The Heavenly Hope

¹³ These all died in faith, ^(A)not having received the ^(B)promises, but ^(C)having seen them afar off ^[a]were assured of them, embraced them and ^(D)confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things ^(E)declare plainly that they seek a homeland. ¹⁵ And truly if they had called to mind ^(F)that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed ^(G)to be called their God, for He has ^(H)prepared a city for them.

^35 (A)Women received their dead raised to life again.

Others were ^(B)tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. ³⁶ Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and ^(C)of chains and imprisonment. ^37 (D)They were stoned, they were sawn in two, ^[a]were tempted, were slain with the sword. ^(E)They wandered about ^(F)in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— ³⁸ of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, ^(G)in dens and caves of the earth.

³⁹ And all these, ^(H)having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, ⁴⁰ God having provided something better for us, that they should not be ^(I)made perfect apart from us.