Hebrews 12
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us.
Therefore, we also having so great a cloud of witnesses set around us, every weight having put off, and the closely besetting sin, through endurance may we run the contest that is set before us,
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
looking to the author and perfecter of faith — Jesus, who, over-against the joy set before him — did endure a cross, shame having despised, on the right hand also of the throne of God did sit down;
3 Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
for consider again him who endured such gainsaying from the sinners to himself, that ye may not be wearied in your souls — being faint.
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
Not yet unto blood did ye resist — with the sin striving;
5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you.
and ye have forgotten the exhortation that doth speak fully with you as with sons, 'My son, be not despising chastening of the Lord, nor be faint, being reproved by Him,
6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.”
for whom the Lord doth love He doth chasten, and He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth;'
7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?
if chastening ye endure, as to sons God beareth Himself to you, for who is a son whom a father doth not chasten?
8 If you do not experience discipline like everyone else, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.
and if ye are apart from chastening, of which all have become partakers, then bastards are ye, and not sons.
9 Furthermore, we have all had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them. Should we not much more submit to the Father of our spirits and live?
Then, indeed, fathers of our flesh we have had, chastising [us], and we were reverencing [them]; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of the spirits, and live?
10 Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness.
for they, indeed, for a few days, according to what seemed good to them, were chastening, but He for profit, to be partakers of His separation;
11 No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it.
and all chastening for the present, indeed, doth not seem to be of joy, but of sorrow, yet afterward the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those exercised through it — it doth yield.
12 Therefore strengthen your limp hands and weak knees.
Wherefore, the hanging-down hands and the loosened knees set ye up;
13 Make straight paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
and straight paths make for your feet, that that which is lame may not be turned aside, but rather be healed;
14 Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
peace pursue with all, and the separation, apart from which no one shall see the Lord,
15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.
looking diligently over lest any one be failing of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up may give trouble, and through this many may be defiled;
16 See to it that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his birthright.
lest any one be a fornicator, or a profane person, as Esau, who in exchange for one morsel of food did sell his birthright,
17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. He could find no ground for repentance, though he sought the blessing with tears.
for ye know that also afterwards, wishing to inherit the blessing, he was disapproved of, for a place of reformation he found not, though with tears having sought it.
18 For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm;
For ye came not near to the mount touched and scorched with fire, and to blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
19 to a trumpet blast or to a voice that made its hearers beg that no further word be spoken.
and a sound of a trumpet, and a voice of sayings, which those having heard did entreat that a word might not be added to them,
20 For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”
for they were not bearing that which is commanded, 'And if a beast may touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or with an arrow shot through,'
21 The sight was so terrifying that even Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
and, (so terrible was the sight, ) Moses said, 'I am fearful exceedingly, and trembling.'
22 Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels
But, ye came to Mount Zion, and to a city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of messengers,
23 in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
to the company and assembly of the first-born in heaven enrolled, and to God the judge of all, and to spirits of righteous men made perfect,
24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
and to a mediator of a new covenant — Jesus, and to blood of sprinkling, speaking better things than that of Abel!
25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if the people did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject Him who warns us from heaven?
See, may ye not refuse him who is speaking, for if those did not escape who refused him who upon earth was divinely speaking — much less we who do turn away from him who [speaketh] from heaven,
26 At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth, but heaven as well.”
whose voice the earth shook then, and now hath he promised, saying, 'Yet once — I shake not only the earth, but also the heaven;'
27 The words “Once more” signify the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that the unshakable may remain.
and this — 'Yet once' — doth make evident the removal of the things shaken, as of things having been made, that the things not shaken may remain;
28 Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
wherefore, a kingdom that cannot be shaken receiving, may we have grace, through which we may serve God well-pleasingly, with reverence and religious fear;
29 “For our God is a consuming fire.”
for also our God [is] a consuming fire.
