Hebrews 11-12

American Standard Version

11 Now faith is ^[a]assurance of things hoped for, a ^[b]conviction of things not seen. ² For therein the elders had witness borne to them. ³ By faith we understand that the ^[c]worlds have been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen hath not been made out of things which appear. ⁴ By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had witness borne to him that he was righteous, ^[d]God bearing witness ^[e]in respect of his gifts: and through it he being dead yet speaketh. ⁵ By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God translated him: ^[f]for he hath had witness borne to him that before his translation he had been well-pleasing unto God: ⁶ and without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him. ⁷ By faith Noah, being warned of God concerning things not seen as yet, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. ⁸ By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out unto a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. ⁹ By faith he became a sojourner in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, ^[g]dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: ¹⁰ for he looked for the city which hath the foundations, whose ^[h]builder and maker is God. ¹¹ By faith even Sarah herself received power to conceive seed when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised: ¹² wherefore also there sprang of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of heaven in multitude, and as the sand, which is by the sea-shore, innumerable. ¹³ These all died ^[i]in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ¹⁴ For they that say such things make it manifest that they are seeking after a country of their own. ¹⁵ And if indeed they had been mindful of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city. ¹⁷ By faith Abraham, being tried, ^[j]offered up Isaac: yea, he that had gladly received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; ¹⁸ even he ^[k]to whom it was said, ^[l]In Isaac shall thy seed be called: ¹⁹ accounting that God is able to raise up, even from the dead; from whence he did also in a figure receive him back. ²⁰ By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come. ²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. ²² By faith Joseph, when his end was nigh, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones. ²³ By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw he was a goodly child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment. ²⁴ By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; ²⁵ choosing rather to share ill treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; ²⁶ accounting the reproach of ^[m]Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he looked unto the recompense of reward. ²⁷ By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. ²⁸ By faith he ^[n]kept the passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, that the destroyer of the firstborn should not touch them. ²⁹ By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were swallowed up. ³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been compassed about for seven days. ³¹ By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them that were disobedient, having received the spies with peace. ³² And what shall I more say? for the time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah; of David and Samuel and the prophets: ³³ who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, waxed mighty in war, turned to flight armies of aliens. ³⁵ Women received their dead by a resurrection: and others were ^[o]tortured, not accepting ^[p]their deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: ³⁶ and others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: ³⁷ they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with the sword: they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated ³⁸ (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves, and the holes of the earth. ³⁹ And these all, having had witness borne to them through their faith, received not the promise, ⁴⁰ God having ^[q]provided some better thing concerning us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

12 Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every ^[r]weight, and the sin which ^[s]doth so easily beset us, and let us run with ^[t]patience the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus the ^[u]author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ For consider him that hath endured such gainsaying of sinners against ^[v]himself, that ye wax not weary, fainting in your souls. ⁴ Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin: ⁵ and ye have forgotten the exhortation which reasoneth with you as with sons,

^7 [x]It is for chastening that ye endure; God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father chasteneth not? ⁸ But if ye are without chastening, whereof all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. ⁹ Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of ^[y]spirits, and live? ¹⁰ For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed good to them; but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness. ¹¹ All chastening seemeth for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yieldeth peaceable fruit unto them that have been exercised thereby, even the fruit of righteousness. ¹² Wherefore ^[z]lift up the hands that hang down, and the palsied knees; ¹³ and make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame be not ^[aa]turned out of the way, but rather be healed.

¹⁴ Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord: ¹⁵ looking carefully ^[ab]lest there be any man that ^[ac]falleth short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby the many be defiled; ^16 [ad]lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one mess of meat sold his own birthright. ¹⁷ For ye know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was ^[ae]rejected; for he found no place for a change of mind in his father, though he sought it diligently with tears.

¹⁸ For ye are not come unto ^[af]a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, ¹⁹ and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them; ²⁰ for they could not endure that which was enjoined, ^[ag]If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; ²¹ and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, ^[ah]I exceedingly fear and quake: ²² but ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, ^[ai]and to ^[aj]innumerable hosts of angels, ²³ to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, ²⁴ and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better ^[ak]than that of Abel. ²⁵ See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not when they refused him that warned them on earth, much more shall not we escape who turn away from him ^[al]that warneth from heaven: ²⁶ whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, ^[am]Yet once more will I make to tremble not the earth only, but also the heaven. ²⁷ And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain. ²⁸ Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have ^[an]grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God with ^[ao]reverence and awe: ²⁹ for our God is a consuming fire.