Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

Read full chapter

God Disciplines His Children

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.(A) 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(B) when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,(C)
    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”[a](D)

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.(E) For what children are not disciplined by their father?

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 12:6 Prov. 3:11,12 (see Septuagint)

11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

Read full chapter

11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace(A) for those who have been trained by it.

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

Warning and Encouragement

14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone(E) and to be holy;(F) without holiness no one will see the Lord.(G) 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God(H) and that no bitter root(I) grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 12:13 Prov. 4:26