Faithful Abraham^(A)

⁸ By faith ^(B)Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, ^(C)dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, ^(D)the heirs with him of the same promise; ¹⁰ for he waited for ^(E)the city which has foundations, ^(F)whose builder and maker is God.

¹¹ By faith ^(G)Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and ^(H)she^[a] bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him ^(I)faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore from one man, and him as good as ^(J)dead, were born as many as the ^(K)stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

The Heavenly Hope

¹³ These all died in faith, ^(L)not having received the ^(M)promises, but ^(N)having seen them afar off ^[b]were assured of them, embraced them and ^(O)confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things ^(P)declare plainly that they seek a homeland. ¹⁵ And truly if they had called to mind ^(Q)that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed ^(R)to be called their God, for He has ^(S)prepared a city for them.

The Faith of the Patriarchs^(T)

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, ^(U)when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, ^18 [c]of whom it was said, ^(V)“In Isaac your seed shall be called,” ¹⁹ concluding that God ^(W)was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

²⁰ By faith ^(X)Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, ^(Y)blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

²² By faith ^(Z)Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.

The Faith of Moses^(AA)

²³ By faith ^(AB)Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s ^(AC)command.

²⁴ By faith ^(AD)Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the ^[d]passing pleasures of sin, ²⁶ esteeming ^(AE)the ^[e]reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures ^[f]in Egypt; for he looked to the ^(AF)reward.

²⁷ By faith ^(AG)he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. ²⁸ By faith ^(AH)he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

²⁹ By faith ^(AI)they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.

By Faith They Overcame

³⁰ By faith ^(AJ)the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. ³¹ By faith ^(AK)the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who ^[g]did not believe, when ^(AL)she had received the spies with peace.

³² And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of ^(AM)Gideon and ^(AN)Barak and ^(AO)Samson and ^(AP)Jephthah, also of ^(AQ)David and ^(AR)Samuel and the prophets:

³¹ Thus Israel saw the great ^[a]work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and ^(A)believed the Lord and His servant Moses.

¹³ And Moses said to the people, ^(A)“Do not be afraid. ^(B)Stand still, and see the ^(C)salvation^[a] of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall ^(D)see again no more forever. ^14 (E)The Lord will fight for you, and you shall ^(F)hold^[b] your peace.”

Redemption Remembered in Present Dishonor

To the Chief Musician. A ^(A)Contemplation^[a] of the sons of Korah.

²⁸ And He said, ^(A)“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but ^[a]Israel; for you have ^(B)struggled with God and ^(C)with men, and have prevailed.”

¹⁸ who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, ^(A)“So shall your descendants be.” ¹⁹ And not being weak in faith, ^(B)he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), ^(C)and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. ²⁰ He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, ²¹ and being fully convinced that what He had promised ^(D)He was also able to perform. ²² And therefore ^(E)“it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

⁹ And Samuel took a ^(A)suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Then ^(B)Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. ¹⁰ Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. ^(C)But the Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel. ¹¹ And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and ^[a]drove them back as far as below Beth Car. ¹² Then Samuel ^(D)took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name ^[b]Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

⁶ And he ^(A)believed in the Lord, and He ^(B)accounted it to him for righteousness.