Hebrews 12–13

The Race of Faith

12Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, ^alet us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and ^blet us run ^cwith endurance the race that is set before us, ²looking unto Jesus, the ¹author and ²finisher of our faith, ^dwho for the joy that was set before Him ^eendured the cross, despising the shame, and ^fhas sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Discipline of God

^3gFor consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, ^hlest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. ⁴ⁱYou have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. ⁵And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:

^j“My son, do not despise the ³chastening of the Lord,

Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;

⁶For ^kwhom the Lord loves He chastens,

And scourges every son whom He receives.”

^7lIf ⁴you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what ^mson is there whom a father does not chasten? ⁸But if you are without chastening, ⁿof which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. ⁹Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to ^othe Father of spirits and live? ¹⁰For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, ^pthat we may be partakers of His holiness. ¹¹Now no ⁵chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields ^qthe peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Renew Your Spiritual Vitality

¹²Therefore ^rstrengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, ¹³and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

^14sPursue peace with all people, and holiness, ^twithout which no one will see the Lord: ¹⁵looking carefully lest anyone ^ufall short of the grace of God; lest any ^vroot of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; ¹⁶lest there be any ^wfornicator or ⁶profane person like Esau, ^xwho for one morsel of food sold his birthright. ¹⁷For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was ^yrejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.

The Glorious Company

¹⁸For you have not come ⁷to ^zthe mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and ⁸darkness and tempest, ¹⁹and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it ^abegged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. ²⁰(For they could not endure what was commanded: ^b“And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned ⁹or shot with an arrow.” ²¹And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ^c“I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.”)

²²But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, ²³to the ¹general assembly and church of ^dthe firstborn ^ewho are registered in heaven, to God ^fthe Judge of all, to the spirits of just men ^gmade perfect, ²⁴to Jesus ^hthe Mediator of the new covenant, and to ⁱthe blood of sprinkling that speaks better things ^jthan that of Abel.

Hear the Heavenly Voice

²⁵See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For ^kif they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, ²⁶whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, ^l“Yet once more I ²shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” ²⁷Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the ^mremoval of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

²⁸Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we ³may ⁿserve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. ²⁹For ^oour God is a consuming fire.

Concluding Moral Directions

13Let ^abrotherly love continue. ^2bDo not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing ^csome have unwittingly entertained angels. ^3dRemember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

^4eMarriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; ^fbut fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

⁵Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ^g“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ⁶So we may boldly say:

^h“The Lord is my helper;

I will not fear.

What can man do to me?”

Concluding Religious Directions

⁷Remember those who ¹rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. ⁸Jesus Christ is ⁱthe same yesterday, today, and forever. ⁹Do not be carried ²about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

¹⁰We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. ¹¹For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. ¹²Therefore Jesus also, that He might ³sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. ¹³Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing ^jHis reproach. ¹⁴For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. ^15kTherefore by Him let us continually offer ^lthe sacrifice of praise to God, that is, ^mthe fruit of our lips, ⁴giving thanks to His name. ¹⁶ⁿBut do not forget to do good and to share, for ^owith such sacrifices God is well pleased.

^17pObey those who ⁵rule over you, and be submissive, for ^qthey watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Prayer Requested

^18rPray for us; for we are confident that we have ^sa good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. ¹⁹But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

Benediction, Final Exhortation, Farewell

²⁰Now may ^tthe God of peace ^uwho brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, ^vthat great Shepherd of the sheep, ^wthrough the blood of the everlasting covenant, ²¹make you ⁶complete in every good work to do His will, ^xworking in ⁷you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

²²And I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words. ²³Know that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly.

²⁴Greet all those who ⁸rule over you, and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.

²⁵Grace be with you all. Amen.