Hebrews 11:32-12:13

New American Standard Bible

³² And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of ^(A)Gideon, ^(B)Barak, ^(C)Samson, ^(D)Jephthah, of ^(E)David and ^(F)Samuel and the prophets, ³³ who by faith ^(G)conquered kingdoms, ^(H)performed acts of righteousness, ^(I)obtained promises, ^(J)shut the mouths of lions, ^34 (K)quenched the power of fire, ^(L)escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, ^(M)became mighty in war, ^(N)put foreign armies to flight. ^35 (O)Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their ^[a]release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; ³⁶ and others ^[b]experienced mocking and flogging, and further, ^(P)chains and imprisonment. ³⁷ They were ^(Q)stoned, they were sawn in two, ^[c]they were tempted, they were ^(R)put to death with the sword; they went about ^(S)in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ^(T)tormented ³⁸ (people of whom the world was not worthy), ^(U)wandering in deserts, on mountains, and sheltering in caves and holes ^[d]in the ground.

³⁹ And all these, having ^(V)gained approval through their faith, ^(W)did not receive ^[e]what was promised, ⁴⁰ because God had ^[f]provided ^(X)something better for us, so that ^(Y)apart from us they would not be made perfect.

Jesus, the Example

12 Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s ^(Z)rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s ^(AA)run with ^(AB)endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking only at Jesus, the ^[g](AC)originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him ^(AD)endured the cross, ^(AE)despising the shame, and has ^(AF)sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

³ For ^(AG)consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary ^[h](AH)and lose heart.

A Father’s Discipline

^4 (AI)You have not yet resisted ^[i](AJ)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,

⁷ It is for discipline that you endure; ^(AO)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, ^(AP)of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. ⁹ Furthermore, we had ^[j]earthly fathers to discipline us, and we ^(AQ)respected them; shall we not much more be subject to ^(AR)the Father of ^[k]spirits, and ^(AS)live? ¹⁰ For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, ^(AT)so that we may share His holiness. ^11 (AU)For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the ^(AV)peaceful fruit of righteousness.

¹² Therefore, ^[l](AW)strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, ¹³ and ^(AX)make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is impaired may not be dislocated, but rather ^(AY)be healed.