9 By faith he made his home in the promised landx like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents,y as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.z 10 For he was looking forward to the citya with foundations,b whose architect and builder is God.c 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age,d was enabled to bear childrene because sheb considered him faithfulf who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead,g came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.h

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;i they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,j admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.k 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.l 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.m Therefore God is not ashamedn to be called their God,o for he has prepared a cityp for them.