Book of Common Prayer

An exhortation to be patient and steadfast in trouble and adversity, in the hope of everlasting reward. A commendation of the new testament above the old.

12 Therefore let us also (seeing that we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses) lay away all that presses down, and the sin that hangs on, and let us run with patience to the battle that is set before us, ² looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him suffered the cross, disregarding the shame, and is seated on the right hand of the throne of God.

³ Consider, therefore, how he endured such speaking against him of sinners, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds. ⁴ For you have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed, striving against sin, ⁵ and have forgotten the consolation that speaks to you as to children: My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked by him. ⁶ For whom the Lord loves, him he chastens; yea and he scourges every son that he receives.

⁷ If you endure chastening, God offers himself to you as to sons. What son is it whom the father does not correct? ⁸ If you are not under correction (of which all are partakers), then you are baseborn, and not sons.

⁹ Moreover, seeing we had fathers of our flesh who corrected us, and we gave them reverence, should we not much rather submit to the Father of spiritual gifts, so that we may live? ¹⁰ And they for a few short days taught us as it pleased them, but he prepares us for that which is profitable: to receive of his holiness. ¹¹ No manner of chastisement for the present time seems to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterwards it brings the quiet fruit of righteousness to those who are exercised by it.

¹² Stretch forth therefore again the hands that were let down, and the weak knees, ¹³ and see that you have straight steps for your feet, lest any limping turn you out of the way; yea let it rather be healed. ¹⁴ Embrace peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

¹⁶ And he went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and as his custom was, went into the synagogue on the Sabbath days, and stood up to read. ¹⁷ And there was delivered to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the scroll, he found the place where it was written: ¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me. To preach the gospel to the poor he has sent me, and to heal the broken-hearted; to preach deliverance to the captive, and sight to the blind, and freely to set at liberty those who are bruised, ¹⁹ and to preach the favoured year of the Lord.

²⁰ And he rolled up the scroll and returned it to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. ²¹ And he began and said to them, This day this scripture is fulfilled in your ears.

²² And they all witnessed him, and wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth, and said, Is this not Joseph’s son?

²³ And he said to them, You may very well say to me this maxim: Physician, heal thyself; the things that we heard were done in Capernaum, do the same here likewise in your own country.

²⁴ And he said, Truly I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. ²⁵ But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when heaven was shut for three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; ²⁶ but to none of them was Elijah sent save into Sarepta, a city of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. ²⁷ And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and yet none of them was healed except Naaman of Syria.

²⁸ And as many as were in the synagogue, when they heard that, were filled with wrath. ²⁹ And they rose up and thrust him out of the city, and led him even to the edge of the hill on which their town was built, to cast him down headlong. ³⁰ But he went his way even through the midst of them,