Hebrews 11
1 Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.
Now faith is [the] substance of things hoped for, [the] proof of matters not being seen,
2 This is why the ancients were commended.
for by this, the elders were well-attested.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (aiōn g165)
By faith we understand the ages to have been prepared by a saying of God, in regard to the things seen having not come out of things appearing. (aiōn g165)
4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God gave approval to his gifts. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice to God than Cain, through which he was testified to be righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and through it, he being dead, yet speaks.
5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.
By faith Enoch was translated—not to see death, and was not found, because God translated him; for before his translation he had been testified to—that he had pleased God well,
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
and apart from faith it is impossible to please [Him], for it is required of him who is coming to God to believe that He exists and [that] He becomes a rewarder to those seeking Him.
7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
By faith Noah, having been divinely warned concerning the things not yet seen, having feared, prepared an ark to the salvation of his house, through which he condemned the world, and he became heir of the righteousness according to faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going.
By faith Abraham, being called, obeyed, to go forth into the place that he was about to receive for an inheritance, and he went forth, not knowing to where he goes.
9 By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
By faith he sojourned in the land of the promise as a strange country, having dwelt in dwelling places with Isaac and Jacob, fellow-heirs of the same promise,
10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
for he was looking for the city having the foundations, whose craftsman and constructor [is] God.
11 By faith Sarah, even though she was barren and beyond the proper age, was enabled to conceive a child, because she considered Him faithful who had promised.
And by faith Sarah, herself barren, received power to conceive seed even after the time of life, seeing she judged Him who promised faithful;
12 And so from one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
for this reason, also, from one—and that of one who had become dead—were begotten as the stars of the sky in multitude, and innumerable as the sand that [is] by the seashore.
13 All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
All these died in faith, having not received the promises, but having seen them from afar, and having been persuaded, and having greeted [them], and having confessed that they are strangers and sojourners on the earth,
14 Now those who say such things show that they are seeking a country of their own.
for those saying such things make apparent that they seek a country;
15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.
and if, indeed, they had been mindful of that from which they came forth, they might have had an opportunity to return,
16 Instead, they were longing for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
but now they long for better, that is, heavenly, for this reason God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for He prepared a city for them.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac on the altar. He who had received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son,
By faith Abraham has offered up Isaac, being tried, even the [one] having received the promises offered up his only begotten,
18 even though God had said to him, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
of whom it was said, “In Isaac will your Seed be called,”
19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and in a sense, he did receive Isaac back from death.
reckoning that God is even able to raise up out of the dead, from where also in a figurative sense he received [him].
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future.
By faith, concerning coming things, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
By faith Jacob, dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped on the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones.
By faith Joseph, dying, made mention concerning the outgoing of the sons of Israel, and gave command concerning his bones.
23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were unafraid of the king’s edict.
By faith Moses, having been born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw the child beautiful, and were not afraid of the decree of the king.
24 By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.
By faith Moses, having become great, refused to be called a son of the daughter of Pharaoh,
25 He chose to suffer oppression with God’s people rather than to experience the fleeting enjoyment of sin.
having chosen rather to be afflicted with the people of God, than to have sin’s pleasure for a season,
26 He valued disgrace for Christ above the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his reward.
having reckoned the reproach of the Christ greater wealth than the treasures in Egypt, for he looked to the repayment of reward.
27 By faith Moses left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.
By faith he left Egypt behind, having not been afraid of the wrath of the king, for as seeing the Invisible One—he endured.
28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch Israel’s own firstborn.
By faith he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, so that He who is destroying the firstborn might not touch them.
29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were drowned.
By faith they passed through the Red Sea as through dry land, which having made an attempt [to cross], the Egyptians were swallowed up.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell, having been surrounded for seven days.
31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies in peace, did not perish with those who were disobedient.
By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who disbelieved, having received the spies with peace.
32 And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,
And what yet will I say? For the time will fail me recounting about Gideon, also Barak, and Samson, and Jephthah, also David, and Samuel, and the prophets,
33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,
who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped mouths of lions,
34 quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.
quenched the power of fire, escaped the mouth of the sword, were made powerful out of weakness, became strong in battle, caused armies of the foreigners to give way;
35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused their release, so that they might gain a better resurrection.
women received their dead by a resurrection, and others were tortured, not accepting the redemption, that they might receive a better resurrection,
36 Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
and others received trial of mockings and scourgings, and yet of bonds and imprisonment;
37 They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated.
they were stoned, they were sawn apart, they were tried; they died in the killing of the sword; they went around in sheepskins, in goatskins—being destitute, afflicted, injuriously treated,
38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground.
of whom the world was not worthy; wandering in deserts, and mountains, and caves, and the holes of the earth;
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised.
and all these, having been testified to through faith, did not receive the promise,
40 God had planned something better for us, so that together with us they would be made perfect.
God, having provided something better for us, that apart from us they might not be made perfect.
