The Tower of Babel

11 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. ² And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in ^(A)the land of Shinar and settled there. ³ And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, ^(B)and bitumen for mortar. ⁴ Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower ^(C)with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” ⁵ And ^(D)the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. ⁶ And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. ⁷ Come, ^(E)let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.” ⁸ So ^(F)the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. ⁹ Therefore its name was called ^(G)Babel, because there the Lord confused^[a] the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

Shem's Descendants

^10 (H)These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. ¹¹ And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

¹² When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he fathered Shelah. ¹³ And Arpachshad lived after he fathered Shelah 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

¹⁴ When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber. ¹⁵ And Shelah lived after he fathered Eber 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

¹⁶ When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg. ¹⁷ And Eber lived after he fathered Peleg 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

¹⁸ When Peleg had lived 30 years, he fathered Reu. ¹⁹ And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

²⁰ When Reu had lived 32 years, he fathered Serug. ²¹ And Reu lived after he fathered Serug 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

²² When Serug had lived 30 years, he fathered Nahor. ²³ And Serug lived after he fathered Nahor 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

²⁴ When ^(I)Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah. ²⁵ And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

²⁶ When ^(J)Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

Terah's Descendants

²⁷ Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. ²⁸ Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans. ²⁹ And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram's wife was ^(K)Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, ^(L)Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. ³⁰ Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.

³¹ Terah ^(M)took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went forth together ^(N)from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. ³² The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.

God Is King over All the Earth

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of ^(A)the Sons of Korah.

Christ's Sacrifice Once for All

10 For since the law has but ^(A)a shadow ^(B)of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, ^(C)it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. ² Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? ³ But ^(D)in these sacrifices ^(E)there is a reminder of sins every year. ⁴ For ^(F)it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

⁵ Consequently, ^(G)when Christ^[a] came into the world, he said,

⁸ When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in ^(I)sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), ⁹ then he added, ^(J)“Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. ¹⁰ And by that will ^(K)we have been sanctified through the offering of ^(L)the body of Jesus Christ ^(M)once for all.

¹¹ And every priest stands ^(N)daily at his service, ^(O)offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, ^(P)which can never take away sins. ¹² But when Christ^[b] had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he ^(Q)sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ waiting from that time ^(R)until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. ¹⁴ For by a single offering ^(S)he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

¹⁵ And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

¹⁷ then he adds,

¹⁸ Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

The Full Assurance of Faith

^19 (V)Therefore, brothers,^[c] since we have confidence to enter ^(W)the holy places by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by ^(X)the new and living way that he opened for us through ^(Y)the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ²¹ and since we have ^(Z)a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts ^(AA)sprinkled clean ^(AB)from an evil conscience and our bodies ^(AC)washed with pure water. ^23 (AD)Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for ^(AE)he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And ^(AF)let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ^25 (AG)not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and ^(AH)all the more as you see ^(AI)the Day drawing near.

²⁶ For ^(AJ)if we go on sinning deliberately ^(AK)after receiving the knowledge of the truth, ^(AL)there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ^27 (AM)but a fearful expectation of judgment, and ^(AN)a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. ^28 (AO)Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy ^(AP)on the evidence of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one ^(AQ)who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned ^(AR)the blood of the covenant ^(AS)by which he was sanctified, and has ^(AT)outraged the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know him who said, ^(AU)“Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, ^(AV)“The Lord will judge his people.” ^31 (AW)It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

³² But recall the former days when, after ^(AX)you were enlightened, you endured ^(AY)a hard struggle with sufferings, ³³ sometimes being ^(AZ)publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. ³⁴ For ^(BA)you had compassion on those in prison, and ^(BB)you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had ^(BC)a better possession and an abiding one. ³⁵ Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has ^(BD)a great reward. ³⁶ For ^(BE)you have need of endurance, so that ^(BF)when you have done the will of God you may ^(BG)receive what is promised. ³⁷ For,

³⁹ But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

By Faith

11 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of ^(BK)things not seen. ² For by it the people of old received their commendation. ³ By faith we understand that the universe was created by ^(BL)the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of ^(BM)things that are visible.

⁴ By faith ^(BN)Abel offered to God ^(BO)a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And ^(BP)through his faith, though he died, he ^(BQ)still speaks. ⁵ By faith ^(BR)Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God ^(BS)must believe that he exists and ^(BT)that he rewards those who seek him. ⁷ By faith ^(BU)Noah, being warned by God concerning ^(BV)events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of ^(BW)the righteousness that comes by faith.

⁸ By faith ^(BX)Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place ^(BY)that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he went to live in ^(BZ)the land of promise, as in a foreign land, ^(CA)living in tents ^(CB)with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he was looking forward to ^(CC)the city that has ^(CD)foundations, ^(CE)whose designer and builder is God. ¹¹ By faith ^(CF)Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered ^(CG)him faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore from one man, and ^(CH)him as good as dead, were born descendants ^(CI)as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

¹³ These all died in faith, ^(CJ)not having received the things promised, but ^(CK)having seen them and greeted them from afar, and ^(CL)having acknowledged that they were ^(CM)strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, ^(CN)they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed ^(CO)to be called their God, for ^(CP)he has prepared for them a city.

¹⁷ By faith ^(CQ)Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, ¹⁸ of whom it was said, ^(CR)“Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” ^19 (CS)He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. ²⁰ By faith ^(CT)Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. ²¹ By faith ^(CU)Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, ^(CV)bowing in worship over the head of his staff. ²² By faith ^(CW)Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.

²³ By faith ^(CX)Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of ^(CY)the king's edict. ²⁴ By faith Moses, when he was grown up, ^(CZ)refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, ^25 (DA)choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy ^(DB)the fleeting pleasures of sin. ^26 (DC)He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to ^(DD)the reward. ²⁷ By faith he ^(DE)left Egypt, ^(DF)not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured ^(DG)as seeing him who is invisible. ²⁸ By faith ^(DH)he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.

²⁹ By faith ^(DI)the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. ³⁰ By faith ^(DJ)the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. ³¹ By faith ^(DK)Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she ^(DL)had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

³² And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of ^(DM)Gideon, ^(DN)Barak, ^(DO)Samson, ^(DP)Jephthah, of ^(DQ)David and ^(DR)Samuel and the prophets— ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, ^(DS)stopped the mouths of lions, ^34 (DT)quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, ^(DU)became mighty in war, ^(DV)put foreign armies to flight. ^35 (DW)Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. ³⁶ Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even ^(DX)chains and imprisonment. ^37 (DY)They were stoned, they were sawn in two,^{[d] (DZ)}they were killed with the sword. ^(EA)They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— ³⁸ of whom the world was not worthy—^(EB)wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

³⁹ And all these, ^(EC)though commended through their faith, ^(ED)did not receive what was promised, ⁴⁰ since God had provided something better for us, ^(EE)that apart from us they should not be made perfect.