Add parallel Print Page Options

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.

The Lord’s Discipline

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,[a] we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For[b] the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.[c] Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up. You have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed[d] in your struggle against sin. And have you forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons?

My son, do not scorn[e] the Lord’s discipline
or give up when he corrects[f] you.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts.”[g]

Endure your suffering[h] as discipline;[i] God is treating you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? But if you do not experience discipline,[j] something all sons[k] have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons. Besides, we have experienced discipline from[l] our earthly fathers[m] and we respected them; shall we not submit ourselves all the more to the Father of spirits and receive life?[n] 10 For they disciplined us for a little while as seemed good to them, but he does so for our benefit, that we may share his holiness. 11 Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful.[o] But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness[p] for those trained by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen[q] your listless hands and your weak knees,[r] 13 and make straight paths for your feet,[s] so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but be healed.

Do Not Reject God’s Warning

14 Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness,[t] for without it no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God, that no one be like a bitter root springing up[u] and causing trouble, and through it many become defiled. 16 And see to it that no one becomes[v] an immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.[w] 17 For you know that[x] later when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance, although he sought the blessing[y] with tears. 18 For you have not come to something that can be touched,[z] to a burning fire and darkness and gloom and a whirlwind 19 and the blast of a trumpet and a voice uttering words[aa] such that those who heard begged to hear no more.[ab] 20 For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”[ac] 21 In fact, the scene[ad] was so terrifying that Moses said, “I shudder with fear.”[ae] 22 But you have come to Mount Zion, the city[af] of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the assembly 23 and congregation of the firstborn, who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous, who have been made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator[ag] of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks of something better than Abel’s does.[ah]

25 Take care not to refuse the one who is speaking! For if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less shall we, if we reject the one who warns from heaven? 26 Then his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “I will once more shake not only the earth but heaven too.”[ai] 27 Now this phrase “once more” indicates the removal of what is shaken, that is, of created things, so that what is unshaken may remain. 28 So since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us give thanks, and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe. 29 For our God is indeed a devouring fire.[aj]

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 12:1 tn Grk “having such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us.”
  2. Hebrews 12:2 tn Or “Because of”; or “Instead of.” The Greek prepostion can be understood either way. For discussion and sources see Wallace, ExSyn 367-68; cf. also BDAG 88 s.v. 1, “instead of, in place of” and s.v. 3 “(in exchange) for.”
  3. Hebrews 12:2 sn An allusion to Ps 110:1.
  4. Hebrews 12:4 tn Grk “until blood.”
  5. Hebrews 12:5 tn Or “disregard,” “think little of.”
  6. Hebrews 12:5 tn Or “reproves,” “rebukes.” The Greek verb ἐλέγχω (elenchō) implies exposing someone’s sin in order to bring correction.
  7. Hebrews 12:6 sn A quotation from Prov 3:11-12.
  8. Hebrews 12:7 tn Grk “endure,” with the object (“your suffering”) understood from the context.
  9. Hebrews 12:7 tn Or “in order to become disciplined.”
  10. Hebrews 12:8 tn Grk “you are without discipline.”
  11. Hebrews 12:8 tn Grk “all”; “sons” is implied by the context.
  12. Hebrews 12:9 tn Grk “we had our earthly fathers as discipliners.”
  13. Hebrews 12:9 tn Grk “the fathers of our flesh.” In Hebrews, “flesh” is a characteristic way of speaking about outward, physical, earthly life (cf. Heb 5:7; 9:10, 13), as opposed to the inward or spiritual dimensions of life.
  14. Hebrews 12:9 tn Grk “and live.” sn Submit ourselves…to the Father of spirits and receive life. This idea is drawn from Proverbs, where the Lord’s discipline brings life, while resistance to it leads to death (cf. Prov 4:13; 6:23; 10:17; 16:17).
  15. Hebrews 12:11 tn Grk “all discipline at the time does not seem to be of joy, but of sorrow.”
  16. Hebrews 12:11 tn Grk “the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”
  17. Hebrews 12:12 tn Or “straighten.”
  18. Hebrews 12:12 sn A quotation from Isa 35:3. Strengthen your listless hands and your weak knees refers to the readers’ need for renewed resolve and fresh strength in their struggles (cf. Heb 10:36-39; 12:1-3).
  19. Hebrews 12:13 sn A quotation from Prov 4:26. The phrase make straight paths for your feet is figurative for “stay on God’s paths.”
  20. Hebrews 12:14 sn The references to peace and holiness show the close connection between this paragraph and the previous one. The pathway toward “holiness” and the need for it is cited in Heb 12:10 and 14. More importantly Prov 4:26-27 sets up the transition from one paragraph to the next: It urges people to stay on godly paths (Prov 4:26, quoted here in v. 13) and promises that God will lead them in peace if they do so (Prov 4:27 [LXX], quoted in v. 14).
  21. Hebrews 12:15 tn Grk “that there not be any root of bitterness,” but referring figuratively to a person who causes trouble (as in Deut 29:17 [LXX] from which this is quoted).sn An allusion to Deut 29:18.
  22. Hebrews 12:16 tn Grk “that there not be any,” continuing from v. 15.
  23. Hebrews 12:16 sn An allusion to Gen 27:34-41.
  24. Hebrews 12:17 tn Or a command: “for understand that.”
  25. Hebrews 12:17 tn Grk “it,” referring either to the repentance or the blessing. But the account in Gen 27:34-41 (which the author appeals to here) makes it clear that the blessing is what Esau sought. Thus in the translation the referent (the blessing) is specified for clarity.
  26. Hebrews 12:18 tn This describes the nation of Israel approaching God on Mt. Sinai (Exod 19). There is a clear contrast with the reference to Mount Zion in v. 22, so this could be translated “a mountain that can be touched.” But the word “mountain” does not occur here and the more vague description seems to be deliberate.
  27. Hebrews 12:19 tn Grk “a voice of words.”
  28. Hebrews 12:19 tn Grk “a voice…from which those who heard begged that a word not be added to them.”
  29. Hebrews 12:20 sn A quotation from Exod 19:12-13.
  30. Hebrews 12:21 tn Grk “that which appeared.”
  31. Hebrews 12:21 tn Grk “I am terrified and trembling.”sn A quotation from Deut 9:19.
  32. Hebrews 12:22 tn Grk “and the city”; the conjunction is omitted in translation since it seems to be functioning epexegetically—that is, explaining further what is meant by “Mount Zion.”
  33. Hebrews 12:24 tn The Greek word μεσίτης (mesitēs, “mediator”) in this context does not imply that Jesus was a mediator in the contemporary sense of the word, i.e., he worked for compromise between opposing parties. Here the term describes his function as the one who was used by God to enact a new covenant which established a new relationship between God and his people, but entirely on God’s terms.
  34. Hebrews 12:24 sn Abel’s shed blood cried out to the Lord for justice and judgment, but Jesus’ blood speaks of redemption and forgiveness, something better than Abel’s does (Gen 4:10; Heb 9:11-14; 11:4).
  35. Hebrews 12:26 sn A quotation from Hag 2:6.
  36. Hebrews 12:29 sn A quotation from Deut 4:24; 9:3.