Beginning

What faith is, and a commendation of the same. The steadfast belief of the fathers in old time.

11 Faith is a sure confidence of things that are hoped for, and a certainty of things that are not seen. ² By it the elders were well reported of.

  ³ Through faith we understand that the world and all the things which are seen were made of nothing by the word of God.

⁴ By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; by which also he being dead still speaks.

⁵ By faith Enoch was translated so that he would not see death, and was not to be found, because God had taken him away. Before he was taken away, he was reported of that he had pleased God. ⁶ But without faith, it is impossible to please him. For the person who comes to God must believe that God is, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.

⁷ By faith Noah honoured God after he was warned of things that were not yet seen, and prepared the ark for the saving of his household – through which ark he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

⁸ By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed, to go out into a place that he would afterward receive as an inheritance. And he went out not knowing where he should go. ⁹ By faith he moved into the land that was promised him as into a strange country, and dwelt in tents; and so did Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he looked for a city having a foundation, whose builder and maker is God.

¹¹ Through faith Sarah also received strength to be with child, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. ¹² And therefore there came from one (and from one who was as good as dead) as many descendants as the stars of the sky, and as the sand of the seashore, which is innumerable.

¹³ And they all died in faith, and did not obtain the promises, but saw them afar off, and believed them, and hailed them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ¹⁴ People who say such things show that they are seeking a country. ¹⁵ Also, if they had been mindful of that country that they came from, they were free to have returned again. ¹⁶ But now they desire a better country; that is to say, a heavenly one. And so God is not ashamed of them, even to be called their God. For he has prepared for them a city.

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when he was proved, offered up Isaac. And he offered him being his only begotten son that had the promises ¹⁸ (of whom it was said: In Isaac shall your seed be called), ¹⁹ because he considered that God was able to raise him up again from death. Therefore he received him back, for a figure.

²⁰ In faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph, and bowed himself toward the top of his sceptre.

²² By faith Joseph, when he died, anticipated the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt, and gave directions concerning his bones.

²³ By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his father and mother, because they saw he was a fine child; neither did they fear the king’s commandment.

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he was great, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵ and chose rather to suffer adversity with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, ²⁶ and esteemed the rebuke of Christ to be greater riches than the treasure of Egypt. For he looked to the reward. ²⁷ By faith he left Egypt, and did not fear the fierceness of the king. For he persevered even as one who had seen him who is invisible.

²⁸ Through faith he instituted the Passover lamb and the effusion of blood, lest he who destroyed the first-born should touch them.

²⁹ By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, which, when the Egyptians attempted it, they were drowned.

³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were compassed about for seven days.

³¹ By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with the unbelievers when she took in the spies peaceably.

³² And what more shall I say? The time would be too short for me to tell of Gideon, Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah, also of David and Samuel, and of the prophets, ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms, wrought righteousness, received promises fulfilled, stopped the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the force of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the other nations. ³⁵ And the women received their dead raised to life again.

Others were racked, and would not be delivered, so that they might receive a better resurrection. ³⁶ Others tasted of mockings and scourgings; moreover of bonds and imprisonment; ³⁷ were stoned, were hewn asunder, were sorely tried, were slain with swords, walked up and down in sheepskins, in goatskins, in need, tribulation, and vexation – ³⁸ of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in wilderness, in mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

³⁹ And these all through faith obtained good report, and yet did not obtain the promise, ⁴⁰ God providing a better thing for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.

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.

¹⁵ And see to it that no one be destitute of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness spring up and cause trouble, and thereby many be defiled; ¹⁶ and that there be no fornicator or unclean person like Esau, who for one breakfast sold his birthright. ¹⁷ You know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was put by, and he found no means to come by it again; no, though he sought it with tears.

¹⁸ For you have not come to the mount that can be touched, and to burning fire, nor yet to mist and darkness and tempest of weather, ¹⁹ neither to the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, which voice the people that heard it wished away so that the message would not be spoken to them. ²⁰ For they were not able to abide that which was spoken. If a beast had touched the mountain, it was to have been stoned or thrust through with a dart. ²¹ Even so terrible was the sight that appeared, Moses said, I fear and quake!

²² But you have come to the mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the celestial Jerusalem, and to an innumerable multitude of angels, ²³ and to the congregation of the first born sons, whose names are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just and perfect, ²⁴ and to Jesus, the mediator of the new testament, and to the sprinkling of blood that speaks better than the blood of Abel.

²⁵ See that you do not forsake him that speaks. For if they did not escape who refused him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from him that speaks from heaven – ²⁶ whose voice then shook the earth, and who now declares, saying: Yet once more will I shake, not the earth only, but also heaven.

²⁷ No doubt this that he says – yet once more – signifies the removal of those things that are shaken, as of things that have ended their course, so that the things which are not shaken may remain. ²⁸ Therefore, if we receive the kingdom that is not shaken, we have grace whereby we may serve God, and please him with reverence and godly fear. ²⁹ For our God is a consuming fire.

He exhorts us to love, to be ready to take people in, to be thoughtful of persons in adversity, to maintain wedlock, to avoid covetousness, to make much of those who preach God’s word, to beware of other teaching, to be content to suffer rebuke with Christ, to be thankful to God, and to be obedient to those who have the oversight of us.

13 Let brotherly love continue. ² Be not forgetful to lodge strangers, for by so doing some have received angels into their houses unawares. ³ Remember those who are in bonds, even as though you were bound with them. Be mindful of those who are in adversity, as persons who are yourselves also yet in your bodies.

⁴ Let wedlock be had in honour in all points, and let the bedchamber be undefiled. For whorekeepers and adulterers God will judge.

⁵ Let your living be without covetousness, and be content with what you have already. For he has truly said: I will not fail you nor forsake you. ⁶ Therefore we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man does to me.

⁷ Remember those who have the oversight of you, who have declared to you the word of God. See that you look upon the way they live out their life, and follow their faith.

⁸ Jesus Christ continues the same yesterday and today and forever. ⁹ Do not be carried about with other and different teaching. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, and not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied in them.

¹⁰ We have an altar from which those who serve in the tabernacle may not eat. ¹¹ For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest to purge sin, are burnt outside the tents. ¹² Therefore Jesus, to sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate.

¹³ Let us go forth therefore out of the tents and suffer rebuke with him. ¹⁴ For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. ¹⁵ For by him we offer the sacrifice of laud always to God; that is to say, the fruit of those lips that confess his name.

¹⁶ To do good and to distribute to the poor, do not forget. For with such sacrifices, God is pleased. 

¹⁷ Obey those who have the oversight of you, and submit yourselves to them, for they watch for your souls even as those who must give accounts. Let them do it with joy, and not with grief. For that is an unprofitable thing for you.

¹⁸ Pray for us. We have confidence, because we have a good conscience in all things, and desire to live righteously. ¹⁹ I ask you therefore even more so to pray that I may be restored to you quickly.

²⁰ May the God of peace, who brought back again from death our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting testament, ²¹ make you perfect in all good works to do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ – to whom be glory forever while the world endures. Amen.

²² I beseech you brethren, submit patiently to the words of exhortation. For we have written to you in few words.

²³ Acknowledge the brother Timothy, whom we have sent from us, with whom (if he comes shortly) I will see you.

²⁴ Greet those who have the oversight of you, and all the saints. The people of Italy send you greetings.

²⁵ Grace be with you all.

Sent from Italy by
the hand of
Timothy.