Hold Fast Your Confession

19 Therefore, brethren, having mboldness 6to enter nthe Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and oliving way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us pdraw near with a true heart qin full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for rHe who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 snot forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and tso much the more as you see uthe Day approaching.

The Just Live by Faith

26 For vif we sin willfully wafter we have received the knowledge of the truth, there xno longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and yfiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three zwitnesses. 29 aOf how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, bcounted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, cand insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, d“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” 7says the Lord. And again, e“The Lord will judge His people.” 31 fIt is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32 But grecall the former days in which, after you were 8illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: 33 partly while you were made ha spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while iyou became companions of those who were so treated; 34 for you had compassion on 9me jin my chains, and kjoyfully accepted the plundering of your 1goods, knowing that lyou have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves 2in heaven. 35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, mwhich has great reward. 36 nFor you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, oyou may receive the promise:

37 “For pyet a little while,

And qHe 3who is coming will come and will not 4tarry.

38 Now rthe 5just shall live by faith;

But if anyone draws back,

My soul has no pleasure in him.”

39 But we are not of those swho draw back to 6perdition, but of those who tbelieve to the saving of the soul.

By Faith We Understand

11 Now faith is the 1substance of things hoped for, the 2evidence aof things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.

3 By faith we understand that bthe 3worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

Faith at the Dawn of History

4 By faith cAbel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still dspeaks.

5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, e“and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

7 By faith fNoah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, gprepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of hthe righteousness which is according to faith.

Faithful Abraham

8 By faith iAbraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, jdwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, kthe heirs with him of the same promise; 10 for he waited for lthe city which has foundations, mwhose builder and maker is God.

11 By faith nSarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and oshe 4bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him pfaithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as qdead, were born as many as the rstars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.