Hebrews 12
GOD’S WORD Translation
Faith Directs Our Lives
12 Since we are surrounded by so many examples ⌞of faith⌟, we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up. 2 We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him. Now he holds the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne. 3 Think about Jesus, who endured opposition from sinners, so that you don’t become tired and give up.
4 You struggle against sin, but your struggles haven’t killed you. 5 You have forgotten the encouraging words that God speaks to you as his children:
“My child, pay attention when the Lord disciplines you.
Don’t give up when he corrects you.
6 The Lord disciplines everyone he loves.
He severely disciplines everyone he accepts as his child.”
7 Endure your discipline. God corrects you as a father corrects his children. All children are disciplined by their fathers. 8 If you aren’t disciplined like the other children, you aren’t part of the family. 9 On earth we have fathers who disciplined us, and we respect them. Shouldn’t we place ourselves under the authority of God, the father of spirits, so that we will live? 10 For a short time our fathers disciplined us as they thought best. Yet, God disciplines us for our own good so that we can become holy like him. 11 We don’t enjoy being disciplined. It always seems to cause more pain than joy. But later on, those who learn from that discipline have peace that comes from doing what is right.
12 Strengthen your tired arms and weak knees. 13 Keep walking along straight paths so that your injured leg won’t get worse. Instead, let it heal.
14 Try to live peacefully with everyone, and try to live holy lives, because if you don’t, you will not see the Lord. 15 Make sure that everyone has kindness [a] from God so that bitterness doesn’t take root and grow up to cause trouble that corrupts many of you. 16 Make sure that no one commits sexual sin or is as concerned about earthly things as Esau was. He sold his rights as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17 You know that afterwards, when he wanted to receive the blessing that the firstborn son was to receive, he was rejected. Even though he begged and cried for the blessing, he couldn’t do anything to change what had happened.
18 You have not come to something that you can feel, to a blazing fire, to darkness, to gloom, to a storm, 19 to a trumpet’s blast, and to a voice. When your ancestors heard that voice, they begged not to hear it say another word. 20 They couldn’t obey the command that was given, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21 The sight was so terrifying that even Moses said he was trembling and afraid.
22 Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to tens of thousands of angels joyfully gathered together 23 and to the assembly of God’s firstborn children (whose names are written in heaven). You have come to a judge (the God of all people) and to the spirits of people who have God’s approval and have gained eternal life. 24 You have come to Jesus, who brings the new promise [b] from God, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better message than Abel’s.
25 Be careful that you do not refuse to listen when God speaks. Your ancestors didn’t escape when they refused to listen to God, who warned them on earth. We certainly won’t escape if we turn away from God, who warns us from heaven. 26 When God spoke to your ancestors, his voice shook the earth. But now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the sky.”
27 The words once more show clearly that God will change what he has made. These are the things that can be shaken. Then only the things that cannot be shaken will remain. 28 Therefore, we must be thankful that we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Because we are thankful, we must serve God with fear and awe in a way that pleases him. 29 After all, our God is a destructive fire.
Yehudim in Moshiach 12
Orthodox Jewish Bible
12 So, therefore, als (since) we have surrounding us so great an Anan Edim (Cloud of Witnesses), let us also lay aside every weighty impediment and easily ensnaring averos, and let us run with endurance and savlanut the race set before us,
2 Fixing our gaze on the Mekhonen (Founder) of our [Orthodox Messianic Jewish] faith, and the One who makes it Shleimut‖Yehoshua, who because of the simcha set before him, endured HaEtz HaMoshiach, disregarding its bushah (shame), and "sat down at the right hand of the throne of G-d" TEHILLIM 110:1).
3 Let your hitbonenut (meditation) be on the one who endured such opposition from chote’im (sinners), that you may not be weary in your neshamot, losing heart.
4 For you have not yet resisted to the point of death al kiddush ha-Shem in your struggle against Chet;
5 And you have let slip from zikaron (remembrance) the dvar haChizzuk which he speaks to you as banim, "My son, do not despise the musar of Hashem, do not lose heart, resent when rebuked by Him”;
6 KI ES ASHER YE’EHAV HASHEM YOKHI’ACH ("for whom Hashem loves he disciplines" and he punishes ES BEN YIRTZEH every son he receives" MISHLE 3:11-12; IYOV 5:17).
7 For you endure nisyonos for the sake of musar. And Hashem is dealing with you as banim. For what ben is there whom an Abba does not give musar?
8 But if you are without musar, in which all the yeladim share, then you are not banim but mamzerim.
9 Furthermore, we had Avot on HaAretz, who were morim that we reverenced and treated with kavod. Should we not even more subject ourselves to the Avi HaRuchot and live?
10 For they disciplined us for a short time, as seemed tov to them, but Hashem disciplines us for tov lanu in order that we might share in his kedushah.
11 All musar for the moment seems not to be na’im (pleasant), but seems to bring agmat nefesh; yet afterwards to those who have been taught by musar, it yields the p’ri haShalom and the p’ri haTzedek.
12 Therefore, "Bring chizzuk to the weak hands and the feeble knees; Isa 35:3),
13 And make the drakhim straight for your feet, so that the ever (limb, member) which is lame may not be dislocated, but rather have refu’ah (healing).
14 Pursue shalom with kol Bnei Adam, and the kedushah without which no one will see Hashem.
15 See to it that no one fall short of the Chen v’Chesed Hashem; that no SHORESH (Dt 29:19) of merirut (bitterness) sprouting up may cause tzoros, and by it many be made teme’ot;
16 Lest someone guilty of gilui arayot (sexual immorality) or some person who is mitnaged ladat (irreligious, opponent of religion) like Esav, who in exchange for one meal sold HaBechorah belonging to him.
17 For you have da’as that even afterwards, when he desired to receive the nachalah of the bracha, he was rejected, for he found no place for teshuva, though he sought for it with tears.
18 For you have not come to a Har that can be touched and to a blazing Eish and to choshech and gloom and storm,
19 And to the blast of a shofar and the sound of dvarim, which sound was such that the ones having heard begged that no further dvar be spoken to them.
20 For they could not bear the mitzvah "If even a BEHEMAH" (“animal” SHEMOT 13:19) should touch the Har, the punishment will be seqilah (stoning).
21 And so fearful was the sight that Moshe Rabbeinu said "YAGORTI" ("I am afraid” Dt 9:19) and trembling,
22 But you have come to Mount Tziyon, that is, HaIr HaElohim Chayyim, to the Yerushalayim in Shomayim and to myriads of malachim in a knesset innumerable,
23 And to the Kehillat HaBechorim who are inscribed in Shomayim and to Hashem, the Shofet HaKol, and to the ruchot (spirits) of the tzaddikim made shleimim,
24 And to Yehoshua, the Metavekh of a Brit Chadasha and to the dahm hahazzayah (blood of sprinkling Isa 52:15), which speaks better than the dahm haHevel (blood of Abel).
25 See to it that you do not refuse the One speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused Him who gave them warning on ha’aretz, much less shall we escape who turn away from the One whose warning comes from Shomayim.
26 And the bat kol of Hashem shook ha’aretz then, but now He has given havtachah (promise), saying, "Yet once more V’ANI MARISH ES HASHOMAYIM V’ES HA’ARETZ ("And I will shake the heavens and the earth." CHAGGAI 2:6)
27 Now the phrase, "Yet once more" denotes the removal of that which can be shaken, that is, created things, in order that the unshakeable may remain.
28 Therefore, als (since) we are receiving a malchut unshakeable, let us hold on to the Chen v’Chesed Hashem through which we may offer to Hashem, an acceptable avodas kodesh, with yirat Shomayim and chasidus.
29 For, indeed, Eloheinu is a consuming Eish. [Dt 4:24; 9:3; Isa 33:14]
Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International