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.

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And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children?[a] He said,

“My child,[b] don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and don’t give up when he corrects you.
For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
    and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”[c]

As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?[d]

10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.

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Footnotes

  1. 12:5a Greek sons; also in 12:7, 8.
  2. 12:5b Greek son; also in 12:6, 7.
  3. 12:5-6 Prov 3:11-12 (Greek version).
  4. 12:9 Or and really live?