Hebrews 11
1 Now our trust in God is the guarantee of what we hope for, the evidence of what we can't see.
Now faith is the confident expectation of things hoped for, and a conviction of things not seen:
2 People who lived long ago trusted God and this is what gained them God's approval.
for by it the ancients obtained an honorable testimony.
3 Through our trust in God we understand that the whole universe was created by God's command, that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen. (aiōn g165)
By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, for the things which are seen were not made of things which appear. (aiōn g165)
4 By trusting him Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain, and as a result God identified him as someone who lived right. God showed this by accepting his offering. Even though Abel has been dead for a long time, he still speaks to us through what he did.
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God bearing witness to his gifts: and by it, though dead, he yet speaketh.
5 By trusting God Enoch was taken to heaven so he didn't experience death. He couldn't be found on earth because God took him to heaven. Before this happened he was known as someone God was pleased with.
By faith Enoch was translated, that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God:
6 You can't expect God to be pleased with you if you don't trust him! Anyone who comes to God must believe that God exists, and that he rewards those who are searching for him.
whereas without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe, that He is, and is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
7 Noah trusted God, and was warned by him about things that had never happened before. Because Noah paid serious attention to what God said, he constructed an ark to save his family. By trusting God, Noah showed that the world was wrong, and received the reward of being set right by God.
By faith Noah being warned by God of things which were not yet seen, moved with pious fear, prepared an ark for the safety of his family; whereby he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
8 Through trusting God Abraham obeyed when God called him to go to the land God was going to give him. He left, not knowing where he was going.
By faith Abraham when called to go out to a place which he was afterwards to receive for an inheritance obeyed: and went out, though he knew not whither he was going.
9 Trusting in God he lived in the promised land—but as a foreigner, living in tents, together with Isaac and Jacob who shared with him in inheriting the same promise.
By faith he sojourned in the land promised him, as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob the heirs with him of the same promise.
10 For Abraham was looking forward to a city built on foundations that last, with God as its builder and maker.
For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose maker and founder is God.
11 By her trust in God even Sarah herself was given the ability to conceive a child though she was too old, because she trusted God who had made the promise.
By faith also Sarah received strength to conceive seed, and brought forth a son when she was past age, because she accounted Him faithful who had promised.
12 That is why the descendants of Abraham, (who was as good as dead!), became as numerous as the stars of heaven, as countless as the sand of the sea-shore.
So that there descended even from one, and him in a manner dead, a posterity like the stars of heaven for multitude, and as the sand on the sea shore, innumerable.
13 They all died still trusting in God. Though they didn't receive the things God promised, they were still looking for them as it were from a distance and welcomed them, acknowledging that on this earth they were foreigners, people just passing through.
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but seen them from afar, and been persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and sojourners on the earth.
14 People who say such things make it clear that they're looking for a country of their own.
Now they that say such things shew plainly that they are seeking their own country:
15 For if they cared about the country they'd left behind, they could have returned.
and if they had been mindful of that from which they came, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16 But they're looking for a better country instead, a heavenly country. That is why God isn't disappointed with them, and is happy to be called their God, for he has built a city for them.
But they desire a better, that is, an heavenly one; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He hath prepared for them a city.
17 Abraham trusted God when he was tested and offered Isaac to God. Abraham, who had accepted God's promises, was still ready to offer to God his only son,
By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he who had received the promises, offered up his only son;
18 even though he'd been told, “It's through Isaac that your descendants will be counted.”
of whom it was told him, that in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
19 Abraham had thought it through and decided that God could bring Isaac back to life from the dead. In a sense that's what did happen—Abraham received Isaac back from the dead.
concluding that God was able to raise him even from the dead; from whence indeed he had in a manner received him.
20 Trusting in God, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to what the future would bring.
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things future.
21 Trusting in God, Jacob as he was dying blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped God, leaning on his staff.
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph; and worshipped leaning on the top of his staff.
22 Trusting in God, Joseph too, when his own death approached, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites, and gave instructions about what to do with his bones.
By faith Joseph when he died, mentioned the departure of the children of Israel and gave a charge concerning his bones.
23 Trusting in God, Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born. They recognized he was a special child. They weren't afraid to go against what the king had commanded.
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw he was a fine child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
24 Trusting in God, Moses, when he grew up, refused to be known as the adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter.
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
25 Instead he chose to share in the sufferings of God's people rather than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin.
chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin:
26 He counted the rejection he experienced from following Christ to be of far greater value than the wealth of Egypt—because he was focused on the reward to come.
esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he looked to the recompence of reward.
27 Trusting in God, he left Egypt and wasn't scared of Pharaoh's anger—he kept going with his eyes fixed on the invisible God.
By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he continued firm as seeing Him who is invisible.
28 Trusting in God he observed the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroying angel would not touch the Israelites.
By faith he observed the passover and sprinkling of the blood, that he, who destroyed the first-born of the Egyptians, might not touch them.
29 Trusting in God the Israelites crossed the Red Sea as if it were dry land. When the Egyptians attempted to do the same they were drowned.
By faith they passed through the Red-sea, as by dry land, which the Egyptians attempting to do were drowned.
30 Trusting in God, the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho for seven days, and the walls fell down.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been encompassed seven days.
31 Trusting in God, Rahab the prostitute didn't die with those who rejected God, because she had welcomed the Israelite spies in peace.
By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with the unbelievers, having received the spies with peace.
32 What other examples should I give? I don't have time to talk about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah; about David, Samuel, and the prophets.
And what need I say more? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and Barak, and Sampson, and Jephthah, and David, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
33 Because of their trust in God they conquered kingdoms, did what was good and right, received God's promises, shut the mouths of lions,
who by faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 put out blazing fires, escaped being killed by the sword, were weak but made strong, did mighty deeds in war, and routed enemy armies.
quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made powerful, became strong in battle, and turned to flight the armies of their enemies.
35 Women were given their dead family members back through resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to compromise and be pardoned, because they wanted to be part of a better resurrection.
Women received their dead raised to life again; and others were tortured to death, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
36 Yet others suffered insults and whippings; they were put in chains and imprisoned.
And others had the trial of mockings and scourgings, and of bonds too and imprisonment.
37 Some were stoned, cut in pieces, tempted, killed by the sword. Some dressed in sheepskins and goatskins: destitute, oppressed, and mistreated.
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain by the sword: they went about in sheep-skins, and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted,
38 The world was not worthy to have such people who wandered in the deserts and mountains, living in caves and holes in the ground.
distressed, (of whom the world was not worthy) wandering in deserts, and mountains, and dens, and caves of the earth.
39 All of these people, even though they had God's approval, didn't receive what God had promised.
And these all, though they obtained an honorable testimony by faith, yet received not the promise;
40 God has given us something even better, so that they can't be complete without us.
God having provided something better concerning us, that without us they might not be made perfect.
