Hebrews 11–12

Examples of Faith in Action

11Now faith is the realization of what is hoped for, the proof of things not seen. ²For by this the people of old were approved. ³By 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.

⁴By 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 it^a he still speaks, although he^* is dead. ⁵By 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. ⁶Now 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. ⁷By 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.

⁸By 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. ⁹By 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. ¹⁰For he was expecting the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. ¹¹By 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. ¹²And 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.

¹³These 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. ¹⁴For those who say such things make clear that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵And if they remember^g that land from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶But 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.

¹⁷By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered Isaac, and the one who received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son, ¹⁸with 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. ²⁰By faith also Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things that were going to happen. ²¹By faith Jacob, as he^* was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. ²²By faith Joseph, as he^* was dying, mentioned about the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave instructions about his bones.

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

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

The Example of Jesus’ Suffering

12Therefore, 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, ²fixing 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. ³For consider the one who endured such hostility by sinners against himself,^* so that you will not grow weary in your souls and give up. ⁴You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your^* blood as you^* struggle against sin. ⁵And have you completely forgotten the exhortation which instructs you as sons?

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,

or give up when you are corrected by him.

⁶For the Lord disciplines the one whom he loves,

and punishes every son whom he accepts.”^b

⁷Endure it for discipline. God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there whom a father does not discipline? ⁸But if you are without discipline, in which all legitimate sons^* have become participants, then you are illegitimate and not sons. ⁹Furthermore, we have had our earthly fathers^c who disciplined us, and we respected them. Will we not much rather subject ourselves to the Father of spirits and live? ¹⁰For they disciplined us for a few days according to what seemed appropriate to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we can have a share in his holiness. ¹¹Now all discipline seems for the moment not to be joyful but painful, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness for those who are trained by it.

A Serious Warning Against Refusing God

¹²Therefore strengthen your slackened hands and your weakened knees, ¹³and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame will not be dislocated, but rather be healed. ¹⁴Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. ¹⁵Take care that no one falls short of the grace of God; that no one growing up like a root of bitterness causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; ¹⁶that no one be a sexually immoral or totally worldly person like Esau, who for one meal traded his own birthright. ¹⁷For you know that also afterwards, when he^* wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, because he did not find an occasion for repentance, although he sought it with tears.

¹⁸For you have not come to something that can be touched, and to a burning fire, and to darkness, and to gloom, and to a whirlwind, ¹⁹and to the noise of a trumpet, and to the sound of words which those who heard begged that not another word be spoken to them. ²⁰For they could not endure what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”^{d 21}And the spectacle was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am terrified and trembling.”^{e 22}But you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to tens of thousands of angels, to the festal gathering ²³and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous people made perfect, ²⁴and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood^f that speaks better than Abel’s does.

²⁵Watch out that you do not refuse the one who is speaking! For if those did not escape when they^* refused the one who warned them on earth, much less will we escape,^* if we^* reject the one who warns from heaven, ²⁶whose voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, saying,

“Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven.”^g

²⁷Now the phrase “yet once more” indicates the removal of what is shaken, namely, things that have been created, in order that the things that are not shaken may remain. ²⁸Therefore, since we^* are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be thankful, through which let us serve God acceptably, with awe and reverence. ²⁹For indeed our God is a consuming fire.