God Disciplines His Children

⁴ In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.^{(A) 5} And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

⁷ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.^(E) For what children are not disciplined by their father? ⁸ If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline^(F)—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. ⁹ 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)

Warning and Encouragement

¹⁴ Make every effort to live in peace with everyone^(N) and to be holy;^(O) without holiness no one will see the Lord.^(P)

¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,^(A) the God of our fathers,^(B) has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over^(C) to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate,^(D) though he had decided to let him go.^{(E) 14} You disowned the Holy^(F) and Righteous One^(G) and asked that a murderer be released to you.^{(H) 15} You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.^(I) We are witnesses^(J) of this.

³⁶ “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord^(A) and Messiah.”^(B)

³⁷ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”^(C)

³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized,^(D) every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.^(E) And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.^{(F) 39} The promise is for you and your children^(G) and for all who are far off^(H)—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

⁵ In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves^(A) to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility^(B) toward one another, because,

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.^(D)

⁵ The apostles^(A) said to the Lord,^(B) “Increase our faith!”

⁶ He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,^(C) you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.^(D)

⁷ “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? ⁸ Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me^(E) while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? ⁹ Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? ¹⁰ So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”^(F)

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run^(A) with perseverance^(B) the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus,^(C) the pioneer^(D) and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,^(E) scorning its shame,^(F) and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.^{(G) 3} Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary^(H) and lose heart.

⁶ Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.