The Four Chariots

6 Now I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold, ^(A)four chariots were coming forth from between the two mountains; and the mountains were bronze mountains. ² With the first chariot were ^(B)red horses, with the second chariot ^(C)black horses, ³ with the third chariot ^(D)white horses, and with the fourth chariot strong ^(E)dappled horses. ⁴ Then I spoke and said to the angel who was speaking with me, “^(F)What are these, my lord?” ⁵ The angel replied to me, “These are the ^(G)four spirits of heaven, going forth after standing before the Lord of all the earth, ⁶ with one of which the black horses are going forth to the ^(H)north country; and the white ones go forth after them, while the dappled ones go forth to the ^(I)south country. ⁷ When the strong ones went out, they ^[a]were eager to go to ^[b](J)patrol the earth.” And He said, “Go, ^[c]patrol the earth.” So they ^[d]patrolled the earth. ⁸ Then He cried out to me and spoke to me saying, “See, those who are going to the land of the north have ^[e](K)appeased My wrath in the land of the north.”

⁹ The ^(L)word of the Lord also came to me, saying, ¹⁰ “^(M)Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah; and you go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have arrived from Babylon.

The Symbolic Crowns

¹¹ Take silver and gold, make an ornate ^(N)crown and set it on the head of ^(O)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. ¹² Then say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, a man whose name is ^[f](P)Branch, for He will ^[g](Q)branch out from where He is; and He will ^(R)build the temple of the Lord. ¹³ Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will ^(S)bear the honor and sit and ^(T)rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a ^(U)priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two ^[h]offices.”’ ¹⁴ Now the ^(V)crown will become a reminder in the temple of the Lord to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah and ^[i]Hen the son of Zephaniah. ^15 (W)Those who are far off will come and ^[j]build the temple of the Lord.” Then you will ^(X)know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely ^(Y)obey the Lord your God.

Jesus, the Example

12 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also ^(A)lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us ^(B)run with ^(C)endurance the race that is set before us, ^2 [a]fixing our eyes on Jesus, the ^[b](D)author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him ^(E)endured the cross, ^(F)despising the shame, and has ^(G)sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

³ For ^(H)consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary ^[c](I)and lose heart.

A Father’s Discipline

^4 (J)You have not yet resisted ^[d](K)to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; ⁵ and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,

⁷ It is for discipline that you endure; ^(P)God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? ⁸ But if you are without discipline, ^(Q)of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. ⁹ Furthermore, we had ^[e]earthly fathers to discipline us, and we ^(R)respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to ^(S)the Father of ^[f]spirits, and ^(T)live? ¹⁰ For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, ^(U)so that we may share His holiness. ¹¹ All discipline ^(V)for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the ^(W)peaceful fruit of righteousness.

¹² Therefore, ^[g](X)strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, ¹³ and ^(Y)make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather ^(Z)be healed.

^14 (AA)Pursue peace with all men, and the ^(AB)sanctification without which no one will ^(AC)see the Lord. ¹⁵ See to it that no one ^(AD)comes short of the grace of God; that no ^(AE)root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be ^(AF)defiled; ¹⁶ that there be no ^(AG)immoral or ^(AH)godless person like Esau, ^(AI)who sold his own birthright for a single meal. ¹⁷ For you know that even afterwards, ^(AJ)when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

Contrast of Sinai and Zion

^18 (AK)For you have not come to ^(AL)a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, ¹⁹ and to the ^(AM)blast of a trumpet and the ^(AN)sound of words which sound was such that those who heard ^(AO)begged that no further word be spoken to them. ²⁰ For they could not bear the command, “^(AP)If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned.” ²¹ And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “^(AQ)I am full of fear and trembling.” ²² But ^(AR)you have come to Mount Zion and to ^(AS)the city of ^(AT)the living God, ^(AU)the heavenly Jerusalem, and to ^(AV)myriads of ^[h]angels, ²³ to the general assembly and ^(AW)church of the firstborn who ^(AX)are enrolled in heaven, and to God, ^(AY)the Judge of all, and to the ^(AZ)spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴ and to Jesus, the ^(BA)mediator of a new covenant, and to the ^(BB)sprinkled blood, which speaks better than ^(BC)the blood of Abel.

The Unshaken Kingdom

^25 (BD)See to it that you do not refuse Him who is ^(BE)speaking. For ^(BF)if those did not escape when they ^(BG)refused him who ^(BH)warned them on earth, ^[i]much less will we escape who turn away from Him who ^(BI)warns from heaven. ²⁶ And ^(BJ)His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “^(BK)Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” ²⁷ This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes ^(BL)the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸ Therefore, since we receive a ^(BM)kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us ^[j]show gratitude, by which we may ^(BN)offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; ²⁹ for ^(BO)our God is a consuming fire.