Hebrews 11:4-16

New American Standard Bible

⁴ By faith ^(A)Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was ^(B)attested to be righteous, God testifying ^[a]about his ^(C)gifts, and through ^[b]faith, though ^(D)he is dead, he still speaks. ⁵ By faith ^(E)Enoch was taken up so that he would not ^(F)see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for before he was taken up, he was attested to have been pleasing to God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who ^(G)comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him. ⁷ By faith ^(H)Noah, being ^(I)warned by God about ^(J)things not yet seen, ^[c](K)in reverence ^(L)prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of ^(M)the righteousness which is according to faith.

⁸ By faith ^(N)Abraham, when he was called, obeyed ^[d]by going out to a place which he was to ^(O)receive for an inheritance; and he left, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he lived as a stranger in ^(P)the land of promise, as in a foreign land, ^(Q)living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, ^(R)fellow heirs of the same promise; ¹⁰ for he was looking for ^(S)the city which has ^(T)foundations, ^(U)whose architect and builder is God. ¹¹ By faith even ^(V)Sarah herself received ^[e]ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him ^(W)faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore even from one man, and ^(X)one who was as good as dead ^[f]at that, there were born descendants who were ^(Y)just as the stars of heaven in number, and as the innumerable grains of sand along the seashore.

^13 (Z)All these died in faith, ^(AA)without receiving the promises, but ^(AB)having seen and welcomed them from a distance, and ^(AC)having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. ¹⁵ And indeed if they had been ^[g]thinking of that country which they left, ^(AD)they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a ^(AE)heavenly one. Therefore ^(AF)God is not ^[h]ashamed to be ^(AG)called their God; for ^(AH)He has prepared a city for them.