A Father’s Discipline

(A)You have not yet resisted [a](B)to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,

(C)My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
Nor (D)faint when you are punished by Him;
(E)For (F)whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
And He punishes every son whom He accepts.”

It is for discipline that you endure; (G)God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, (H)of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had [b]earthly fathers to discipline us, and we (I)respected them; shall we not much more be subject to (J)the Father of [c]spirits, and (K)live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, (L)so that we may share His holiness. 11 (M)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 (N)peaceful fruit of righteousness.

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

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 12:4 Lit as far as blood
  2. Hebrews 12:9 Lit fathers of our flesh
  3. Hebrews 12:9 Or our spirits
  4. Hebrews 12:12 Lit make straight

God Disciplines His Children

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.(A) And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not lose heart(B) when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,(C)
    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”[a](D)

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.(E) For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline(F)—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits(G) and live!(H) 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.(I) 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace(J) for those who have been trained by it.

12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.(K) 13 “Make level paths for your feet,”[b](L) so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.(M)

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 12:6 Prov. 3:11,12 (see Septuagint)
  2. Hebrews 12:13 Prov. 4:26

In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

(A)“My son, (B)do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
    nor be weary when reproved by him.
For (C)the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and chastises every son whom he receives.”

It is for discipline that you have to endure. (D)God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, (E)in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to (F)the Father of spirits (G)and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, (H)that we may share his holiness. 11 (I)For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields (J)the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

12 Therefore (K)lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and (L)make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint (M)but rather be healed.

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None of you have yet been hurt[a] in your battle against sin. (A) But you have forgotten that the Scriptures say to God's children,

“When the Lord punishes you,
    don't make light of it,
and when he corrects you,
    don't be discouraged.
The Lord corrects the people
    he loves
and disciplines those
    he calls his own.”

Be patient when you are being corrected! This is how God treats his children. Don't all parents correct their children? God corrects all his children, and if he doesn't correct you, then you don't really belong to him. Our earthly fathers correct us, and we still respect them. Isn't it even better to be given true life by letting our spiritual Father correct us?

10 Our human fathers correct us for a short time, and they do it as they think best. But God corrects us for our own good, because he wants us to be holy, as he is. 11 It is never fun to be corrected. In fact, at the time it is always painful. But if we learn to obey by being corrected, we will do right and live at peace.

12 (B) Now stand up straight! Stop your knees from shaking 13 (C) and walk a straight path. Then lame people will be healed, instead of getting worse.

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Footnotes

  1. 12.4 hurt: Or “killed.”

Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

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