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18 and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.”(A)

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18 and through your offspring[a] all nations on earth will be blessed,[b](A) because you have obeyed me.”(B)

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 22:18 Or seed
  2. Genesis 22:18 Or and all nations on earth will use the name of your offspring in blessings (see 48:20)

25 You are the descendants of the prophets and of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’(A)

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25 And you are heirs(A) of the prophets and of the covenant(B) God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’[a](C)

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 3:25 Gen. 22:18; 26:4

I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. 12.3 Or by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves

I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;(A)
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.(B)[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 12:3 Or earth / will use your name in blessings (see 48:20)

16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring;[a] it does not say, “And to offsprings,”[b] as of many, but it says, “And to your offspring,”[c] that is, to one person, who is Christ.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 3.16 Gk seed
  2. 3.16 Gk seeds
  3. 3.16 Gk seed

16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.(A) Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”[a](B) meaning one person, who is Christ.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 3:16 Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 24:7

I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands, and all the nations of the earth shall gain blessing for themselves through your offspring,(A) because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

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I will make your descendants(A) as numerous as the stars in the sky(B) and will give them all these lands,(C) and through your offspring[a] all nations on earth will be blessed,[b](D) because Abraham obeyed me(E) and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees(F) and my instructions.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 26:4 Or seed
  2. Genesis 26:4 Or and all nations on earth will use the name of your offspring in blessings (see 48:20)

And the scripture, foreseeing that God would reckon as righteous the gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the gentiles shall be blessed in you.”(A) For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed.

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Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”[a](A) So those who rely on faith(B) are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 3:8 Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18

28 There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.(A) 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring,[a] heirs according to the promise.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 3.29 Gk seed

28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,(A) nor is there male and female,(B) for you are all one in Christ Jesus.(C) 29 If you belong to Christ,(D) then you are Abraham’s seed,(E) and heirs(F) according to the promise.(G)

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23 But this command I gave them, “Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; walk only in the way that I command you, so that it may be well with you.”(A)

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23 but I gave them this command:(A) Obey(B) me, and I will be your God and you will be my people.(C) Walk in obedience to all(D) I command you, that it may go well(E) with you.

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18 seeing that Abraham shall become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. 18.18 Or and all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by him

18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation,(A) and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 18:18 Or will use his name in blessings (see 48:20)

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. 1.3 Gk heavenlies

Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,(A) who has blessed us in the heavenly realms(B) with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

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17 May his name endure forever,
    his fame continue as long as the sun.
May all nations be blessed in him;[a]
    may they pronounce him happy.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 72.17 Or bless themselves by him

17 May his name endure forever;(A)
    may it continue as long as the sun.(B)

Then all nations will be blessed through him,[a]
    and they will call him blessed.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 72:17 Or will use his name in blessings (see Gen. 48:20)

the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh(A)

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regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life[a](A) was a descendant of David,(B)

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 1:3 Or who according to the flesh

The Meaning of Faith

11 Now faith is the assurance[a] of things hoped for, the conviction[b] of things not seen.(A) Indeed, by faith[c] our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.[d](B)

The Examples of Abel, Enoch, and Noah

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable[e] sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith[f] he still speaks.(C) By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death, and “he was not found, because God had taken him.” For it was attested before he was taken away that “he had pleased God.”(D) And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would approach God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith.(E)

The Faith of Abraham

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance, and he set out, not knowing where he was going.(F) By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.(G) 10 For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.(H) 11 By faith, with Sarah’s involvement, he received power of procreation, even though he was too old, because he considered[g] him faithful who had promised.(I) 12 Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”(J)

13 All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth,(K) 14 for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better homeland, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.(L)

17 By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son,(M) 18 of whom he had been told, “It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.”(N) 19 He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead—and, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.(O) 20 By faith Isaac invoked blessings for the future on Jacob and Esau. 21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, “bowing in worship over the top of his staff.”(P) 22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his burial.[h](Q)

The Faith of Moses

23 By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.[i](R) 24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered abuse suffered for the Christ[j] to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, unafraid of the king’s anger, for he persevered as though[k] he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.[l](S)

The Faith of Other Israelite Heroes

29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned.(T) 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days.(U) 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient,[m] because she had received the spies in peace.(V)

32 And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,(W) 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.(X) 35 Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection.(Y) 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment.(Z) 37 They were stoned to death; they were sawn in two;[n] they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented(AA) 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains and in caves and holes in the ground.(AB)

39 Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.(AC)

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Footnotes

  1. 11.1 Or reality
  2. 11.1 Or evidence
  3. 11.2 Gk by this
  4. 11.3 Or was not made out of visible things
  5. 11.4 Gk greater
  6. 11.4 Gk through it
  7. 11.11 Other ancient authorities read By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered
  8. 11.22 Gk his bones
  9. 11.23 Other ancient authorities add By faith Moses, when he was grown up, killed the Egyptian, because he observed the humiliation of his brothers and sisters
  10. 11.26 Or the Messiah
  11. 11.27 Or because
  12. 11.28 Gk would not touch them
  13. 11.31 Or unbelieving
  14. 11.37 Other ancient authorities add they were tempted

Faith in Action

11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for(A) and assurance about what we do not see.(B) This is what the ancients were commended for.(C)

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.

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)

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. 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.

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen,(J) in holy fear built an ark(K) to save his family.(L) By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.(M)

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

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;(AA) they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,(AB) admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.(AC) 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.(AD) 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.(AE) Therefore God is not ashamed(AF) to be called their God,(AG) for he has prepared a city(AH) for them.

17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.(AI) 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.”[c](AJ) 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead,(AK) 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.(AL)

21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons,(AM) 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.(AN)

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

24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.(AQ) 25 He chose to be mistreated(AR) along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace(AS) for the sake of Christ(AT) as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.(AU) 27 By faith he left Egypt,(AV) 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(AW) of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.(AX)

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.(AY)

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

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

32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon,(BB) Barak,(BC) Samson(BD) and Jephthah,(BE) about David(BF) and Samuel(BG) and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms,(BH) administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,(BI) 34 quenched the fury of the flames,(BJ) and escaped the edge of the sword;(BK) whose weakness was turned to strength;(BL) and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.(BM) 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again.(BN) 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,(BO) and even chains and imprisonment.(BP) 37 They were put to death by stoning;[e](BQ) they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword.(BR) They went about in sheepskins and goatskins,(BS) destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves(BT) and in holes in the ground.

39 These were all commended(BU) for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,(BV) 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us(BW) would they be made perfect.(BX)

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 11:5 Gen. 5:24
  2. Hebrews 11:11 Or By faith Abraham, even though he was too old to have children—and Sarah herself was not able to conceive—was enabled to become a father because he
  3. Hebrews 11:18 Gen. 21:12
  4. Hebrews 11:31 Or unbelieving
  5. Hebrews 11:37 Some early manuscripts stoning; they were put to the test;