13 (A)All these died in faith, (B)without receiving the promises, but (C)having seen and welcomed them from a distance, and (D)having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. 15 And indeed if they had been [a]thinking of that country which they left, (E)they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a (F)heavenly one. Therefore (G)God is not [b]ashamed to be (H)called their God; for (I)He has prepared a city for them.

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 11:15 Or remembering
  2. Hebrews 11:16 Lit ashamed of them, to be

13 All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14 Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15 If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. 16 But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

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