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.

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

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.^{(C) 25} He chose to be mistreated^(D) along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He regarded disgrace^(E) for the sake of Christ^(F) as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.^{(G) 27} By faith he left Egypt,^(H) 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^(I) of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.^(J)

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.^(K)