Hebrews 11:32-12:2

Holman Christian Standard Bible

³² And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah,^(A) David, Samuel, and the prophets,^{(B) 33} who by faith conquered kingdoms,^(C) administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,^{(D) 34} quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength after being weak, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.^{(E) 35} Women received their dead—they were raised to life again. Some men were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection, ³⁶ and others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment.^{(F) 37} They were stoned,^[a](G) they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins,^(H) destitute, afflicted, and mistreated. ³⁸ The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

³⁹ All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, ⁴⁰ since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.^(I)

The Call to Endurance

12 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses^(J) surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance^(K) the race that lies before us, ² keeping our eyes on Jesus,^[b] the source and perfecter^[c] of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him^[d] endured a cross and despised the shame^(L) and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.