Hebreeën 12
1 Welnu dan, omringd van zulk een wolk van getuigen, laat ons iedere belemmering en hinder van zonde wegwerpen van ons, en dan met volharding de wedloop beginnen, die voor ons ligt;
We [know about] many people like that [who showed they trusted in God]. They are like a crowd of spectators [who are cheering for us inside a stadium] [MET]. Knowing that, we must put away all the things that hinder us, [as a runner puts aside everything that would hinder him because they are heavy] [MET]. Especially we must put away sinful actions that [hinder us, as a runner] sets aside clothes he does not need, clothes that would entangle him [MET]. Let us [wholeheartedly strive to achieve what God has planned for us, as someone] in a race wholeheartedly runs the course that is before him [MET].
2 het oog gevestigd op Jesus, aanvang en einde van het geloof. Hij heeft in plaats van de vreugde, die Hem toekwam, een kruis op Zich genomen, en de schande niet geacht; maar is dan ook gezeten ter rechterzijde van Gods troon.
And let us [keep our minds on] Jesus, [as a runner] keeps his eyes on [the goal] [MET]. Jesus is the one we should imitate in the way he perfectly trusted [God. When he died on] the cross he endured it as he suffered greatly [MTY], instead of [thinking about the things he would] rejoice about [later]. He disregarded being disgraced by [dying that way]. He is now sitting at the place of highest honor [MTY] at the throne [where God rules].
3 Houdt Hem toch voor ogen, die van de zondaars zulk een tegenspraak heeft verduurd, opdat gij niet uitgeput raakt en de zielskracht verliest.
[Jesus] patiently endured it when sinful people acted so hostilely against him. Try to act the way he did, so that you do not give up [trusting] God or become discouraged.
4 Nog hebt gij niet ten bloede toe weerstand geboden in de strijd tegen de zonde;
While you have struggled against [being tempted to] sin, you have not yet bled [and died because of resisting evil, as Jesus did].
5 en zijt gij dan reeds de vermaning vergeten, die u als zonen toespreekt: Mijn zoon, verwerp de kastijding des Heren niet, En wees niet ontmoedigd, zo ge door Hem wordt bestraft.
Do not forget [RHQ] these words [that Solomon spoke to his son, that are the same as God] would exhort you as his children: My child, pay attention [LIT] when the Lord is disciplining you, and do not be discouraged when the Lord punishes you [DOU],
6 Want de Heer kastijdt dien Hij bemint, Tuchtigt elken zoon, dien Hij liefheeft.
because it is everyone whom he loves whom the Lord disciplines, and he punishes everyone whom he accepts as his child.
7 Verdraag het dus als een kastijding; God behandelt u als zonen. Want is er wel een zoon, die door zijn vader niet wordt gekastijd?
It is in order that God may discipline you that he requires you to endure the disagreeable things [that happen to you]. [When God disciplines you] he is treating you as a father treats his children. All fathers [RHQ] discipline their children [LIT].
8 Zo gij dus zonder kastijding zoudt wezen, waarvan allen hun deel krijgen, dan waart gij bastaards en geen zonen.
So, if you have not experienced God disciplining you just like he disciplines all his other children, you are [not true children of God] [MET]. [You are like] illegitimate children; [no father disciplines them].
9 Bovendien, we hebben vaders naar het vlees gehad, die ons kastijdden, en we kwamen tot inkeer; zullen we ons dan niet veel meer onderwerpen aan den Vader der geesten, en leven?
Furthermore, our natural fathers disciplined us [when we were young], and we respected them for doing that. So we should certainly more readily accept God our spiritual Father disciplining us, with the result that we live eternally [RHQ]!
10 Zij toch hebben ons gekastijd ter wille van enkele dagen en naar het hun goeddacht; maar Hij doet het tot ons nut, opdat we zijn heiligheid deelachtig worden.
Our natural fathers disciplined us for a short time in a way that they considered right, [but it wasn’t always right], but God always disciplines us [in a right way], to help us. He does it so that we may be holy as he is.
11 Elke kastijding schijnt op het ogenblik zelf geen reden tot vreugde, maar reden tot droefheid; later echter draagt ze hun, die er door geoefend zijn, een vredevrucht der gerechtigheid.
During the time that God is disciplining us, that does not seem to be something about which we should rejoice. Instead, it is something that pains us. But later it causes those who have learned from it to be peaceful and to [live] righteously.
12 Richt op dus de slappe handen en knikkende knieën!
So, [instead of acting as though you were spiritually exhausted], renew yourselves [MET] spiritually.
13 Maakt rechte sporen met uw voeten, opdat het kreupele niet wordt ontwricht, maar genezen veeleer!
Go straight forward [in your Christian life] [MET], in order that believers who are uncertain about their faith [will imitate you] and not ([leave God’s way/] useless [to God]) [MET]. Instead, they will be spiritually restored [MET] as an injured and useless limb is restored.
14 Streeft naar vrede met allen; ook naar heiligheid, zonder welke niemand den Heer zal zien.
Try to live peacefully with all people. Seek to be holy, since no one will see the Lord if he is not holy.
15 Zorgt er voor, dat niemand Gods genade verwaarloost; dat er geen wortel van bitterheid opschiet, anderen in de weg staat, en velen aansteekt;
Beware that none of you stops [trusting in] God, [who has done kind things for us that we did not deserve] (OR, Beware that you have never [experienced] God kindly [saving you]). Be on guard lest any of you [act in an evil way towards others], because your doing that will [grow like] [MET] a root [grows into a big plant], and the result [of your] doing that will be that many believers will sin and become unacceptable to God.
16 dat niemand ontuchtig is, of onverschillig als Esau, die voor één enkele spijs zijn eerstgeboorterecht verkocht.
Do not let anyone be immoral, or be irreligious as Esau was. He exchanged the rights he had as a firstborn son for only one meal.
17 Gij weet toch, dat toen hij later de zegen wilde erven, hij afgewezen werd; want hij vond geen mogelijkheid, de gezindheid van zijn vader te veranderen, hoewel hij het onder tranen beproefde.
You know that after he did that, he wanted to receive [what his father would promise to give him if] he blessed him. But [his father] was unable [to change what he had already done]. And Esau found no way to change things, even though he sought tearfully to do that.
18 Inderdaad, gij zijt niet toegetreden tot een tastbare berg, niet tot brandend vuur, duisternis, donkere wolk, storm,
In coming [to God] you have not [experienced things like what the Israeli people experienced] at [Sinai] Mountain. [They] approached [a mountain that God told them they] should not touch. [They approached] a blazing fire, and it was gloomy and dark [DOU], and there was a hurricane/cyclone.
19 bazuingeschal; niet tot daverende woorden, waarvan de hoorders bezwoeren, dat er geen woord meer bij mocht komen,
They heard a trumpet sounding and they heard [God] speak. The result was that those who heard it pleaded for God not to speak to them like that again.
20 omdat het bevel hun te machtig was: "Zelfs als een dier de berg aanraakt, moet het gestenigd worden."
When [God] commanded them saying, “If [a person or] even an animal touches this mountain, [you] must [kill him/it by] throwing stones at him/it,” they were terrified.
21 En zó ontzettend was de verschijning, dat Moses uitriep: "Ik beef en sidder van angst."
Truly, because Moses was terrified after seeing what happened [on the mountain], he said, “I am trembling because I am very afraid!”
22 Neen, gij zijt toegetreden tot de berg Sion en de Stad van den levenden God, het hemels Jerusalem; tot de tienduizenden engelen, tot de feestvergadering,
Instead, [it is as though] you have come to [the presence of God in heaven] [MET]. [That is like what your ancestors did when they came to worship] God on Zion Hill, in Jerusalem, in the city of God who is all-powerful. You have come (OR, you are coming) to where there are countless angels, who are rejoicing as they have gathered together.
23 tot de gemeente der eerstgeborenen, opgeschreven in de hemel; tot God den Rechter van allen; tot de geesten der rechtvaardigen, die hun voleinding hebben bereikt;
You have joined all the believers [who have privileges like] firstborn sons, whose names [God] has written down in heaven. You have come to God, who will judge everyone. You have come to where the spirits of God’s people are, people who lived righteously [before they died], and who now have been made perfect [in heaven].
24 tot Jesus den Middelaar van het nieuwe Verbond, tot het Bloed der besprenkeling, dat iets beters afroept dan Abels bloed.
You have come to Jesus, who arranged a new covenant [between us and God]. You have accepted [what he accomplished when] his blood flowed [when he died on the cross. His doing that made it possible for God to forgive us]. That is better than the blood of Abel, [who just] wanted revenge because his brother Cain murdered him.
25 Zorgt er voor, dat gij Hem niet afwijst, die roept! Want wanneer zij niet ontkwamen, die Hem afwezen, toen Hij op aarde sprak, hoeveel minder wij, zo we ons afkeren van Hem, die uit de hemelen spreekt,
Beware that you do not refuse to listen to [God] who is speaking to you. The Israeli people did not escape [God punishing them] when [Moses] (OR, [God]) warned them here on earth. So we shall surely not escape [God punishing us] if we reject him when he warns us from heaven! [RHQ]
26 wiens stem eertijds de aarde deed sidderen, maar die nu heeft verkondigd: "Nog eenmaal zal Ik doen beven Niet slechts de aarde, maar ook de hemel."
The earth shook [PRS] then when he spoke [MTY] [at Sinai Mountain]. But now he has promised, “I will shake the earth again, one more time, but I will shake heaven too.”
27 Welnu, dit "Nog eenmaal" wijst op de omverwerping van wat als schepsel vergankelijk is, opdat dan het onvergankelijke blijft bestaan.
The words “again, one more time” indicate that things [on earth] will be shaken {that [he] will shake things [on earth]}, meaning that he will set aside all that [he] has created, in order that the things [in heaven] that cannot be shaken {that nothing can shake} may remain forever.
28 Wij dus, die een onvergankelijk koninkrijk hebben ontvangen, we moeten vasthouden aan de genade, en daardoor God dienen, zoals het Hem welgevallig is: in vrome eerbied en ontzag.
So, let us thank God that we are becoming members of a kingdom that nothing can shake. Let us worship/serve God in a way that pleases him by being greatly in awe [DOU] before him.
29 Want onze God is een verterend vuur!
Remember that the God we [worship/serve] is like a fire that burns up everything [that is impure] [MET]!
