Hebrews 11
1 Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.
And faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of matters not seen a conviction,
2 This is why the ancients were commended.
for in this were the elders testified of;
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 not having 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 a better sacrifice did Abel offer to God than Cain, through which he was testified to be righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and through it, he being dead, doth yet speak.
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 did translate 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 well, for it behoveth him who is coming to God to believe that He is, and to those seeking Him He becometh a rewarder.
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, did prepare an ark to the salvation of his house, through which he did condemn the world, and of the righteousness according to faith he became heir.
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, did obey, to go forth to the place that he was about to receive for an inheritance, and he went forth, not knowing whither he doth go;
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 did sojourn in the land of the promise as a strange country, in tabernacles having dwelt 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 artificer 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.
By faith also Sarah herself did receive power to conceive seed, and she bare after the time of life, seeing she did judge Him faithful who did promise;
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.
wherefore, also from one were begotten — and that of one who had become dead — as the stars of the heaven in multitude, and as sand that [is] by the sea-shore — the innumerable.
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.
In faith died all these, not having received the promises, but from afar having seen them, and having been persuaded, and having saluted [them], and having confessed that strangers and sojourners they are upon 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 manifest 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 a better, that is, an heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for He did prepare for them a city.
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 hath offered up Isaac, being tried, and the only begotten he did offer up who did receive the promises,
18 even though God had said to him, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
of whom it was said — 'In Isaac shall a seed be called to thee;'
19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and in a sense, he did receive Isaac back from death.
reckoning that even out of the dead God is able to raise up, whence also in a figure he did receive [him].
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future.
By faith, concerning coming things, Isaac did bless 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 — each of the sons of Joseph did bless, and did bow down upon 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, concerning the outgoing of the sons of Israel did make mention, and concerning his bones did give command.
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 comely, 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, did refuse 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.
greater wealth having reckoned the reproach of the Christ than the treasures in Egypt, for he did look to the recompense 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, not having 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, that He who is destroying the first-born 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 did pass through the Red Sea as through dry land, which the Egyptians having received a trial of, 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 did fall, 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 harlot 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 shall I yet say? for the time will fail me recounting about Gideon, Barak also, and Samson, and Jephthah, David also, 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 did subdue kingdoms, wrought 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 infirmities, became strong in battle, caused to give way camps of the aliens.
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 by a rising again their dead, and others were tortured, not accepting the redemption, that a better rising again they might receive,
36 Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
and others of mockings and scourgings did receive trial, 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 asunder, they were tried; in the killing of the sword they died; they went about 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; in deserts wandering, and [in] mountains, and [in] caves, and [in] the holes of the earth;
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised.
and these all, having been testified to through the 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 for us something better having provided, that apart from us they might not be made perfect.
