Hebræerne 11
1 Men Tro er en Fortrøstning til det, som haabes, en Overbevisning om Ting, som ikke ses.
Faith is the realisation of things hoped for — the proof of things not seen.
2 Ved den fik jo de gamle godt Vidnesbyrd.
And it was for faith that the men of old were renowned.
3 Ved Tro fatte vi, at Verden er bleven skabt ved Guds Ord, saa det ikke er af synlige Ting, at det, som ses, er blevet til. (aiōn g165)
Faith enables us to perceive that the universe was created at the bidding of God — so that we know that what we see was not made out of visible things. (aiōn g165)
4 Ved Tro ofrede Abel Gud et bedre Offer end Kain, og ved den fik han det Vidnesbyrd, at han var retfærdig, idet Gud bevidnede sit Velbehag i hans Gaver; og ved den taler han endnu efter sin Død.
Faith made the sacrifice which Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain’s, and won him renown as a righteous man, God himself establishing his renown by accepting his gifts; and it is by the example of his faith that Abel, though dead, still speaks.
5 Ved Tro blev Enok borttagen, for at han ikke skulde se Døden, og han blev ikke funden, efterdi Gud havde taget ham bort; thi før Borttagelsen har han faaet det Vidnesbyrd, at han har behaget Gud.
Faith led to Enoch’s removal from earth, that he might not experience death. ‘He could not be found because God had removed him.’ For, before his removal, he was renowned as having pleased God;
6 Men uden Tro er det umuligt at behage ham; thi den, som kommer frem for Gad, bør tro, at han er til, og at han bliver deres Belønner, som søge ham.
but without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that God exists, and that he rewards those who seek for him.
7 Ved Tro var det, at Noa, advaret af Gud om det, som endnu ikke saas, i Gudsfrygt indrettede en Ark til Frelse for sit Hus; ved den domfældte han Verden og blev Arving til Retfærdigheden ifølge Tro.
It was faith that enabled Noah, after he had received the divine warning about what could not then be foreseen, to build, in reverent obedience, an ark in which to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world, and became possessed of that righteousness which follows upon faith.
8 Ved Tro adlød Abraham, da han blev kaldet, saa han gik ud til et Sted, som han skulde tage til Arv; og han gik ud, skønt han ikke vidste, hvor han kom hen.
It was faith that enabled Abraham to obey the Call that he received, and to set out for the place which he was afterwards to obtain as his own; and he set out not knowing where he was going.
9 Ved Tro blev han Udlænding i Forjættelsens Land som i et fremmed og boede i Telte med Isak og Jakob, som vare Medarvinger til samme Forjættelse;
It was faith that made him go to live as an emigrant in the Promised Land — as in a strange country — living there in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who shared the promise with him.
10 thi han forventede den Stad, som har fast Grundvold, hvis Bygmester og Grundlægger er Gud.
For he was looking for the City with the sure foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11 Ved Tro fik endog Sara selv Kraft til at undfange endog ud over sin Alders Tid; thi hun holdt ham for trofast, som havde forjættet det.
Again, it was faith that enabled Sarah to conceive (though she was past the age for child-bearing), because she felt sure that he who had given her the promise would not fail her.
12 Derfor avledes der ogsaa af en, og det en udlevet, som Himmelens Stjerner i Mangfoldighed og som Sandet ved Havets Bred, det, som ikke kan tælles.
And so from one man — and that when his powers were dead — there sprang a people as numerous ‘as the stars in the heavens or the countless grains of sand upon the shore.’
13 I Tro døde alle disse uden at have opnaaet Forjættelserne; men de saa dem langt borte og hilsede dem og bekendte, at de vare fremmede og Udlændinge paa Jorden.
All these died sustained by faith. They did not obtain the promised blessings, but they saw them from a distance and welcomed the sight, and they acknowledged themselves to be only aliens and strangers on the earth.
14 De, som sige saadant, give jo klarlig til Kende, at de søge et Fædreland.
Those who speak thus show plainly that they are seeking their fatherland.
15 Og dersom de havde haft det, hvorfra de vare udgaaede, i Tanker, havde de vel haft Tid til at vende tilbage;
If they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they could have found opportunities to return.
16 men nu hige de efter et bedre, det er et himmelsk; derfor skammer Gud sig ikke ved dem, ved at kaldes deres Gud; thi han har beredt dem en Stad.
But no, they were longing for a better, a heavenly, land! And therefore God was not ashamed to be called their God; indeed he had already prepared them a city.
17 Ved Tro har Abraham ofret Isak, da han blev prøvet, ja, den enbaarne ofrede han, som havde modtaget Forjættelserne,
It was faith that enabled Abraham, when put to the test, to offer Isaac as a sacrifice — he who had received the promises offering up his only son,
18 til hvem der var sagt: „I Isak skal en Sæd faa Navn efter dig; ‟
of whom it had been said — ‘It is through Isaac that there shall be descendants to bear thy name.’
19 thi han betænkte, at Gud var mægtig endog til at oprejse fra de døde, hvorfra han jo ogsaa lignelsesvis fik ham tilbage.
For he argued that God was able even to raise a man from the dead — and indeed, figuratively speaking, Abraham did receive Isaac back from the dead.
20 Ved Tro udtalte Isak Velsignelse over Jakob og Esau angaaende kommende Ting.
It was faith that enabled Isaac to bless Jacob and Esau, even with regard to the future.
21 Ved Tro velsignede Jakob døende hver af Josefs Sønner og tilbad, lænende sig over sin Stav.
Faith enabled Jacob, when dying, to give his blessing to each of the sons of Joseph, and ‘to bow himself in worship as he leant upon the top of his staff.’
22 Ved Tro talte Josef paa sit yderste om Israels Børns Udgang og gav Befaling om sine Ben.
Faith caused Joseph, when his end was near, to speak of the future migration of the Israelites, and to give instructions with regard to his bones.
23 Ved Tro blev Moses, da han var født, skjult i tre Maaneder af sine Forældre, fordi de saa, at Barnet var dejligt, og de frygtede ikke for Kongens Befaling.
Faith caused the parents of Moses to hide the child for three months after his birth, for they saw that he was a beautiful child; and they would not respect the King’s order.
24 Ved Tro nægtede Moses, da han var bleven stor, at kaldes Søn af Faraos Datter
It was faith that caused Moses, when he was grown up, to refuse the title of ‘Son of a Daughter of Pharaoh.’
25 og valgte hellere at lide ondt med Guds Folk end at have en kortvarig Nydelse af Synd,
He preferred sharing the hardships of God’s People to enjoying the short-lived pleasures of sin.
26 idet han agtede Kristi Forsmædelse for større Rigdom end Ægyptens Skatte; thi han saa hen til Belønningen.
For he counted ‘the reproaches that are heaped upon the Christ’ of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, looking forward, as he did, to the reward awaiting him.
27 Ved Tro forlod han Ægypten uden at frygte for Kongens Vrede; thi som om han saa den usynlige, holdt han ud.
Faith caused him to leave Egypt, though undaunted by the King’s anger, for he was strengthened in his endurance by the vision of the invisible God.
28 Ved Tro har han indstiftet Paasken og Paastrygelsen af Blodet, for at den, som ødelagde de førstefødte, ikke skulde røre dem.
Faith led him to institute the Passover and the Sprinkling of the Blood, so that the Destroyer might not touch the eldest children of the Israelites.
29 Ved Tro gik de igennem det røde Hav som over tørt Land, medens Ægypterne druknede under Forsøget derpaa.
Faith enabled the people to cross the Red Sea, as if it had been dry land, while the Egyptians, when they attempted to do so, were drowned.
30 Ved Tro faldt Jerikos Mure, efter at de vare omgaaede i syv Dage.
Faith caused the walls of Jericho to fall after being encircled for seven days.
31 Ved Tro undgik Skøgen Rahab at omkomme med de genstridige; thi hun modtog Spejderne med Fred.
Faith saved Rahab, the prostitute, from perishing with the unbelievers, after she had entertained the spies with friendliness.
32 Dog, hvorfor skal jeg tale mere? Tiden vil jo fattes mig, hvis jeg skal fortælle om Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jefta, David og Samuel og Profeterne,
Need I add anything more? Time would fail me if I attempted to relate the stories of Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah, and those of David, Samuel, and the Prophets.
33 som ved Tro overvandt Riger, øvede Retfærdighed, opnaaede Forjættelser, stoppede Løvers Mund,
By their faith they subdued kingdoms, ruled righteously, gained the fulfilment of God’s promises, ‘shut the mouths of lions,’
34 slukkede Ilds Kraft, undslap Sværds Od, bleve stærke efter Svaghed, bleve vældige i Krig, bragte fremmedes Hære til at vige.
quelled the fury of the flames, escaped the edge of the sword, found strength in the hour of weakness, displayed their prowess in war, and routed hostile armies.
35 Kvinder fik deres døde igen ved Opstandelse. Andre bleve lagte paa Pinebænk og toge ikke imod Befrielse, for at de maatte opnaa en bedre Opstandelse.
Women received back their dead raised to life. Some were tortured on the wheel, and refused release in order that they might rise to a better life.
36 Andre maatte friste Forhaanelser og Hudstrygelser, tilmed Lænker og Fængsel;
Others had to face taunts and blows, and even chains and imprisonment.
37 de bleve stenede, gennemsavede, fristede, dræbte med Sværd, gik omkring i Faare- og Gedeskind, lidende Mangel, betrængte, mishandlede
They were stoned to death, they were tortured, they were swan asunder, they were put to the sword; they wandered about clothed in the skins of sheep or goats, destitute, persecuted, ill-used —
38 (dem var Verden ikke værd), omvankende i Ørkener og paa Bjerge og i Huler og Jordens Kløfter.
men of whom the world was not worthy — roaming in lonely places, and on the mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
39 Og alle disse, skønt de havde Vidnesbyrd for deres Tro, opnaaede ikke Forjættelsen,
Yet, though they all won renown by their faith, they did not obtain the final fulfilment of God’s promise;
40 efterdi Gud forud havde udset noget bedre for os, for at de ikke skulde fuldkommes uden os.
since God had in view some better thing for us, that they, apart from us, should not attain perfection.
