Beginning
11 But faith is the substance of things that be to be hoped, and an argument of things not appearing. [Forsooth faith is the substance of things to be hoped, an argument, or certainty, of things not appearing.]
2 And in this faith old men have gotten witnessing.
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were made by God's word [By faith we understand the worlds to be shaped, or made, by God's word], that visible things were made of invisible things.
4 By faith Abel offered a much more sacrifice than Cain to God, by which he got witnessing to be just, for God bare witnessing to his gifts[a]; and by that faith he dead speaketh yet.
5 By faith Enoch was translated, that he should not see death; and he was not found, for the Lord translated him. For before [the] translation he had witnessing that he pleased God.
6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. For it behooveth that a man coming to God, believe that he is, and that he is [a] rewarder of men that seek him.
7 By faith Noah dreaded, through answer taken of these things that yet were not seen, and shaped a ship into the health of his house [By faith Noah, an answer taken of these things that yet were not seen, dreading shaped an ark, or ship, into the health of his house]; by which he condemned the world, and is ordained heir of rightwiseness, which is by faith.
8 By faith he that is called Abraham, obeyed to go out into a place, which he should take into heritage; and he went out, not witting whither he should go.
9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise, as in an alien land, dwelling in little houses with Isaac and Jacob, even-heirs of the same promise.
10 For he abode a city having foundaments, whose craftsman and maker is God.
11 By faith also that Sara barren, took virtue in conceiving of seed, yea, against the time of age; for she believed him true, that had promised.
12 For which thing of one, and yet nigh dead, there were born as stars of heaven in multitude, and as gravel that is at the seaside out of number. [For which thing, and of one, and him nigh dead, men be born as stars of heaven in multitude, and as gravel, or sand, that is at the seaside unnumerable.]
13 By faith all these be dead, when the promises were not taken, but they beheld them afar [but they beholding them afar], and greeting them well, and acknowledged that they were pilgrims, and harboured men on the earth.
14 And they that say these things, signify that they seek a country.
15 If they had had mind of that [And forsooth if they had mind of that], of which they went out, [soothly] they had time of turning again;
16 but now they desire a better, that is to say, heavenly. Therefore God is not confounded to be called the God of them [Therefore God is not confounded, or shamed, to be called the God of them]; for he made ready to them a city.
17 By faith Abraham offered Isaac, when he was tempted; and he offered the one begotten [son], which had taken the promises [which had taken repromissions];
18 to whom it was said, For in Isaac the seed shall be called to thee.
19 For he deemed, that God is mighty to raise him, yea, from death[b]; wherefore he took him also into a parable.
20 By faith also of things to coming [By faith and of things to come], Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.
21 By faith Jacob dying blessed all the sons of Joseph, and honoured the highness of his staff [and honoured the highness of his rod].
22 By faith Joseph dying had mind of the passing forth of the children of Israel, and commanded of his bones.
23 By faith Moses born, was hid three months of his father and mother, for that they saw the young child fair [for that they saw the young child fair, or seemly]; and they dreaded not the commandment of the king.
24 By faith Moses was made great, and denied that he was the son of Pharaoh's daughter, [By faith Moses made great, denied him to be the son of Pharaoh's daughter,]
25 and chose more to be tormented with the people of God [choosing rather for to be tormented with the people of God], than to have mirth of temporal sin;
26 deeming the reproof of Christ more riches than the treasures of [the] Egyptians; for he beheld into the rewarding.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, and dreaded not the hardness of the king; for he abode, as seeing him that was invisible. [By faith he forsook Egypt, not dreading the hardness of the king; forsooth he as seeing sustained the invisible.]
28 By faith he hallowed pask, and the shedding out of blood, that he that destroyed the first things of Egyptians, should not touch them. [By faith he hallowed pask, and shedding of blood, lest he that destroyed the first things of the Egyptians, should touch them.]
29 By faith they passed the red sea, as by dry land, which thing Egyptians assaying were devoured [in waters].
30 By faith the walls of Jericho felled down [fell down], by compassing of seven days.
31 By faith Rahab the whore received the spies with peace, and perished not with unbelieveful men.[c]
32 And what yet shall I say? For time shall fail to me [Soothly time shall fail me] telling of Gedeon, Barak, Samson, Jephthae, David, and Samuel, and of other prophets;
33 which by faith overcame realms, wrought rightwiseness, got repromissions; they stopped the mouths of lions,
34 they quenched the fierceness of fire, they drove away the edge of sword, they recovered of sickness, they were made strong in battle, they turned the hosts of aliens.
35 Women received their dead children from death to life; but others were held forth, not taking redemption [Women received their dead of again-rising; forsooth others were holden forth, or dead, not taking redemption], that they should find a better again-rising.
36 And others assayed scornings and beatings, moreover and bonds and prisons.
37 They were stoned, they were sawed, they were tempted, they were dead in slaying of sword. They went about in badger skins [They went about in brock skins], and in skins of goats, needy, anguished, tormented;
38 to which the world was not worthy. They wandered in wildernesses [They erring in wildernesses], and in mountains and dens, and [in] caves of the earth.
39 And all these, approved by witnessing of faith [proved by witnessing of faith], took not repromission;
40 for God provided some better thing for us, that they should not be made perfect without us.
12 Therefore [and] we that have so great a cloud of witnesses put to [us], do we away all charge, and sin standing about us, and by patience run we to the battle purposed to us,
2 beholding into the maker of faith, and the perfect ender, Jesus; which when joy was purposed to him, he suffered the cross [suffered the cross], and despised confusion, and sitteth on the right half of the seat of God.
3 And bethink ye on him that suffered such gainsaying of sinful men against himself [Forsooth bethink ye on him that sustained such against-saying of sinful men against himself], that ye be not made weary, failing in your souls.
4 For ye against-stood not yet unto blood, fighting against sin.
5 And ye have forgotten the comfort that speaketh to you as to sons, and saith, My son, do not thou despise the teaching of the Lord [saying, My son, do not thou despise the discipline of the Lord], neither be thou made weary, the while thou art chastised of him.
6 For the Lord chastiseth him that he loveth; he beateth every son that he receiveth.[d]
7 Abide ye still in chastising; God proffereth him(self) to you as to sons[e]. For what son is it, whom the father chastiseth not?
8 That if ye be out of chastising, whose partners be ye all made [That if ye be out of discipline, of which all be made partners], then ye be adulterers, and not sons.
9 And afterward we had fathers of our flesh, teachers, and we with reverence dreaded them. Whether not much more we shall obey to the Father of spirits, and we shall live?
10 And they [soothly] in time of few days taught us by their will; but this Father teacheth to that thing that is profitable [forsooth this Father to that thing that is profitable], in receiving the hallowing of him.
11 And each chastising in [this] present time seemeth to be not of joy, but of sorrow; but afterward it shall yield fruit of rightwiseness most peaceable to men exercised by it.
12 For which thing raise ye [up] slow hands, and knees unbound,
13 and make ye rightful steps to your feet [and make rightful goings, or steps, to your feet]; that no man halting err, but more be healed.
14 Follow ye peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see God.
15 Behold ye, that no man fail to the grace of God [Beholding that no man fail to the grace of God], that no root of bitterness burrowing upward hinder [us], and many be defouled by it [and by it be many men defouled];
16 that no man be lecher, either unholy, as Esau, which for one meat sold his first things.[f]
17 For know ye, that afterward he coveting to inherit blessing, was reproved. For he found not place of penance, though he sought it with tears.
18 But ye have not come [Forsooth ye have not come] to the fire able to be touched, and able to come to, and to the whirlwind, and mist, and tempest,
19 and sound of trumpet [and sound of the trump], and voice of words; which they that heard, excused them(selves), that the word should not be made to them.
20 For they bare not that that was said, And if a beast touched the hill, it was stoned [it shall be stoned].
21 And so dreadful it was that was seen, that Moses said, I am afeared, and full of trembling.
22 But ye have come nigh to the hill Sion, and to the city of God living [and to the city of living God], the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the multitude of many thousand angels,
23 and to the church of the first men, which be written in heavens, and to God, doomsman of all, and to the spirit of just perfect men [and to the spirits of just perfect men],
24 and to Jesus, mediator of the new testament, and to the sprinkling of blood, speaking better than Abel [better speaking than Abel's blood].
25 See ye, that ye forsake [refuse] not the speaker; for if they that forsake him that spake on the earth, escaped not [if forsooth they escaped not (that) refused him that spake on earth], much more we that turn away from him that speaketh to us from heavens.
26 Whose voice then moved the earth, but now he again promiseth, and saith [saying], Yet once and I shall move not only the earth, but also heaven.
27 And that he saith, Yet once, he declareth the translation of moveable things, as of made things, that those things dwell, that be unmoveable.
28 Therefore we receiving the kingdom unmoveable, have we grace, by which serve we pleasing to God with dread and reverence.
29 For our God is fire that wasteth [For why our God is fire wasting].
13 The charity of brotherhood dwell in you,
2 and do not ye forget hospitality; for by this some men pleased to angels, that were received to harbour [for by this some pleased to angels received to harbour].
3 Think ye on bound men, as ye were together bound [Be ye mindful of bound men, as ye together bound], and of travailing men, as [and] yourselves dwelling in the body.
4 Wedding is in all things honourable, and [the] bed unwemmed [and the bed undefouled]; for God shall deem fornicators and adulterers.
5 Be your manners without covetousness, satisfied with present things [satisfied with things being]; for he said, I shall not leave thee, neither forsake,
6 so that we say trustily [so that we trustily say], The Lord is an helper to me; I shall not dread, what a man shall do to me.
7 Have ye mind of your sovereigns, that have spoken to you the word of God; of whom behold ye the going out of living, and follow ye the faith of them,[g]
8 Jesus Christ, yesterday, and to day, he is also into worlds.
9 Do not ye be led away with diverse and strange teachings. For it is best to stable the heart with grace, not with meats, which profited not to men wandering in them.
10 We have an altar, of which they that serve to the tabernacle, have not power [have not power, or leave,] to eat.
11 For of which beasts the blood is borne in for sin into holy things by the bishop, the bodies of them be burnt without the castles.
12 For which thing Jesus, that he should hallow the people by his blood, suffered without the gate.
13 Therefore go we out to him without the castles, bearing his reproof.[h]
14 For we have not here a city dwelling, but we seek a city to coming.[i]
15 Therefore by him offer we a sacrifice of praising evermore to God [By him therefore offer we an host of praising allway to God], that is to say, the fruit of lips acknowledging to his name.
16 And do not ye forget well-doing, and communing; for by such sacrifices God is well served[j].
17 Obey ye to your sovereigns, and be ye subject to them; for they perfectly wake[k], as to yielding reason for your souls, that they do this thing with joy, and not sorrowing; for this thing speedeth not to you.
18 Pray ye for us, and we trust that we have good conscience in all things, willing to live well.
19 Moreover I beseech you to do [this thing], that I be restored the sooner to you.
20 And God of peace, that led out from death the great shepherd of sheep, in the blood of [the] everlasting testament, our Lord Jesus Christ,[l]
21 shape you in all good thing, that ye do the will of him; and he do in you that thing that shall please before him, by Jesus Christ[m], to whom be glory into worlds of worlds. Amen.
22 And, brethren, I pray you, that ye suffer a word of solace; for by full few things I have written to you [and soothly by few I have written to you].
23 Know ye our brother Timothy, that is sent forth, with whom if he shall come more hastily, I shall see you.
24 Greet ye well all your sovereigns, and all holy men [Greet well all your provosts, and all saints]. The brethren of Italy greet you well.
25 The grace of God be with you all. Amen. [Grace with you. Amen.]
2001 by Terence P. Noble