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Follow Jesus’ Example

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by a great cloud of ·people whose lives tell us what faith means [L witnesses], let us run the race that is before us ·and never give up [with endurance/perseverance]. ·We should [Let us] ·remove from our lives [get rid of; cast aside] anything that ·would get in the way [impedes/hinders us] and the sin that so easily ·holds us back [entangles/clings to us]. Let us ·look only to [keep our eyes on] Jesus, the ·One who began [Pioneer/Founder of; or Leader/Prince of] our faith and who ·makes it perfect [completes it]. He ·suffered death on [L endured] the cross, ·accepting the shame as if it were nothing [L disregarding/despising the shame] because of the joy that ·God put before [lay ahead for] him. And now he is sitting at the right ·side [L hand] of God’s throne [1:3; 13; Ps. 110:1]. Think about Jesus, who endured such ·hostility [opposition] from sinful people, so that you will not ·get tired [grow weary; get discouraged] and ·stop trying [give up].

God Is like a Father

You are struggling against sin, but your ·struggles [resistance; opposition] have not yet ·caused you to be killed [resulted in bloodshed/L blood]. ·You have forgotten [or Have you forgotten…?] the ·encouraging words [exhortation] that ·call you his [or address you as] ·children [or sons]:

“My ·child [or son], don’t ·think the Lord’s discipline is worth nothing [scorn/treat lightly/make light of the Lord’s discipline],
    and don’t ·stop trying [get discouraged] when he ·corrects [rebukes] you.
  [L For; Because] The Lord disciplines those he loves,
    and he ·punishes [chastises; severely disciplines] everyone he accepts as his child [Prov. 3:11–12].”

·So hold on through your sufferings, because they are like a father’s discipline [L Persevere in discipline]. God is treating you as ·children [or sons]. ·All children are [L For what child/son is not…?] disciplined by their fathers. If you are never disciplined (and every ·child [or son] must be disciplined), you are ·not true children [L illegitimate and not (true) children/sons]. [Furthermore; Moreover] We have all had ·fathers [or parents] here on earth who disciplined us, and we respected them. So it is even more important that we accept discipline from ·the Father of our spirits [or our spiritual Father; or the Father of all spirit beings; 12:23; Num. 16:22] so we will have [C eternal or true spiritual] life. 10 ·Our fathers on earth [L They] disciplined us for a short time in the way they thought was best. But God disciplines us ·to help us [for our good/benefit], so we can ·become holy as he is [L share in his holiness]. 11 We do not enjoy being disciplined. It is painful at the time, but later, after we have ·learned from [been trained by] it, ·we have peace [L it produces/bears the fruit of peace], ·because we start living in the right way [or …and righteousness].

Be Careful How You Live

12 ·You have become weak, so make yourselves strong again [L Therefore, strengthen your drooping arms/hands and your weak/disabled knees; Is. 35:3]. 13 ·Keep on the right path [L Make straight/clear paths for your feet; Prov. 4:27], so the ·weak [lame] will not ·stumble [be disabled; put out of joint] but rather be ·strengthened [healed].

14 ·Try to live in [L Pursue] peace with all people, and ·try to live free from sin [L pursue holiness/sanctification]. [L For] Anyone whose life is not ·holy [sanctified] will never see the Lord. 15 ·Be careful [See to it; Take heed] that no one ·fails to receive [falls short of] God’s grace and ·begins to cause trouble among you [L that no bitter root/plant grows up to cause trouble]. ·A person like that [Such a root/plant] can ·ruin [defile; pollute; corrupt] many of you. 16 ·Be careful [See to it; Take heed] that no one takes part in sexual sin or is like Esau and ·never thinks about God [is godless/profane/worldly-minded]. ·As the oldest son, Esau would have received everything from his father, but he sold all that for a single meal [L …who sold his own birthright for one meal; Gen. 25:29–34]. 17 You remember that after Esau did this, he wanted to ·get [L inherit] his father’s blessing, but ·his father refused [L he was rejected]. Esau could find no way to ·change [or repent of] what he had done, even though he ·wanted [pleaded for; sought] the blessing so much that he cried [Gen. 27:34–41].

18 You have not come to ·a mountain [L something] that can be touched and that is burning with fire [C a description of Mount Sinai when Israel received the Law; Ex. 19:18; Deut. 4:11]. You have not come to darkness, gloom, and ·storms [a whirlwind]. 19 You have not come to the noise of a trumpet [Ex. 19:16, 19] or to the sound of ·a voice [L words] like the one the people of Israel heard and begged not to hear another word [C fearing God’s wrath, Israel asked Moses to mediate God’s message; Ex. 20:19; Deut. 5:5; 18:16]. 20 [L  For] They ·did not want to hear [could not bear/endure] the command: “If anything, even an animal, touches the mountain, it must be put to death with stones [Ex. 19:12–13].” 21 [Indeed,] What they saw was so ·terrible [terrifying] that Moses said, “I am ·shaking [trembling] with fear [Deut. 9:19].”

22 But you have come to Mount Zion [C another name for Jerusalem, here meaning the spiritual city of God’s people; Gal. 4:26; Rev. 21:2], to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem [11:10]. You have come to ·thousands of [tens of thousands/myriads of; countless] angels ·gathered together with joy [in joyful assembly; Deut. 33:2]. 23 You have come to the ·meeting [assembly; congregation; or church] of God’s firstborn [C the first son in a Jewish family received special privileges and a greater share of the inheritance; all God’s people are “firstborn”] children ·whose names are written [who are registered as citizens; Luke 10:20; Rev. 21:27] in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of ·all people [everything; all], and to the spirits of ·good [righteous] people who have been made perfect. 24 You have come to Jesus, the ·One who brought [mediator of] the new ·agreement from God to his people [covenant; contract; 8:1–13; Jer. 31:31–34], and you have come to the sprinkled blood [C Jesus’ blood shed on the cross; Heb. 9:19–22] that ·has a better message [speaks of something better; or pleads more insistently] than the blood of Abel [C murdered by his brother Cain; Abel’s “blood cried out” to God for vengeance (Gen. 4:10), but Jesus’ blood cries out with a message of forgiveness and reconciliation].

25 So ·be careful and [see that you] do not refuse to listen when God speaks. If those who refused to listen to him when he warned them on earth did not escape, how much worse will it be for us if we refuse to listen to God who warns us from heaven? 26 When he spoke ·before [then], his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once again I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens [Hag. 2:6, 21].” 27 The words “once again” clearly show us that everything that was made—things that can be shaken—will be ·destroyed [removed]. [So that] Only the things that cannot be shaken will remain.

28 So let us be thankful, because we ·have [are receiving] a kingdom that cannot be shaken. [As a result; or In this way] We should worship God in a way that pleases him with ·respect [reverence; devotion] and ·fear [awe], 29 because our God is ·like a fire that burns things up [L a consuming/devouring fire; Deut. 4:24; 9:3].

12 Therefore toigaroun since we echō ourselves hēmeis have echō so great tosoutos a cloud nephos of witnesses martys surrounding perikeimai us hēmeis, let us also kai lay aside apotithēmi every pas impediment onkos, and kai the ho sin hamartia that so easily distracts euperistatos, and let us run trechō with dia endurance hypomonē the ho race agōn that is prescribed prokeimai for us hēmeis, fixing our gaze aphoraō upon eis Jesus Iēsous, the ho pioneer archēgos and kai perfecter teleiōtēs of our ho faith pistis, who hos rather than anti the ho joy chara set before prokeimai him autos endured hypomenō a cross stauros, disregarding kataphroneō its shame aischunē, and te has kathizō now te taken his seat kathizō at en the right hand dexios of the ho throne thronos of ho God theos. Consider analogizomai him who endured hypomenō from hypo sinners hamartōlos · ho such toioutos opposition antilogia · ho against eis himself heautou, so that hina you may not grow weary kamnō in ho your hymeis souls psychē and lose heart eklyō.

You have antikathistēmi not yet oupō resisted antikathistēmi to the point mechri of bloodshed haima as you struggle antagōnizomai against pros · ho sin hamartia. And kai have you forgotten eklanthanomai the ho word of encouragement paraklēsis that hostis speaks dialegomai to you hymeis as hōs sons hyios? “ My egō son hyios, do not regard lightly oligōreō the discipline paideia of the Lord kyrios, nor mēde lose heart eklyō when corrected elenchō by hypo him autos. For gar the Lord kyrios disciplines paideuō the one hos he loves agapaō, and de corrects with punishment mastigoō everyone pas whom hos he receives paradechomai as a son hyios.”

Endure hypomenō your trials hypomenō as eis divine discipline paideia. God theos is treating prospherō you hymeis as hōs sons hyios. · ho For gar what tis son hyios is there whom hos a father patēr does not ou discipline paideuō? But de if ei you are eimi left without chōris discipline paideia, in which hos all pas sons share metochos, then ara you are eimi illegitimate children nothos and kai not ou sons hyios. Furthermore eita, · ho we had echō · ho our hēmeis natural sarx fathers patēr who disciplined paideutēs us and kai we respected entrepō them. Should we not ou much polys · de more mallon submit ourselves hypotassō to the ho Father patēr of ho spirits pneuma and kai live zaō? 10 For gar they ho disciplined paideuō us for pros a short oligos time hēmera as kata it ho seemed dokeō best to them autos, but de he ho disciplines us for epi our ho benefit sympherō, so that eis we may share metalambanō · ho his autos holy character hagiotēs. 11 All pas · de discipline paideia at pros the ho time pareimi seems dokeō not ou to be eimi pleasant chara, but alla painful lypē; but de later hysteros it yields apodidōmi the peaceful eirēnikos fruit karpos of righteousness dikaiosynē to those ho who have been trained gymnazō by dia it autos.

12 Therefore dio strengthen anorthoō your ho drooping pariēmi hands cheir and kai · ho weakened paralyō knees gony 13 and kai make poieō straight orthos paths trochia for ho your hymeis feet pous, so that hina what ho is lame chōlos may not be dislocated ektrepō, but de rather mallon healed iaomai.

14 Strive for diōkō peace eirēnē with meta everyone pas, and kai for the ho holiness hagiasmos without chōris which hos no one oudeis will see horaō the ho Lord kyrios. 15 Take care episkopeō that no one tis forfeits hystereō apo the ho grace charis of ho God theos; and that no root rhiza of bitterness pikria grows phyō up anō and causes trouble enochleō and kai by dia it autos many polys are defiled miainō. 16 that no one tis becomes immoral pornos and ē profane bebēlos like hōs Esau ēsau, who hos gave up apodidōmi his heautou inheritance rights prōtotokia in return for anti a single heis meal brōsis. · ho 17 For gar you know oida that hoti even kai afterward metepeita, when he wanted thelō to inherit klēronomeō the ho blessing eulogia, he was rejected apodokimazō, for gar he found heuriskō no ou opportunity topos for repentance metanoia, even though kaiper he sought ekzēteō the blessing autos earnestly ekzēteō with meta tears dakryon.

18 For gar you have not ou come to proserchomai something that can be touched psēlaphaō, · kai to a blazing kaiō fire pyr, and kai darkness gnophos, and kai gloom zophos, and kai a whirlwind thuella; 19 · kai to ēchos the blast ēchos of a trumpet salpinx and kai a sound phōnē of words rhēma which hos made those ho who heard akouō it beg paraiteomai that no further message logos be given prostithēmi to them autos, 20 for gar they could not ou endure pherō the ho order that was given diastellō: “ If even kan a wild animal thērion touches thinganō the ho mountain oros, it shall be stoned lithoboleō.” 21 And kai so houtōs awesome phoberos was eimi the ho spectacle phantazō that Moses Mōysēs said legō, “ I am eimi terrified ekphobos and kai trembling entromos.”

22 On the contrary alla, you have come to proserchomai Mount oros Zion Siōn, even kai to the city polis of the living zaō God theos, the heavenly epouranios Jerusalem Ierousalēm, and kai to innumerable myrias angels angelos, to a joyful assembly panēgyris, 23 and kai to the assembly ekklēsia of the firstborn prōtotokos whose names are inscribed apographō in en heaven ouranos, and kai to God theos, the judge kritēs of all pas, and kai to the spirits pneuma of the righteous dikaios who have been made perfect teleioō, 24 and kai to Jesus Iēsous, mediator mesitēs of a new neos covenant diathēkē, and kai to sprinkled rhantismos blood haima speaking laleō more effectively kreittōn than para the ho blood of Abel Habel.

25 Take care blepō not to disregard paraiteomai the ho one who is speaking laleō! For gar if ei those ekeinos did not ou escape ekpheugō when they disregarded paraiteomai the ho one who warned chrēmatizō them on epi earth , how much polys less mallon will we hēmeis, if we ho reject apostrephō the ho one who warns from apo heaven ouranos. 26 At that time tote his hos · ho voice phōnē shook saleuō the ho earth , but de now nyn he has promised epangellomai, “ Yet eti once more hapax will I egō shake seiō not ou only monon the ho earth but alla also kai the ho heaven ouranos.” 27 The ho phrase, · de Yet eti once more hapax,” declares dēloō the ho removal metathesis of ho what can be shaken saleuō that is hōs, created things poieō so that hina what ho cannot be shaken saleuō may remain menō.

28 Therefore dio since we are receiving paralambanō a kingdom basileia that cannot be shaken asaleutos, let us be echō thankful charis, and in dia this way hos worship latreuō God theos in an acceptable manner euarestōs, · ho with meta reverence eulabeia and kai awe deos, 29 for gar indeed kai · ho our hēmeis God theos is a consuming katanaliskō fire pyr.