²² let us draw near to God^(A) with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings,^(B) having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience^(C) and having our bodies washed with pure water.^(D)

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](A) 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^(B) 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,^(C) in holy fear built an ark^(D) to save his family.^(E) By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.^(F)

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

¹³ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;^(T) they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,^(U) admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.^{(V) 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.^(W)

¹⁶ Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.^(A) Therefore God is not ashamed^(B) to be called their God,^(C) for he has prepared a city^(D) for them.

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.^(E) He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, ¹⁸ even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”^{[a](F) 19} Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead,^(G) and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

²⁰ By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.^(H)

²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons,^(I) and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

²² By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.^(J)

²³ By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born,^(K) because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.^(L)

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.^{(M) 25} He chose to be mistreated^(N) along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He regarded disgrace^(O) for the sake of Christ^(P) as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.^{(Q) 27} By faith he left Egypt,^(R) not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. ²⁸ By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer^(S) of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.^(T)

²⁹ By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.^(U)

³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.^(V)

³¹ By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.^[a](A)

³² And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon,^(B) Barak,^(C) Samson^(D) and Jephthah,^(E) about David^(F) and Samuel^(G) and the prophets, ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms,^(H) administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,^{(I) 34} quenched the fury of the flames,^(J) and escaped the edge of the sword;^(K) whose weakness was turned to strength;^(L) and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.^{(M) 35} Women received back their dead, raised to life again.^(N) There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. ³⁶ Some faced jeers and flogging,^(O) and even chains and imprisonment.^{(P) 37} They were put to death by stoning;^[b](Q) they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword.^(R) They went about in sheepskins and goatskins,^(S) destitute, persecuted and mistreated— ³⁸ the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves^(T) and in holes in the ground.

³⁹ These were all commended^(U) for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,^{(V) 40} since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us^(W) would they be made perfect.^(X)

Hannah’s Prayer

2 Then Hannah prayed and said:^(A)

Psalm 16

A miktam^[a] of David.

Psalm 30^[a]

A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple.^[b] Of David.