The Triumphs of Faith

11 Now faith is the ^(A)certainty of things ^[a](B)hoped for, a ^[b]proof of ^(C)things not seen. ² For by it the ^(D)people of old ^[c](E)gained approval.

³ By faith we understand that the ^[d](F)world has been created ^(G)by the word of God so that what is seen ^(H)has not been made out of things that are visible. ⁴ By faith ^(I)Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was ^(J)attested to be righteous, God testifying ^[e]about his ^(K)gifts, and through ^[f]faith, though ^(L)he is dead, he still speaks. ⁵ By faith ^(M)Enoch was taken up so that he would not ^(N)see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for before he was taken up, he was attested to have been pleasing to God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who ^(O)comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him. ⁷ By faith ^(P)Noah, being ^(Q)warned by God about ^(R)things not yet seen, ^[g](S)in reverence ^(T)prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of ^(U)the righteousness which is according to faith.

⁸ By faith ^(V)Abraham, when he was called, obeyed ^[h]by going out to a place which he was to ^(W)receive for an inheritance; and he left, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he lived as a stranger in ^(X)the land of promise, as in a foreign land, ^(Y)living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, ^(Z)fellow heirs of the same promise; ¹⁰ for he was looking for ^(AA)the city which has ^(AB)foundations, ^(AC)whose architect and builder is God. ¹¹ By faith even ^(AD)Sarah herself received ^[i]ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him ^(AE)faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore even from one man, and ^(AF)one who was as good as dead ^[j]at that, there were born descendants who were ^(AG)just as the stars of heaven in number, and as the innumerable grains of sand along the seashore.

^13 (AH)All these died in faith, ^(AI)without receiving the promises, but ^(AJ)having seen and welcomed them from a distance, and ^(AK)having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. ¹⁵ And indeed if they had been ^[k]thinking of that country which they left, ^(AL)they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a ^(AM)heavenly one. Therefore ^(AN)God is not ^[l]ashamed to be ^(AO)called their God; for ^(AP)He has prepared a city for them.

¹⁷ By faith ^(AQ)Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and the one who had ^(AR)received the promises was offering up his ^[m]only son; ¹⁸ it was he to whom it was said, “^(AS)Through Isaac your ^[n]descendants shall be named.” ^19 [o]He considered that ^(AT)God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back ^[p]as a ^[q](AU)type. ²⁰ By faith ^(AV)Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. ²¹ By faith ^(AW)Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and ^(AX)worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. ²² By faith ^(AY)Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.

²³ By faith ^(AZ)Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the ^(BA)king’s edict. ²⁴ By faith Moses, ^(BB)when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to ^(BC)endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin, ^26 (BD)considering the ^[r]reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the ^(BE)reward. ²⁷ By faith he ^(BF)left Egypt, not ^(BG)fearing the wrath of the king; for he persevered, as though ^(BH)seeing Him who is unseen. ²⁸ By faith he ^[s](BI)kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that ^(BJ)the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch them. ²⁹ By faith they ^(BK)passed through the Red Sea as through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were ^[t]drowned.

³⁰ By faith ^(BL)the walls of Jericho fell down ^[u](BM)after the Israelites had marched around them for seven days. ³¹ By faith the prostitute ^(BN)Rahab did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies ^[v]in peace.

³² And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of ^(BO)Gideon, ^(BP)Barak, ^(BQ)Samson, ^(BR)Jephthah, of ^(BS)David and ^(BT)Samuel and the prophets, ³³ who by faith ^(BU)conquered kingdoms, ^(BV)performed acts of righteousness, ^(BW)obtained promises, ^(BX)shut the mouths of lions, ^34 (BY)quenched the power of fire, ^(BZ)escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, ^(CA)became mighty in war, ^(CB)put foreign armies to flight. ^35 (CC)Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their ^[w]release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; ³⁶ and others ^[x]experienced mocking and flogging, and further, ^(CD)chains and imprisonment. ³⁷ They were ^(CE)stoned, they were sawn in two, ^[y]they were tempted, they were ^(CF)put to death with the sword; they went about ^(CG)in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ^(CH)tormented ³⁸ (people of whom the world was not worthy), ^(CI)wandering in deserts, on mountains, and sheltering in caves and holes ^[z]in the ground.

³⁹ And all these, having ^(CJ)gained approval through their faith, ^(CK)did not receive ^[aa]what was promised, ⁴⁰ because God had ^[ab]provided ^(CL)something better for us, so that ^(CM)apart from us they would not be made perfect.

Jesus, the Example

12 Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s ^(CN)rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s ^(CO)run with ^(CP)endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking only at Jesus, the ^[ac](CQ)originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him ^(CR)endured the cross, ^(CS)despising the shame, and has ^(CT)sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

³ For ^(CU)consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary ^[ad](CV)and lose heart.

A Father’s Discipline

^4 (CW)You have not yet resisted ^[ae](CX)to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; ⁵ and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,

⁷ It is for discipline that you endure; ^(DC)God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? ⁸ But if you are without discipline, ^(DD)of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. ⁹ Furthermore, we had ^[af]earthly fathers to discipline us, and we ^(DE)respected them; shall we not much more be subject to ^(DF)the Father of ^[ag]spirits, and ^(DG)live? ¹⁰ For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, ^(DH)so that we may share His holiness. ^11 (DI)For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the ^(DJ)peaceful fruit of righteousness.

¹² Therefore, ^[ah](DK)strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, ¹³ and ^(DL)make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is impaired may not be dislocated, but rather ^(DM)be healed.

^14 (DN)Pursue peace with all people, and the ^(DO)holiness without which no one will ^(DP)see the Lord. ¹⁵ See to it that no one ^(DQ)comes short of the grace of God; that no ^(DR)root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many become ^(DS)defiled; ¹⁶ that there be no ^(DT)sexually immoral or ^(DU)godless person like Esau, ^(DV)who sold his own birthright for a single meal. ¹⁷ For you know that even afterward, ^(DW)when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

Contrast of Sinai and Zion

^18 (DX)For you have not come to ^(DY)a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, ¹⁹ and to the ^(DZ)blast of a trumpet and the ^(EA)sound of words, which sound was such that those who heard ^(EB)begged that no further word be spoken to them. ²⁰ For they could not ^[ai]cope with the command, “^(EC)If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” ²¹ And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “^(ED)I am terrified and trembling.” ²² But ^(EE)you have come to Mount Zion and to ^(EF)the city of ^(EG)the living God, ^(EH)the heavenly Jerusalem, and to ^(EI)myriads of ^[aj]angels, ²³ to the general assembly and ^(EJ)church of the firstborn who ^(EK)are enrolled in heaven, and to God, ^(EL)the Judge of all, and to the ^(EM)spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴ and to Jesus, the ^(EN)mediator of a new covenant, and to the ^(EO)sprinkled blood, which speaks better than ^(EP)the blood of Abel.

The Unshaken Kingdom

^25 (EQ)See to it that you do not refuse Him who is ^(ER)speaking. For ^(ES)if those did not escape when they ^(ET)refused him who ^(EU)warned them on earth, ^[ak]much less will we escape who turn away from Him who ^(EV)warns us from heaven. ²⁶ And ^(EW)His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “^(EX)Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” ²⁷ This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes ^(EY)the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸ Therefore, since we receive a ^(EZ)kingdom which cannot be shaken, let’s ^[al]show gratitude, by which we may ^(FA)offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; ²⁹ for ^(FB)our God is a consuming fire.

The Changeless Christ

13 Let ^(FC)love of the brothers and sisters continue. ² Do not neglect ^(FD)hospitality to strangers, for by this some have ^(FE)entertained angels without knowing it. ^3 (FF)Remember ^(FG)the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are badly treated, since you yourselves also are in the body. ^4 (FH)Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; ^(FI)for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. ⁵ Make sure that your character is ^(FJ)free from the love of money, ^(FK)being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “^(FL)I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you,” ⁶ so that we confidently say,

⁷ Remember ^(FN)those who led you, who spoke ^(FO)the word of God to you; and considering the ^[am]result of their way of life, ^(FP)imitate their faith. ^8 (FQ)Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever. ^9 (FR)Do not be misled by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to ^(FS)be strengthened by grace, not by ^(FT)foods, ^(FU)through which those who ^[an]were so occupied were not benefited. ¹⁰ We have an altar ^(FV)from which those ^(FW)who serve the ^[ao]tabernacle have no right to eat. ¹¹ For ^(FX)the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the Holy Place by the high priest as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp. ¹² Therefore Jesus also suffered ^(FY)outside the gate, ^(FZ)that He might sanctify the people ^(GA)through His own blood. ¹³ So then, let us go out to Him outside the camp, ^(GB)bearing His reproach. ¹⁴ For here ^(GC)we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking ^(GD)the city which is to come.

God-pleasing Sacrifices

^15 (GE)Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a ^(GF)sacrifice of praise to God, that is, ^(GG)the fruit of lips praising His name. ¹⁶ And do not neglect doing good and ^(GH)sharing, for ^(GI)with such sacrifices God is pleased.

^17 (GJ)Obey your leaders and submit to them—for ^(GK)they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account—so that they may do this with joy, not ^[ap]groaning; for this would be unhelpful for you.

^18 (GL)Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a ^(GM)good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things. ¹⁹ And I urge you all the more to do this, ^(GN)so that I may be restored to you more quickly.

Benediction

²⁰ Now may ^(GO)the God of peace, who ^(GP)brought up from the dead the ^(GQ)great Shepherd of the sheep ^[aq]through ^(GR)the blood of the ^(GS)eternal covenant, that is, Jesus our Lord, ^21 (GT)equip you in every good thing to do His will, ^(GU)working in us that ^(GV)which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, ^(GW)to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

²² But ^(GX)I urge you, ^(GY)brothers and sisters, ^[ar]listen patiently to ^[as]this ^(GZ)word of exhortation, for ^(HA)I have written to you briefly. ²³ Know that ^(HB)our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you. ²⁴ Greet ^(HC)all of your leaders and all the ^[at](HD)saints. Those from ^(HE)Italy greet you.

^25 (HF)Grace be with you all.