Book of Common Prayer

12 We have all these people all around us, proving to us that we should believe God. So then, like people running a race, we must take off everything that is heavy. We must put off all wrong, wrong things that get in our way. We must not stop running until we reach the mark that has been put in front of us.

² We must keep our eyes on Jesus. He believed from first to last. What was put in front of him made him glad, so he did not give up when the people nailed him on a cross. He did not care about the shame. And now he is sitting beside God.

³ Think about him. He did not give up when bad people said wrong things about him. When you think about him, you will not become tired and your hearts will not give up.

⁴ You have been fighting against bad people. But you have not been hurt very much.

⁵ You have forgotten the words spoken to you as sons. `My son, when the Lord punishes you, do not think it is a little thing. Do not give up when he tells you that you do wrong.

⁶ The Lord punishes the person he loves. And he beats every son he takes into his family.'

⁷ Do not give up when you are punished. God is treating you like sons. Is there a son who has never been punished by his father?

⁸ You are punished like the other children in the family. If you are not, you do not belong to the family as the other children do.

⁹ And what is more, our fathers on earth punished us and we respected them. We should obey even more the Father of our spirits. If we do, we will live.

¹⁰ Our fathers on earth punished us for a short time the way they wanted to. But God punishes us the way it is good for us. He is holy and good, so he wants us to become holy also.

¹¹ At the time a person is punished, he is not glad. He is sad. But after it is over, there is peace. Then those who are trained by it do what is right.

¹² So lift up your hands that are hanging down. Make your weak knees strong.

¹³ Walk straight ahead. Then weak feet will not get worse, but will be made well.

¹⁴ Try to be at peace with all people. And try to be holy. If a person is not holy, he will not see the Lord.

⁹ There were some people who thought they were very good. And they thought that other people were not good. Jesus told this story to them.

¹⁰ He said, `Two men went to the temple to talk with God. One was a Pharisee and the other one was a tax collector.

¹¹ `The Pharisee stood and said to himself, "God, I thank you that I am not like other men. They steal, cheat, and commit adultery. I thank you that I am not like this tax collector.

¹² Two times in the week I do not eat - I fast. I give away one tenth part of all I get."

¹³ `The tax collector stood far away. He did not even look up towards heaven. But he beat his chest, and said, "God, I am a bad man. Help me!"

¹⁴ I tell you, when this man went home, he was right with God. The other one was not. Everyone who puts himself up in a high place will be brought down to a low place. And everyone who puts himself in a low place will be brought up to a high place.'