Hebrews 12
Legacy Standard Bible
Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of Faith
12 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, (A)laying aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, let us (B)run with (C)endurance the race that is set before us, 2 [a]fixing our eyes on Jesus, the [b](D)author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him (E)endured the cross, (F)despising the shame, and has (G)sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For (H)consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary, (I)fainting [c]in heart.
The Father’s Discipline
4 (J)You have not yet resisted [d](K)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,
“(L)My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the [e]Lord,
Nor (M)faint when you are reproved by Him;
6 (N)For those (O)whom the [f]Lord loves He disciplines,
And He flogs every son whom He receives.”
7 It is for discipline that you endure; (P)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, (Q)of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we [g]had [h]earthly fathers to discipline us, and we (R)respected them. Shall we not much rather be subject to (S)the Father of [i]spirits, and (T)live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our benefit, (U)so that we may share His holiness. 11 And all discipline (V)for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful, but to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the (W)peaceful fruit of righteousness.
12 Therefore, [j](X)strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, 13 and (Y)make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather (Z)be healed.
14 (AA)Pursue peace with all men, and the (AB)sanctification without which no one will (AC)see the Lord, 15 seeing to it that no one (AD)falls short of the grace of God; that no (AE)root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be (AF)defiled; 16 that also there be no (AG)sexually immoral or (AH)godless person like Esau, (AI)who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that even afterwards, (AJ)when he desired 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 (AK)For you have not come to (AL)a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, 19 and to the (AM)blast of a trumpet and the (AN)sound of words which was such that those who heard (AO)begged that no further word be spoken to them. 20 For they could not bear what was being commanded, “(AP)If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned.” 21 And so terrible was what appeared, that Moses said, “(AQ)I am full of fear and trembling.” 22 But (AR)you have come to Mount Zion and to (AS)the city of (AT)the living God, (AU)the heavenly Jerusalem, and to (AV)myriads of [k]angels, 23 to the festal gathering and (AW)assembly of the firstborn who (AX)are enrolled in heaven, and to God, (AY)the Judge of all, and to the (AZ)spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the (BA)mediator of a new covenant, and to the (BB)sprinkled blood, which speaks better than (BC)the blood of Abel.
An Unshakable Kingdom
25 (BD)See to it that you do not refuse Him who is (BE)speaking. For (BF)if those did not escape when they (BG)refused him who (BH)warned them on earth, [l]much less will we escape who turn away from Him who (BI)warns from heaven. 26 And (BJ)His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “(BK)Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” 27 Now this expression, “Yet once more,” indicates (BL)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 are receiving a (BM)kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us [m]show gratitude, by which we may (BN)offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; 29 for (BO)our God is a consuming fire.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 12:2 Lit looking to
- Hebrews 12:2 Or leader
- Hebrews 12:3 Lit souls
- Hebrews 12:4 Lit as far as blood
- Hebrews 12:5 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Prov 3:11
- Hebrews 12:6 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Prov 3:12
- Hebrews 12:9 Lit were having
- Hebrews 12:9 Lit fathers of our flesh
- Hebrews 12:9 Or our spirits
- Hebrews 12:12 Lit make straight
- Hebrews 12:22 Or angels in festive gathering, and to the church
- Hebrews 12:25 Lit much rather we will not escape...
- Hebrews 12:28 Lit have
Hebrews 12
Common English Bible
Let’s also run the race
12 So then, with endurance, let’s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let’s throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up, 2 and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith’s pioneer and perfecter. He endured the cross, ignoring the shame, for the sake of the joy that was laid out in front of him, and sat down at the right side of God’s throne.
Run the race with discipline
3 Think about the one who endured such opposition from sinners so that you won’t be discouraged and you won’t give up. 4 In your struggle against sin, you haven’t resisted yet to the point of shedding blood, 5 and you have forgotten the encouragement that addresses you as sons and daughters:
My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline
or give up when you are corrected by him,
6 because the Lord disciplines whomever he loves,
and he punishes every son or daughter whom he accepts.[a]
7 Bear hardship for the sake of discipline. God is treating you like sons and daughters! What child isn’t disciplined by his or her father? 8 But if you don’t experience discipline, which happens to all children, then you are illegitimate and not real sons and daughters. 9 What’s more, we had human parents who disciplined us, and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live? 10 Our human parents disciplined us for a little while, as it seemed best to them, but God does it for our benefit so that we can share his holiness. 11 No discipline is fun while it lasts, but it seems painful at the time. Later, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness for those who have been trained by it.
12 So strengthen your drooping hands and weak knees! 13 Make straight paths for your feet so that if any part is lame, it will be healed rather than injured more seriously. 14 Pursue the goal of peace along with everyone—and holiness as well, because no one will see the Lord without it. 15 Make sure that no one misses out on God’s grace. Make sure that no root of bitterness grows up that might cause trouble and pollute many people. 16 Make sure that no one becomes sexually immoral or ungodly like Esau. He sold his inheritance as the oldest son for one meal. 17 You know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected because he couldn’t find a way to change his heart and life, though he looked for it with tears.
Priestly service in heavenly Jerusalem
18 You haven’t drawn near to something that can be touched: a burning fire, darkness, shadow, a whirlwind, 19 a blast of a trumpet, and a sound of words that made the ones who heard it beg that there wouldn’t be one more word. 20 They couldn’t stand the command, If even a wild animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.[b] 21 The sight was so frightening that Moses said, “I’m terrified and shaking!”
22 But you have drawn near to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, to countless angels in a festival gathering, 23 to the assembly of God’s firstborn children who are registered in heaven, to God the judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous who have been made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks better than Abel’s blood.
25 See to it that you don’t resist the one who is speaking. If the people didn’t escape when they refused to listen to the one who warned them on earth, how will we escape if we reject the one who is warning from heaven? 26 His voice shook the earth then, but now he has made a promise: Still once more I will shake not only the earth but heaven also.[c] 27 The words “still once more” reveal the removal of what is shaken—the things that are part of this creation—so that what isn’t shaken will remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that can’t be shaken, let’s continue to express our gratitude.[d] With this gratitude, let’s serve[e] in a way that is pleasing to God with respect and awe, 29 because our God really is a consuming fire.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 12:6 Prov 3:11-12
- Hebrews 12:20 Exod 19:12-13
- Hebrews 12:26 Exod 19:18
- Hebrews 12:28 Or hold on to grace
- Hebrews 12:28 Or offer priestly service
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