Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

12 Therefore, we also having so great a cloud of witnesses set around us, every weight having put off, and the closely besetting sin, through endurance may we run the contest that is set before us,

² looking to the author and perfecter of faith -- Jesus, who, over-against the joy set before him -- did endure a cross, shame having despised, on the right hand also of the throne of God did sit down;

³ for consider again him who endured such gainsaying from the sinners to himself, that ye may not be wearied in your souls -- being faint.

⁴ Not yet unto blood did ye resist -- with the sin striving;

⁵ and ye have forgotten the exhortation that doth speak fully with you as with sons, `My son, be not despising chastening of the Lord, nor be faint, being reproved by Him,

⁶ for whom the Lord doth love He doth chasten, and He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth;'

⁷ if chastening ye endure, as to sons God beareth Himself to you, for who is a son whom a father doth not chasten?

⁸ and if ye are apart from chastening, of which all have become partakers, then bastards are ye, and not sons.

⁹ Then, indeed, fathers of our flesh we have had, chastising [us], and we were reverencing [them]; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of the spirits, and live?

¹⁰ for they, indeed, for a few days, according to what seemed good to them, were chastening, but He for profit, to be partakers of His separation;

¹¹ and all chastening for the present, indeed, doth not seem to be of joy, but of sorrow, yet afterward the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those exercised through it -- it doth yield.

¹² Wherefore, the hanging-down hands and the loosened knees set ye up;

¹³ and straight paths make for your feet, that that which is lame may not be turned aside, but rather be healed;

¹⁴ peace pursue with all, and the separation, apart from which no one shall see the Lord,

¹⁵ looking diligently over lest any one be failing of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up may give trouble, and through this many may be defiled;

¹⁶ lest any one be a fornicator, or a profane person, as Esau, who in exchange for one morsel of food did sell his birthright,

¹⁷ for ye know that also afterwards, wishing to inherit the blessing, he was disapproved of, for a place of reformation he found not, though with tears having sought it.

¹⁸ For ye came not near to the mount touched and scorched with fire, and to blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

¹⁹ and a sound of a trumpet, and a voice of sayings, which those having heard did entreat that a word might not be added to them,

²⁰ for they were not bearing that which is commanded, `And if a beast may touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or with an arrow shot through,'

²¹ and, (so terrible was the sight,) Moses said, `I am fearful exceedingly, and trembling.'

²² But, ye came to Mount Zion, and to a city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of messengers,

²³ to the company and assembly of the first-born in heaven enrolled, and to God the judge of all, and to spirits of righteous men made perfect,

²⁴ and to a mediator of a new covenant -- Jesus, and to blood of sprinkling, speaking better things than that of Abel!

²⁵ See, may ye not refuse him who is speaking, for if those did not escape who refused him who upon earth was divinely speaking -- much less we who do turn away from him who [speaketh] from heaven,

²⁶ whose voice the earth shook then, and now hath he promised, saying, `Yet once -- I shake not only the earth, but also the heaven;'

²⁷ and this -- `Yet once' -- doth make evident the removal of the things shaken, as of things having been made, that the things not shaken may remain;

²⁸ wherefore, a kingdom that cannot be shaken receiving, may we have grace, through which we may serve God well-pleasingly, with reverence and religious fear;

²⁹ for also our God [is] a consuming fire.

13 Let brotherly love remain;

² of the hospitality be not forgetful, for through this unawares certain did entertain messengers;

³ be mindful of those in bonds, as having been bound with them, of those maltreated, as also yourselves being in the body;

⁴ honourable [is] the marriage in all, and the bed undefiled, and whoremongers and adulterers God shall judge.

⁵ Without covetousness the behaviour, being content with the things present, for He hath said, `No, I will not leave, no, nor forsake thee,'

⁶ so that we do boldly say, `The Lord [is] to me a helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me.'

⁷ Be mindful of those leading you, who did speak to you the word of God, whose faith -- considering the issue of the behaviour -- be imitating,

⁸ Jesus Christ yesterday and to-day the same, and to the ages;

⁹ with teachings manifold and strange be not carried about, for [it is] good that by grace the heart be confirmed, not with meats, in which they who were occupied were not profited;

¹⁰ we have an altar, of which to eat they have no authority who the tabernacle are serving,

¹¹ for of those beasts whose blood is brought for sin into the holy places through the chief priest -- of these the bodies are burned without the camp.

¹² Wherefore, also Jesus -- that he might sanctify through [his] own blood the people -- without the gate did suffer;

¹³ now, then, may we go forth unto him without the camp, his reproach bearing;

¹⁴ for we have not here an abiding city, but the coming one we seek;

¹⁵ through him, then, we may offer up a sacrifice of praise always to God, that is, the fruit of lips, giving thanks to His name;

¹⁶ and of doing good, and of fellowship, be not forgetful, for with such sacrifices God is well-pleased.

¹⁷ Be obedient to those leading you, and be subject, for these do watch for your souls, as about to give account, that with joy they may do this, and not sighing, for this [is] unprofitable to you.

¹⁸ Pray for us, for we trust that we have a good conscience, in all things willing to behave well,

¹⁹ and more abundantly do I call upon [you] to do this, that more quickly I may be restored to you.

²⁰ And the God of the peace, who did bring up out of the dead the great shepherd of the sheep -- in the blood of an age-during covenant -- our Lord Jesus,

²¹ make you perfect in every good work to do His will, doing in you that which is well-pleasing before Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom [is] the glory -- to the ages of the ages! Amen.

²² And I entreat you, brethren, suffer the word of the exhortation, for also through few words I have written to you.

²³ Know ye that the brother Timotheus is released, with whom, if he may come more shortly, I will see you.

²⁴ Salute all those leading you, and all the saints; salute you doth those from Italy:

²⁵ the grace [is] with you all! Amen.