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Hebrews 10:1-13:17
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All

10 Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the true form of these realities, it[a] can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who approach.(A) 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased being offered, since the worshipers, cleansed once for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sin? 3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin year after year.(B) 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.(C) 5 Consequently, when Christ[b] came into the world, he said,

“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
    but a body you have prepared for me;(D)
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings
    you have taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘See, I have come to do your will, O God’
    (in the scroll of the book[c] it is written of me).”(E)

8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, “See, I have come to do your will.” He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. 10 And it is by God’s will[d] that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.(F)

11 And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins.(G) 12 But when Christ[e] had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, “he sat down at the right hand of God,” 13 and since then has been waiting “until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet.”(H) 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,

16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them
    after those days, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
    and I will write them on their minds,”(I)

17 and he adds,

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

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

A Call to Persevere

19 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,(J) 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh),(K) 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,(L) 22 let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.(M) 23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.(N) 24 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.(O)

26 For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins(P) 27 but a fearful prospect of judgment and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.(Q) 28 Anyone who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy “on the testimony of two or three witnesses.”(R) 29 How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by those who have spurned the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace?(S) 30 For we know the one who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.”[f] And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”(T) 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32 But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings,(U) 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to insults and afflictions and sometimes becoming partners with those so treated.(V) 34 For you had compassion for those who were in prison, and you cheerfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you yourselves possessed something better and more lasting.[g](W) 35 Do not, therefore, abandon that boldness of yours; it brings a great reward. 36 For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what was promised.(X) 37 For yet

“in a very little while,
    the one who is coming will come and will not delay,(Y)
38 but my righteous one will live by faith.
    My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back.”(Z)

39 But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost but among those who have faith and so preserve our souls.(AA)

The Meaning of Faith

11 Now faith is the assurance[h] of things hoped for, the conviction[i] of things not seen.(AB) 2 Indeed, by faith[j] our ancestors received approval. 3 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.[k](AC)

The Examples of Abel, Enoch, and Noah

4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable[l] sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith[m] he still speaks.(AD) 5 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.”(AE) 6 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. 7 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.(AF)

The Faith of Abraham

8 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.(AG) 9 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.(AH) 10 For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.(AI) 11 By faith, with Sarah’s involvement, he received power of procreation, even though he was too old, because he considered[n] him faithful who had promised.(AJ) 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.”(AK)

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,(AL) 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.(AM)

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,(AN) 18 of whom he had been told, “It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.”(AO) 19 He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead—and, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.(AP) 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.”(AQ) 22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his burial.[o](AR)

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.[p](AS) 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[q] 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[r] 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.[s](AT)

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.(AU) 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days.(AV) 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient,[t] because she had received the spies in peace.(AW)

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,(AX) 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.(AY) 35 Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection.(AZ) 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment.(BA) 37 They were stoned to death; they were sawn in two;[u] they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented(BB)— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains and in caves and holes in the ground.(BC)

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.(BD)

The Example of Jesus

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,[v] and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,(BE) 2 looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the sake of[w] the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.(BF)

3 Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners,[x] so that you may not grow weary in your souls or lose heart.(BG) 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children—

“My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord
    or lose heart when you are punished by him,(BH)
6 for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves
    and chastises every child whom he accepts.”(BI)

7 Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children, for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline?(BJ) 8 If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children.(BK) 9 Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness.(BL) 11 Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.(BM)

12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees(BN) 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.(BO)

Warnings against Rejecting God’s Grace

14 Pursue peace with everyone and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God, that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble and through it many become defiled.(BP) 16 See to it that no one becomes an immoral and godless person, as Esau was, who sold his birthright for a single meal.(BQ) 17 You know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, even though he sought the blessing[y] with tears.(BR)

18 You have not come to something[z] that can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest,(BS) 19 and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them.(BT) 20 (For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death.”(BU) 21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.”)(BV) 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering,(BW) 23 and to the assembly[aa] of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,(BX) 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.(BY)

25 See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking, for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven!(BZ) 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.”(CA) 27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what is shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.(CB) 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe, 29 for indeed our God is a consuming fire.(CC)

Service Well-Pleasing to God

13 Let mutual affection continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.(CD) 3 Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them, those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured.[ab] 4 Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.(CE) 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”(CF) 6 So we can say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper;
    I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?”

7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by regulations about food,[ac] which have not benefited those who observe them.(CG) 10 We have an altar from which those who officiate in the tent[ad] have no right to eat.(CH) 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.(CI) 12 Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the city gate in order to sanctify the people by his own blood.(CJ) 13 Let us then go to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.(CK) 15 Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.(CL) 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing, for that would be harmful to you.(CM)

Footnotes

  1. 10.1 Other ancient authorities read they
  2. 10.5 Gk he
  3. 10.7 Meaning of Gk uncertain
  4. 10.10 Gk by that will
  5. 10.12 Gk this one
  6. 10.30 Other ancient authorities add says the Lord
  7. 10.34 Other ancient authorities add in heaven
  8. 11.1 Or reality
  9. 11.1 Or evidence
  10. 11.2 Gk by this
  11. 11.3 Or was not made out of visible things
  12. 11.4 Gk greater
  13. 11.4 Gk through it
  14. 11.11 Other ancient authorities read By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered
  15. 11.22 Gk his bones
  16. 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
  17. 11.26 Or the Messiah
  18. 11.27 Or because
  19. 11.28 Gk would not touch them
  20. 11.31 Or unbelieving
  21. 11.37 Other ancient authorities add they were tempted
  22. 12.1 Other ancient authorities read sin that easily distracts
  23. 12.2 Or who instead of
  24. 12.3 Other ancient authorities read such hostility from sinners against themselves
  25. 12.17 Gk it
  26. 12.18 Other ancient authorities read a mountain
  27. 12.23 Or angels, and to the festal gathering and assembly
  28. 13.3 Gk were in the body
  29. 13.9 Gk not by foods
  30. 13.10 Or tabernacle
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Hebrews 10:1-13:17
New International Version

Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All

10 The law is only a shadow(A) of the good things(B) that are coming—not the realities themselves.(C) For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect(D) those who draw near to worship.(E) 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.(F) 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.(G) 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats(H) to take away sins.(I)

5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world,(J) he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
    but a body you prepared for me;(K)
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
    you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll(L)—
    I have come to do your will, my God.’”[a](M)

8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”(N)—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.”(O) He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy(P) through the sacrifice of the body(Q) of Jesus Christ once for all.(R)

11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices,(S) which can never take away sins.(T) 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins,(U) he sat down at the right hand of God,(V) 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.(W) 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect(X) forever those who are being made holy.(Y)

15 The Holy Spirit also testifies(Z) to us about this. First he says:

16 “This is the covenant I will make with them
    after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
    and I will write them on their minds.”[b](AA)

17 Then he adds:

“Their sins and lawless acts
    I will remember no more.”[c](AB)

18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.

A Call to Persevere in Faith

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence(AC) to enter the Most Holy Place(AD) by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way(AE) opened for us through the curtain,(AF) that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest(AG) over the house of God,(AH) 22 let us draw near to God(AI) with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings,(AJ) having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience(AK) and having our bodies washed with pure water.(AL) 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope(AM) we profess,(AN) for he who promised is faithful.(AO) 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,(AP) 25 not giving up meeting together,(AQ) as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another(AR)—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.(AS)

26 If we deliberately keep on sinning(AT) after we have received the knowledge of the truth,(AU) no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire(AV) that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.(AW) 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God(AX) underfoot,(AY) who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant(AZ) that sanctified them,(BA) and who has insulted the Spirit(BB) of grace?(BC) 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d](BD) and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”[e](BE) 31 It is a dreadful thing(BF) to fall into the hands(BG) of the living God.(BH)

32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light,(BI) when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.(BJ) 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution;(BK) at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.(BL) 34 You suffered along with those in prison(BM) and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.(BN) 35 So do not throw away your confidence;(BO) it will be richly rewarded.

36 You need to persevere(BP) so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.(BQ) 37 For,

“In just a little while,
    he who is coming(BR) will come
    and will not delay.”[f](BS)

38 And,

“But my righteous[g] one will live by faith.(BT)
    And I take no pleasure
    in the one who shrinks back.”[h](BU)

39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.

Faith in Action

11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for(BV) and assurance about what we do not see.(BW) 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.(BX)

3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command,(BY) so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended(BZ) as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.(CA) And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.(CB)

5 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.”[i](CC) For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him(CD) must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

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

8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance,(CI) obeyed and went,(CJ) even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land(CK) like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents,(CL) as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.(CM) 10 For he was looking forward to the city(CN) with foundations,(CO) whose architect and builder is God.(CP) 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age,(CQ) was enabled to bear children(CR) because she[j] considered him faithful(CS) who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead,(CT) came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.(CU)

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;(CV) they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,(CW) admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.(CX) 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.(CY) 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.(CZ) Therefore God is not ashamed(DA) to be called their God,(DB) for he has prepared a city(DC) for them.

17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.(DD) 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.”[k](DE) 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead,(DF) 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.(DG)

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

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

24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.(DL) 25 He chose to be mistreated(DM) along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace(DN) for the sake of Christ(DO) as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.(DP) 27 By faith he left Egypt,(DQ) 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(DR) of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.(DS)

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.(DT)

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

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

32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon,(DW) Barak,(DX) Samson(DY) and Jephthah,(DZ) about David(EA) and Samuel(EB) and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms,(EC) administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,(ED) 34 quenched the fury of the flames,(EE) and escaped the edge of the sword;(EF) whose weakness was turned to strength;(EG) and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.(EH) 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again.(EI) 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,(EJ) and even chains and imprisonment.(EK) 37 They were put to death by stoning;[m](EL) they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword.(EM) They went about in sheepskins and goatskins,(EN) destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves(EO) and in holes in the ground.

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

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run(ET) with perseverance(EU) the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus,(EV) the pioneer(EW) and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,(EX) scorning its shame,(EY) and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.(EZ) 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary(FA) and lose heart.

God Disciplines His Children

4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.(FB) 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not lose heart(FC) when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,(FD)
    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”[n](FE)

7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.(FF) For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline(FG)—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits(FH) and live!(FI) 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.(FJ) 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace(FK) for those who have been trained by it.

12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.(FL) 13 “Make level paths for your feet,”[o](FM) so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.(FN)

Warning and Encouragement

14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone(FO) and to be holy;(FP) without holiness no one will see the Lord.(FQ) 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God(FR) and that no bitter root(FS) grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral,(FT) or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.(FU) 17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears,(FV) he could not change what he had done.

The Mountain of Fear and the Mountain of Joy

18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm;(FW) 19 to a trumpet blast(FX) or to such a voice speaking words(FY) that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them,(FZ) 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”[p](GA) 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”[q](GB)

22 But you have come to Mount Zion,(GC) to the city(GD) of the living God,(GE) the heavenly Jerusalem.(GF) You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn,(GG) whose names are written in heaven.(GH) You have come to God, the Judge of all,(GI) to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,(GJ) 24 to Jesus the mediator(GK) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood(GL) that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.(GM)

25 See to it that you do not refuse(GN) him who speaks.(GO) If they did not escape when they refused him who warned(GP) them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?(GQ) 26 At that time his voice shook the earth,(GR) but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”[r](GS) 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken(GT)—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken,(GU) let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,(GV) 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”[s](GW)

Concluding Exhortations

13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.(GX) 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers,(GY) for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.(GZ) 3 Continue to remember those in prison(HA) as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

4 Marriage should be honored by all,(HB) and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.(HC) 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money(HD) and be content with what you have,(HE) because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;
    never will I forsake you.”[t](HF)

6 So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?”[u](HG)

7 Remember your leaders,(HH) who spoke the word of God(HI) to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate(HJ) their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.(HK)

9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.(HL) It is good for our hearts to be strengthened(HM) by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods,(HN) which is of no benefit to those who do so.(HO) 10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle(HP) have no right to eat.(HQ)

11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering,(HR) but the bodies are burned outside the camp.(HS) 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate(HT) to make the people holy(HU) through his own blood.(HV) 13 Let us, then, go to him(HW) outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.(HX) 14 For here we do not have an enduring city,(HY) but we are looking for the city that is to come.(HZ)

15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice(IA) of praise—the fruit of lips(IB) that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others,(IC) for with such sacrifices(ID) God is pleased.

17 Have confidence in your leaders(IE) and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you(IF) as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 10:7 Psalm 40:6-8 (see Septuagint)
  2. Hebrews 10:16 Jer. 31:33
  3. Hebrews 10:17 Jer. 31:34
  4. Hebrews 10:30 Deut. 32:35
  5. Hebrews 10:30 Deut. 32:36; Psalm 135:14
  6. Hebrews 10:37 Isaiah 26:20; Hab. 2:3
  7. Hebrews 10:38 Some early manuscripts But the righteous
  8. Hebrews 10:38 Hab. 2:4 (see Septuagint)
  9. Hebrews 11:5 Gen. 5:24
  10. 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
  11. Hebrews 11:18 Gen. 21:12
  12. Hebrews 11:31 Or unbelieving
  13. Hebrews 11:37 Some early manuscripts stoning; they were put to the test;
  14. Hebrews 12:6 Prov. 3:11,12 (see Septuagint)
  15. Hebrews 12:13 Prov. 4:26
  16. Hebrews 12:20 Exodus 19:12,13
  17. Hebrews 12:21 See Deut. 9:19.
  18. Hebrews 12:26 Haggai 2:6
  19. Hebrews 12:29 Deut. 4:24
  20. Hebrews 13:5 Deut. 31:6
  21. Hebrews 13:6 Psalm 118:6,7
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