Faith at the Dawn of History^(A)

⁴ By faith ^(B)Abel 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 ^(C)speaks.

⁵ By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ^(D)“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 ^(E)Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, ^(F)prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of ^(G)the righteousness which is according to faith.

Faithful Abraham^(H)

⁸ By faith ^(I)Abraham 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, ^(J)dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, ^(K)the heirs with him of the same promise; ¹⁰ for he waited for ^(L)the city which has foundations, ^(M)whose builder and maker is God.

¹¹ By faith ^(N)Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and ^(O)she^[a] bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him ^(P)faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore from one man, and him as good as ^(Q)dead, were born as many as the ^(R)stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

³² And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of ^(A)Gideon and ^(B)Barak and ^(C)Samson and ^(D)Jephthah, also of ^(E)David and ^(F)Samuel and the prophets: ³³ who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, ^(G)stopped the mouths of lions, ^34 (H)quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. ^35 (I)Women received their dead raised to life again.

Others were ^(J)tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.

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.

By Faith We Understand

11 Now faith is the ^[a]substance of things hoped for, the ^[b]evidence ^(A)of things not seen.

The Heavenly Hope

¹³ These all died in faith, ^(A)not having received the ^(B)promises, but ^(C)having seen them afar off ^[a]were assured of them, embraced them and ^(D)confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.