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Hebrews 12
International Children’s Bible
Hebrews 12
International Children’s Bible
Follow Jesus’ Example
12 So we have many people of faith around us. Their lives tell us what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way. And we should remove the sin that so easily catches us. 2 Let us look only to Jesus. He is the one who began our faith, and he makes our faith perfect. Jesus suffered death on the cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing. He did this because of the joy that God put before him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne. 3 Think about Jesus. He held on patiently while sinful men were doing evil things against him. Look at Jesus’ example so that you will not get tired and stop trying.
God Is Like a Father
4 You are struggling against sin, but your struggles have not yet caused you to be killed. 5 You have forgotten his encouraging words for his sons:
“My son, don’t think the Lord’s discipline of you is worth nothing.
And don’t stop trying when the Lord corrects you.
6 The Lord corrects those he loves.
And he punishes everyone he accepts as his child.” Proverbs 3:11-12
7 So accept your sufferings as if they were a father’s punishment. God does these things to you as a father punishing his sons. All sons are punished by their fathers. 8 If you are never punished (and every son must be punished), you are not true children and not really sons. 9 We have all had fathers here on earth who punished us. And we respected our fathers. So it is even more important that we accept punishment from the Father of our spirits. If we do this, we will have life. 10 Our fathers on earth punished us for a short time. They punished us the way they thought was best. But God punishes us to help us, so that we can become holy as he is. 11 We do not enjoy punishment. Being punished is painful at the time. But later, after we have learned from being punished, we have peace, because we start living in the right way.
Be Careful How You Live
12 You have become weak. So make yourselves strong again. 13 Keep on the right path so the weak will not stumble but rather be strengthened.
14 Try to live in peace with all people. And try to live lives free from sin. If anyone’s life is not holy, he will never see the Lord. 15 Be careful that no one fails to get God’s grace. Be careful that no one becomes like a bitter weed growing among you. A person like that can ruin all of you. 16 Be careful that no one takes part in sexual sin. And be careful that no person is unholy like Esau. He sold all his rights as the oldest son for a single meal. 17 You remember that after Esau did this, he wanted to get his father’s blessing. He wanted this blessing so much that he cried. But his father refused to give him the blessing, because Esau could find no way to change what he had done.
18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire. You have not come to darkness, sadness and storms. 19 You have not come to the noise of a trumpet or to the sound of a voice. When the people of Israel heard the voice, they begged not to have to hear another word. 20 They did not want to hear the command: “If anything, even an animal, touches the mountain, it must be put to death with stones.”[a] 21 What they saw was so terrible that Moses said, “I am shaking with fear.”[b]
22 But you have not come to that kind of place. The new place you have come to is Mount Zion.[c] You have come to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands of angels gathered together with joy. 23 You have come to the meeting of God’s firstborn[d] children. Their names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all people. And you have come to the spirits of good people who have been made perfect. 24 You have come to Jesus, the One who brought the new agreement from God to his people. You have come to the sprinkled blood[e] that has a better message than the blood of Abel.[f]
25 So be careful and do not refuse to listen when God speaks. They refused to listen to him when he warned them on earth. And they did not escape. Now God is warning us from heaven. So it will be worse for us if we refuse to listen to him. 26 When he spoke before, his voice shook the earth. But now he has promised, “Once again I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”[g] 27 The words “once again” clearly show us that everything that was made will be destroyed. These are the things that can be shaken. And only the things that cannot be shaken will remain.
28 So let us be thankful because we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. We should worship God in a way that pleases him. So let us worship him with respect and fear, 29 because our God is like a fire that burns things up.
Footnotes
- 12:20 “If . . . stones.” Quotation from Exodus 19:12–13.
- 12:21 “I . . . fear.” Quotation from Deuteronomy 9:19.
- 12:22 Mount Zion Another name for Jerusalem, here meaning the spiritual city of God’s people.
- 12:23 firstborn The first son born in a Jewish family was given the most important place in the family and received special blessings. All of God’s children are like that.
- 12:24 sprinkled blood The blood of Jesus’ death.
- 12:24 Abel The son of Adam and Eve, who was killed by his brother Cain (Genesis 4:8).
- 12:26 “Once . . . heavens.” Quotation from Haggai 2:6, 21.
Hebreos 12
Nueva Versión Internacional
Hebreos 12
Nueva Versión Internacional
Dios disciplina a sus hijos
12 Por tanto, también nosotros que estamos rodeados de una nube tan grande de testigos, despojémonos de todo peso y del pecado que nos asedia y corramos con perseverancia la carrera que tenemos por delante. 2 Fijemos la mirada en Jesús, el iniciador y perfeccionador de nuestra fe, quien por el gozo que le esperaba, soportó la cruz, menospreciando la vergüenza que ella significaba, y ahora está sentado a la derecha del trono de Dios. 3 Así, pues, consideren a aquel que perseveró frente a tanta oposición por parte de los pecadores, para que no se cansen ni pierdan el ánimo.
4 En la lucha que ustedes libran contra el pecado, todavía no han tenido que resistir hasta derramar su sangre. 5 Y ya han olvidado por completo las palabras de aliento que como a hijos se les dirigen:
«Hijo mío, no tomes a la ligera la disciplina del Señor
ni te desanimes cuando te reprenda,
6 porque el Señor disciplina a los que ama
y azota a todo el que recibe como hijo».[a]
7 Lo que soportan es para su disciplina, pues Dios los está tratando como a hijos. Porque, ¿qué hijo hay a quien el padre no disciplina? 8 Si a ustedes se les deja sin la disciplina que todos reciben, entonces son bastardos y no hijos legítimos. 9 Después de todo, nuestros padres humanos nos disciplinaban y los respetábamos. ¿No hemos de someternos, con mayor razón, al Padre de los espíritus y viviremos? 10 En efecto, nuestros padres nos disciplinaban por un breve tiempo, como mejor les parecía; pero Dios lo hace para nuestro bien, a fin de que participemos de su santidad. 11 Ciertamente, ninguna disciplina, en el momento de recibirla, parece agradable, sino más bien dolorosa; sin embargo, después produce una cosecha de justicia y paz para quienes han sido entrenados por ella.
12 Por tanto, renueven las fuerzas de sus manos débiles y de sus rodillas temblorosas. 13 «Hagan sendas derechas para sus pies»[b] para que la pierna coja no se disloque, sino que se sane.
Advertencia a los que rechazan a Dios
14 Busquen la paz con todos y la santidad, sin la cual nadie verá al Señor. 15 Asegúrense de que nadie quede fuera de la gracia de Dios, de que ninguna raíz amarga brote y cause dificultades y corrompa a muchos, 16 y también de que nadie sea inmoral ni profano como Esaú, quien por un plato de comida vendió sus derechos de primogénito. 17 Después, como ya saben, cuando quiso heredar esa bendición, fue rechazado: No se le dio lugar para el arrepentimiento, aunque con lágrimas buscó la bendición.
18 Ustedes no se han acercado a una montaña que se pueda tocar o que esté ardiendo en fuego; tampoco a oscuridad, tinieblas o tormenta; 19 ni a sonido de trompeta, ni a tal clamor de palabras que quienes lo oyeron suplicaron que no se les hablara más, 20 porque no podían soportar esta orden: «Será apedreado todo el que toque la montaña, aunque sea un animal».[c] 21 Tan aterrador era este espectáculo que Moisés dijo: «Estoy temblando de miedo».[d]
22 Por el contrario, ustedes se han acercado al monte Sión, a la Jerusalén celestial, la ciudad del Dios viviente. Se han acercado a millares y millares de ángeles, a una asamblea gozosa, 23 a la iglesia de los primogénitos inscritos en el cielo. Se han acercado a Dios, el Juez de todos; a los espíritus de los justos que han llegado a la perfección; 24 a Jesús, el mediador de un nuevo pacto; y a la sangre rociada, que habla mejor que la de Abel.
25 Tengan cuidado de no rechazar al que habla, pues si no escaparon aquellos que rechazaron al que los amonestaba en la tierra, mucho menos escaparemos nosotros si le volvemos la espalda al que nos amonesta desde el cielo. 26 En aquella ocasión, su voz estremeció la tierra, pero ahora ha prometido: «Una vez más haré que se estremezca no solo la tierra, sino también el cielo».[e] 27 La frase «una vez más» indica la remoción de las cosas movibles, es decir, las creadas, para que permanezca lo inconmovible.
28 Puesto que nosotros estamos recibiendo un reino inconmovible, seamos agradecidos. Inspirados por esta gratitud, adoremos a Dios como a él le agrada, con temor reverente, 29 porque nuestro «Dios es fuego consumidor».[f]
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The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
Nueva Versión Internacional (NVI) 
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