood of the covenant by which he was made holy and who insults the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know the one who said,

“Vengeance is mine, I will repay,”j

and again,

“The Lord will judge his people.”k

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

32 But remember the former days in which, after you* were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed both to insults and to afflictions, and sometimes becoming sharers with those who were treated in this way. 34 For you both sympathized with the prisoners and put up with the seizure of your belongings with joy because you* knew that you yourselves had a better and permanent possession. 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, in order that after you* have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. 37 For yet

“a very, very little while,

and the one who is coming will come and will not delay.

38 But my righteous one will live by faith,

and if he shrinks back, my soul is not well pleased with him.”l

39 But we are not among those who shrink back to destruction, but among those who have faith to the preservation of our souls.

Examples of Faith in Action

11 Now faith is the realization of what is hoped for, the proof of things not seen. 2 For by this the people of old were approved. 3 By faith we understand the worlds were created by the word of God, in order that what is seen did not come into existence from what is visible.

4 By faith Abel offered to God a greater sacrifice than Cain, by which he was approved that he was righteous, because* God approved him for his gifts, and through ita he still speaks, although he* is dead. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up, so that he did not experience death, and he was not found, because God took him up. For before his removal, he had been approved ⌊as having been pleasing⌋b to God. 6 Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and is a rewarder of those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, having been warned about things not yet seen, out of reverence constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family, by which he pronounced sentence on the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when he* was called, obeyed to go out to a place that he was going to receive for an inheritance, and he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he lived in the land of promise as a stranger, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the fellow heirs of the same promise. 10 For he was expecting the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith also, ⌊with Sarah⌋c,d he received ⌊the ability to procreate⌋e even ⌊past the normal age⌋f, because he regarded the one who had promised to be faithful. 12 And therefore these were fathered from one man, and he being as good as dead, as the stars of heaven in number and like the innumerable sand by the shore of the sea.

13 These all died in faith without receiving the promises, but seeing them from a distance and welcoming them, and admitting that they were strangers and temporary residents on the earth. 14 For those who say such things make clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 And if they rememberg that land from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered Isaac, and the one who received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son, 18 with reference to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants will be named,”h 19 having reasoned that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which he received him back also as a symbol. 20 By faith also Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things that were going to happen. 21 By faith Jacob, as he* was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, as he* was dying, mentioned about the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave instructions about his bones.

23 By faith Moses, when he* was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw the child was handsome, and they were not afraid of the edict of the king. 24 By faith Moses, when he* was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing instead to be mistreated with the people of God rather than to experience the transitory enjoyment of sin, 26 considering ⌊reproach endured for the sake of Christ⌋i greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the anger of the king, for he persevered as if he* saw the invisible one. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, in order that the one who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. 29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if on dry land; the Egyptians, ⌊when they made the attempt⌋j, were drowned. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they* had been marched around for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she* welcomed the spies in peace.

32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, accomplished justice, obtained what was promised, shut the mouths of lions, 34 extinguished the effectiveness of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong from weakness, became mighty in battle, put to flight enemy battle lines. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. But others were tortured, not accepting release, in order that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 And others ⌊experienced mocking and flogging⌋k, and in addition bonds and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by murder with a sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, impoverished, afflicted, mistreated, 38 of whom the world was not worthy, wandering about on deserts and mountains and in caves and in holes in the ground. 39 And although they* all were approvedl through their faith, they did not receive what was promised, 40 because* God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.

The Example of Jesus’ Suffering

12 Therefore, since* we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, putting aside every weight and ⌊the sin that so easily ensnares us⌋a, let us run with patient endurance the race that has been set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the originator and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.