The Call of Abram

12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household^(A) to the land^(B) I will show you.^(C)

⁴ So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot^(I) went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old^(J) when he set out from Harran.^{(K) 5} He took his wife Sarai,^(L) his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated^(M) and the people^(N) they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan,^(O) and they arrived there.

⁶ Abram traveled through the land^(P) as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh^(Q) at Shechem.^(R) At that time the Canaanites^(S) were in the land. ⁷ The Lord appeared to Abram^(T) and said, “To your offspring^[c] I will give this land.^(U)”^(V) So he built an altar there to the Lord,^(W) who had appeared to him.

Psalm 34^[a][b]

Of David. When he pretended to be insane^(A) before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.

Faith in Action

11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for^(A) and assurance about what we do not see.^{(B) 2} This is what the ancients were commended for.^(C)

³ By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command,^(D) so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

⁴ By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended^(E) as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.^(F) And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.^(G)

⁵ By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”^[a](H) For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him^(I) must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

⁷ By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen,^(J) in holy fear built an ark^(K) to save his family.^(L) By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.^(M)

⁸ By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance,^(N) obeyed and went,^(O) even though he did not know where he was going. ⁹ By faith he made his home in the promised land^(P) like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents,^(Q) as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.^{(R) 10} For he was looking forward to the city^(S) with foundations,^(T) whose architect and builder is God.^{(U) 11} And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age,^(V) was enabled to bear children^(W) because she^[b] considered him faithful^(X) who had made the promise. ¹² And so from this one man, and he as good as dead,^(Y) came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.^(Z)

³⁵ Then Jesus declared, “I am^(A) the bread of life.^(B) Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes^(C) in me will never be thirsty.^{(D) 36} But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. ³⁷ All those the Father gives me^(E) will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven^(F) not to do my will but to do the will^(G) of him who sent me.^{(H) 39} And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me,^(I) but raise them up at the last day.^{(J) 40} For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son^(K) and believes in him shall have eternal life,^(L) and I will raise them up at the last day.”

⁴¹ At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴² They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph,^(M) whose father and mother we know?^(N) How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”^(O)

⁴³ “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. ⁴⁴ “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them,^(P) and I will raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’^[a](Q) Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. ⁴⁶ No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God;^(R) only he has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.^{(S) 48} I am the bread of life.^{(T) 49} Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.^{(U) 50} But here is the bread that comes down from heaven,^(V) which anyone may eat and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread^(W) that came down from heaven.^(X) Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”^(Y)