Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Consider His Endurance

³ For consider^[a] the One having endured such opposition^[b] by sinners against Himself, in order that you may not be weary in your souls, losing-heart— ⁴ you did not yet resist to the point of blood while struggling against sin!

And Have You Forgotten That God Disciplines Those He Loves?

⁵ And have^[c] you completely-forgotten^[d] the exhortation which speaks^[e] to you as sons?: “My son, do not be thinking-lightly^[f] of the discipline^[g] of the Lord, nor losing-heart while being rebuked by Him. ⁶ For the one whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He whips^[h] every son whom He accepts” [Prov 3:11-12].

God Is Dealing With You As Sons

⁷ You are enduring^[i] [your trials] for discipline; God is dealing with you as with sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? ⁸ But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers^[j], then you are illegitimate^[k] children and not sons.

And God Is Disciplining You For Your Benefit

⁹ Furthermore, we had fathers of our flesh^[l] as discipliners and were respecting them— but shall we not much more be subject to the Father of [our] spirits and live? ¹⁰ For the ones were disciplining us for a few days according to the thing seeming good to them; but the One does so for our benefit^[m], so that we may share-in His holiness.

And His Discipline Will Yield The Fruit of Righteousness

¹¹ And all discipline for the present does not seem to be a thing of joy, but of grief— but later it yields^[n] the peaceful fruit of righteousness to the ones having been trained by it.

Therefore Straighten Up And Walk Straight Paths

¹² Therefore straighten-up^[o] the hands having been slackened^[p] and the knees having been made-feeble^[q], ¹³ and be making straight paths for your feet, in order that the lame part may not be dislocated^[r] but rather may be healed.

Pursue Peace And Holiness

¹⁴ Be pursuing peace with^[s] all people, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord, ¹⁵ while exercising-oversight that someone may not be coming-short of the grace of God; that some root of ^[t] bitterness growing^[u] up may not be causing-trouble and many be defiled^[v] by it; ¹⁶ that someone may not be sexually-immoral or^[w] profane like Esau, who sold his own firstborn-rights^[x] for one meal^[y]. ¹⁷ For you know that indeed afterward, while wanting to inherit the blessing, he was rejected— for he did not find a place of ^[z] repentance— even-though having sought-for it^[aa] with tears.