Hebrews 11
Christian Standard Bible
Living by Faith
11 Now faith is the reality[a] of what is hoped for, the proof[b] of what is not seen.(A) 2 For by this our ancestors were approved.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was[c] created by the word of God,(B) so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.[d]
4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith.(C)
5 By faith Enoch was taken away, and so he did not experience death. He was not to be found because God took him away.[e] For before he was taken away, he was approved as one who pleased God.(D) 6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
7 By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family. By faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.(E)
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and set out for a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, even though he did not know where he was going.(F) 9 By faith he stayed as a foreigner in the land of promise, living in tents as did Isaac and Jacob, coheirs of the same promise.(G) 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.(H)
11 By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she[f] considered that the one who had promised was faithful.(I) 12 Therefore, from one man—in fact, from one as good as dead—came offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and as innumerable as the grains of sand along the seashore.(J)
13 These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance,(K) greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth.(L) 14 Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. 16 But they now desire a better place—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.(M)
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac.(N) He received the promises and yet he was offering his one and only son, 18 the one to whom it had been said, Your offspring[g] will be traced through Isaac.[h](O) 19 He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead;(P) therefore, he received him back, figuratively speaking.[i]
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau(Q) concerning things to come. 21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and he worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.[j](R) 22 By faith Joseph, as he was nearing the end of his life, mentioned[k] the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions concerning his bones.(S)
23 By faith Moses, after he was born, was hidden by his parents for three months, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they didn’t fear the king’s edict.(T) 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter 25 and chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin.(U) 26 For he considered reproach for the sake of Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, since he was looking ahead to the reward.(V)
27 By faith he left Egypt behind, not being afraid of the king’s anger, for Moses persevered as one who sees him who is invisible.(W) 28 By faith he instituted the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch the Israelites. 29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as though they were on dry land. When the Egyptians attempted to do this, they were drowned.(X)
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after being marched around by the Israelites for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute welcomed the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed.(Y)
32 And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah,(Z) David, Samuel, and the prophets,(AA) 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms,(AB) administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,(AC) 34 quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.(AD) 35 Women received their dead, raised to life again. Other people were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment.(AE) 37 They were stoned,[l](AF) they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins,(AG) destitute, afflicted, and mistreated. 38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
39 All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.(AH)
Footnotes
- 11:1 Or assurance
- 11:1 Or conviction
- 11:3 Or the worlds were, or the ages were
- 11:3 Or so that what is seen was made out of what was not visible
- 11:5 Gn 5:21–24
- 11:11 Or By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—received the ability to procreate since he
- 11:18 Lit seed
- 11:18 Gn 21:12
- 11:19 Or back, as a foreshadowing, or as a type
- 11:21 Gn 47:31
- 11:22 Or remembered
- 11:37 Other mss add they were tempted,
Yehudim in Moshiach 11
Orthodox Jewish Bible
11 Now Emunah is the substance of things for which we have tikvah. Emunah is the conviction of things not seen.
2 For by Emunah have our Zekenim been given approval.
3 By Emunah we have binah Shomayim v’ha’Aretz found their "barah" from the Dvar Hashem, so that not from anything visible has what we see come into being. [TEHILLIM 33:6]
4 By Emunah Hevel (Abel) offered to Hashem a korban that was a mincha tovah than that of Kayin. Through this he was given approval that he was a tzaddik, Hashem bearing solemn eidus (testimony) to his matanot; and by his Emunah, Hevel, though niftar (deceased), still speaks.
5 By Emunah Chanoch was taken up, was translated, not to see mavet, V’EINENNU KI LAKACH OTO ELOHIM ("and he was not, because G-d took him [up]" Gn 5:24). Before Chanoch was raptured in his aliyah l’Shomayim, he received solemn eidus (testimony) that he had been pleasing to Hashem.
6 And without Emunah it is impossible to please Hashem. For it is necessary for the one making a kiruv approach to Hashem to have Emunah in the fact that yesh Elohim (G-d is there), and that Elohim gives sachar (reward) to those who seek him with zerizut.
7 By Emunah Noach, having been warned about the things not yet visible to the eye of flesh, and being an ish of yirat Shomayim, built the Teva (Ark) for the Geulah of the Beis HaNoach. By his Emunah he condemned the Olam Hazeh and he became the yoresh (heir) of the Tzedek Hashem that is credited to Emunah. [Gn 15:6; Hab 2:4]
8 By Emunah Avraham Avinu, when he was called to go out to a place which he was about to receive as a nachalah (inheritance), responded with mishma’at (obedience), and he went out, not having da’as of where he was going.
9 By Emunah he made aliyah to HA’ARETZ ASHER DIBER ("the land that He promised" DEVARIM 9:28), Ha’aretz haHavtacha (the Promised Land), as in an eretz zarah (a strange land), living in oholim (tents), as did Yitzchak and Ya’akov, the fellow yorshim (heirs) of the same havtachah (promise);
10 For Avraham Avinu was looking forward to HaIr (The City) having a yesod Olam (eternally firm foundation), whose Planner and Builder is Hashem.
11 By Emunah also Sarah, herself barren, received the ability to found a posterity, and she did so even beyond the normal age, als (since) she considered ne’eman (faithful) the One having given the Havtachah (promise);
12 therefore, also, from one man were born [DEVARIM 26:5] and indeed this man was kimat (practically, as good as) dead many, as numerous as HAKOKHAVIM in HASHOMAYIM and as innumerable as the sand ASHER AL SEFAT ("that is on the seashore”). [BERESHIS 15:5; 22:17]
13 Yet all of these became niftarim (deceased) in Emunah, not having received the havtachot (promises), but having seen them and, as it were, they gave the havtachot a "Baruch Habah!" welcome from a distance, and they made the Ani Ma’amin hoda’ah (confession) that they were GERIM ["strangers" Ps 39:13(12)] and TOSHAVIM ("sojourners") in the Golus of the Olam Hazeh.
14 For those saying such things make it clear that they are searching for an Eretz Moshav.
15 And if they were remembering ha’aretz from which they made aliyah, they would have had an opportunity to make yerida (to descend back, return).
16 But, as it is, they aspire for something better, an Eretz HaAvot b’Shomayim; therefore, Hashem is not ashamed to be called "Ehoheihem;" for he prepared for them an Ir Kodesh.
17 By Emunah Avraham Avinu, when he underwent nisayon, offered up the Akedas HaYitzchak; and he who had received the Havtachot (Promises) was offering as a korban his Ben Yechid. [Yn 3:16]
18 This was Avraham Avinu, about whom it was said KI VEYITZCHAK YIKARE LECHA ZERA ("In Yitzchak will be called your seed" BERESHIS 21:12).
19 Avraham Avinu considered that Hashem was able to bring about the Techiyas HaMesim, from which he also received back Yitzchak as a tipus (type, pattern).
20 By Emunah Yitzchak invoked brachot with respect to future events on Ya’akov and Esav.
21 By Emunah Ya’akov, as he was dying, gave a bracha to each of the banim of Yosef and V’YISHTAKHU YISROEL ("And Yisroel worshiped" BERESHIS 47:31).
22 By Emunah Yosef, as he was dying, dermohn (made mention) of the Yetzi’at Bnei Yisroel (the Going Out, the Exodus of Bnei Yisroel) and he gave instructions concerning his ATZMOT (bones, BERESHIS 50:25).
23 By Emunah, Moshe Rabbeinu, when he was born, was hidden SHELOSHA CHODESHIM [SHEMOT 2:2) because they saw he was a yeled TOV (SHEMOT 2:2) and they had no pachad (terror) at the king’s decree.
24 By Emunah, Moshe Rabbeinu, when he had grown, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
25 Chosing rather to endure redifah (persecution) with the Am Hashem than to enjoy the ephemeral ta’anugot (pleasures) of averos for a season.
26 For Moshe Rabbeinu considered abuse and tzoros for the sake of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach greater osher (riches) than the otzar (treasure) of Mitzrayim (Egypt), for he had respect unto the recompense of the sachar (reward).
27 By Emunah, Moshe Rabbeinu departed from Mitzrayim (Egypt), not having pachad (fear) of the ka’as (anger) of the king, for he persevered as seeing the One who is unseen.
28 By Emunah, Moshe Rabbeinu kept Pesach and the sprinkling of the dahm [on the mezuzot, SHEMOT 12:22], for fear that the Destroyer of the Bechorim might destroy them.
29 By Emunah, they went through the Yam Suf as through YABASHAH (dry ground, BERESHIS 1:10); and those of Mitzrayim (Egypt), when they attempted it, were drowned. [MICHOH 7:19]
30 By Emunah, the walls of Yericho fell down, after they had been encircled for shivat yamim.
31 By Emunah, Rachav the Zonah did not perish along with the ones without mishma’at (obedience), after she gave the kabbalat panim to the spies b’shalom (YEHOSHUA 2:9).
32 And what more shall I say? For the time will fail me if I tell of Gid’on, Barak, Shimshon, Yiftach, Dovid, Shmuel and the Nevi’im,
33 Who by Emunah conquered mamlechot (kingdoms), worked tzedek (righteousness), obtained havtachot (promises), shut the mouths of arayot (lions),
34 Quenched the power of eish (fire), escaped from the edge of the cherev (sword), out of weakness found strength, became mighty in milchamah (war), put to flight tzive’ot zarim (armies of the aliens).
35 Nashim received back their mesim restored to Chayyim; and others were tortured to death al kiddush ha-Shem, not accepting their release, in order that they might obtain a better Techiyas HaMesim;
36 And others underwent the nisayon of cruel mockings and scourgings, also the sharsherot (chains) and the beis hasohar.
37 They were killed by seqilah (stoning), they were sawn in two, they were murdered by the cherev, they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being nitzrach (needy) and destitute, oppressed, under redifot (persecutions),
38 those of whom the Olam Hazeh was not worthy, wandering in deserts and mountains and caves of the earth.
39 And all these, having Hashem’s commendation through their Emunah, did not receive the havtachah (promise),
40 Hashem having foreseen something better for us, so that, apart from us, they should not be made shleimut.
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