¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.^(A) 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.”^{[a](B) 19} Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead,^(C) 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.^(D)

²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons,^(E) 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.^(F)

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

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.^{(I) 25} He chose to be mistreated^(J) along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He regarded disgrace^(K) for the sake of Christ^(L) as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.^{(M) 27} By faith he left Egypt,^(N) 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^(O) of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.^(P)

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.^(Q)

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

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

³² And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon,^(T) Barak,^(U) Samson^(V) and Jephthah,^(W) about David^(X) and Samuel^(Y) and the prophets, ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms,^(Z) administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,^{(AA) 34} quenched the fury of the flames,^(AB) and escaped the edge of the sword;^(AC) whose weakness was turned to strength;^(AD) and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.^{(AE) 35} Women received back their dead, raised to life again.^(AF) 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,^(AG) and even chains and imprisonment.^{(AH) 37} They were put to death by stoning;^[c](AI) they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword.^(AJ) They went about in sheepskins and goatskins,^(AK) destitute, persecuted and mistreated— ³⁸ the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves^(AL) and in holes in the ground.

³⁹ These were all commended^(AM) for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,^{(AN) 40} since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us^(AO) would they be made perfect.^(AP)

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^(A) with perseverance^(B) the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus,^(C) the pioneer^(D) and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,^(E) scorning its shame,^(F) and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.^{(G) 3} Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary^(H) and lose heart.