Hebrews 12
New Catholic Bible
Let Us Run with Eyes Fixed on Jesus[a]
Chapter 12
You Have Not Yet Resisted to the Point of Bloodshed. 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,[b] let us throw off everything that weighs us down and the sins that so easily distract us and with perseverance run the race that lies ahead of us, 2 with our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, ignoring its shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Reflect on how he endured such great hostility from sinners so that you may not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
God Is Treating You as His Children.[c] 5 You have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children:
“My son, do not scorn the discipline of the Lord
or lose heart when you are punished by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines those whom he loves,
and he chastises every son whom he acknowledges.”
7 Endure the trials you receive as a form of discipline. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there who is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you have not received the discipline in which all share, then you are illegitimate and not true sons.
9 In addition, we have all received discipline from our earthly fathers, and we respected them. Should we not then be even more willing to submit to the Father of spirits and live? 10 They disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but he does so for our benefit so that we may share his holiness.
11 At the time that discipline is received, it always seems painful rather than pleasant, but afterward it yields a harvest of peace and uprightness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that your weakened limbs may not be disabled but rather may be healed.
14 Seek Peace and Sanctification.[d] Seek peace with everyone, as well as the holiness without which no one will ever see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one is deprived of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness may spring up and cause trouble, resulting in the defilement of many.
16 Do not be like Esau, an immoral and worldly-minded person who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 Afterward, as you know, when he sought to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought it with tears, he found no possibility for repentance.
18 Listen to the One Who Is Speaking.[e] You have not come to something that can be touched: a blazing fire, or complete darkness, or gloom, or a storm, 19 or the sound of a trumpet, or a voice speaking words that made those who heard them beg that nothing more be said to them. 20 For they could not bear to hear the command that was given, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses cried out, “I am terrified and trembling.”
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels in joyful gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn[f] whose names are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous who have been made perfect. 24 You have come to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant and to the sprinkled blood that speaks more powerfully than even the blood of Abel.
25 See that you do not reject the one who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they rejected the one who warned them on earth, how much more is this true of us if we turn away from the one who is from heaven? 26 At that time, his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but heaven as well.”
27 The words “once more” indicate the removal of what can be shaken—that is, all created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, offering to God a worship that is pleasing to him. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 12:1 Christians have only one person on whom to keep their eyes as the object of faith and salvation: Christ (see Heb 11:26f; Acts 7:55f; Phil 3:8). They look to the Crucified Lord to understand how to behave at all times, and especially in difficulties and persecution.
- Hebrews 12:1 Surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses: the author may be thinking of an athletic contest in a large amphitheater wherein the heroes just mentioned are inspiring examples for us, urging us on to stand firm in the faith and even to martyrdom if need be.
- Hebrews 12:5 God treats us as his sons and daughters. And the trials that we must withstand in order to make progress in the faith is another sign of this point for us. Hence, we must take heart.
- Hebrews 12:14 Once again the author places their responsibilities before his hearers. They must not revert to the past by returning to Judaism. This would be tantamount to dishonoring the gift of salvation and perverting the atmosphere of the community.
- Hebrews 12:18 The author alludes to the Covenant of Sinai, which was a fascinating and terrifying spectacle in the history of Israel (see Ex 19–20; Deut 4:11; 9:19). The New Covenant is a celebration of peace and festivity. Israel’s way of life was only a figure for the conduct of the Church. Once people are gripped by the Covenant of grace, they cannot turn back toward an insufficient religion of yesteryear—that would be to show disdain for God. The Lord is “a consuming fire”: the image evokes all at once his holiness, his demands, his judgment to the very depths of a being, and his hold that burns one’s existence.
- Hebrews 12:23 Assembly of the firstborn: either all the elect or the angels as the first creatures.
Hebrews 12
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
12 Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,
2 Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.(A)
3 Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds.
4 You have not yet struggled and fought agonizingly against sin, nor have you yet resisted and withstood to the point of pouring out your [own] blood.
5 And have you [completely] forgotten the divine word of appeal and encouragement in which you are reasoned with and addressed as sons? My son, do not think lightly or scorn to submit to the correction and discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage and give up and faint when you are reproved or corrected by Him;
6 For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes.
7 You must submit to and endure [correction] for discipline; God is dealing with you as with sons. For what son is there whom his father does not [thus] train and correct and discipline?
8 Now if you are exempt from correction and left without discipline in which all [of God’s children] share, then you are illegitimate offspring and not true sons [at all].(B)
9 Moreover, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we yielded [to them] and respected [them for training us]. Shall we not much more cheerfully submit to the Father of spirits and so [truly] live?
10 For [our earthly fathers] disciplined us for only a short period of time and chastised us as seemed proper and good to them; but He disciplines us for our certain good, that we may become sharers in His own holiness.
11 For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it [a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness—in conformity to God’s will in purpose, thought, and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God].
12 So then, brace up and reinvigorate and set right your slackened and weakened and drooping hands and strengthen your feeble and palsied and tottering knees,(C)
13 And cut through and make firm and plain and smooth, straight paths for your feet [yes, make them safe and upright and happy paths that go in the right direction], so that the lame and halting [limbs] may not be put out of joint, but rather may be cured.
14 Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.
15 Exercise foresight and be on the watch to look [after one another], to see that no one falls back from and fails to secure God’s grace (His unmerited favor and spiritual blessing), in order that no root of resentment (rancor, bitterness, or hatred) shoots forth and causes trouble and bitter torment, and the many become contaminated and defiled by it—
16 That no one may become guilty of sexual vice, or become a profane (godless and sacrilegious) person as Esau did, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.(D)
17 For you understand that later on, when he wanted [to regain title to] his inheritance of the blessing, he was rejected (disqualified and set aside), for he could find no opportunity to repair by repentance [what he had done, no chance to recall the choice he had made], although he sought for it carefully with [bitter] tears.(E)
18 For you have not come [as did the Israelites in the wilderness] to a [material] mountain that can be touched, [a mountain] that is ablaze with fire, and to gloom and darkness and a raging storm,
19 And to the blast of a trumpet and a voice whose words make the listeners beg that nothing more be said to them.(F)
20 For they could not bear the command that was given: If even a wild animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death.(G)
21 In fact, so awful and terrifying was the [phenomenal] sight that Moses said, I am terrified (aghast and trembling with fear).(H)
22 But rather, you have come to Mount Zion, even to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless multitudes of angels in festal gathering,
23 And to the church (assembly) of the Firstborn who are registered [as citizens] in heaven, and to the God Who is Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous (the redeemed in heaven) who have been made perfect,
24 And to Jesus, the Mediator (Go-between, Agent) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance].(I)
25 So see to it that you do not reject Him or refuse to listen to and heed Him Who is speaking [to you now]. For if they [the Israelites] did not escape when they refused to listen and heed Him Who warned and divinely instructed them [here] on earth [revealing with heavenly warnings His will], how much less shall we escape if we reject and turn our backs on Him Who cautions and admonishes [us] from heaven?
26 Then [at Mount Sinai] His voice shook the earth, but now He has given a promise: Yet once more I will shake and make tremble not only the earth but also the [starry] heavens.(J)
27 Now this expression, Yet once more, indicates the final removal and transformation of all [that can be] shaken—that is, of that which has been created—in order that what cannot be shaken may remain and continue.(K)
28 Let us therefore, receiving a kingdom that is firm and stable and cannot be shaken, offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship, with modesty and pious care and godly fear and awe;
29 For our God [is indeed] a consuming fire.(L)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
