< Hebrews 12 >
1 For that reason, since we are surrounded by such a great crowd of people who gave evidence of their trust in God, let's get rid of everything that holds us back, the seductive sins that trip us up, and let's keep on running the race placed before us.
And therefore we also having so great a cloud of witnesses over our head, laying aside every weight and sin which surrounds us, let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us:
2 We should keep on looking to Jesus, the one who begins and completes our trust in God. Because of the joy ahead of him Jesus endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God's throne.
Looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who having joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and now sitteth on the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Think about Jesus who endured such hostility from sinful people so you don't grow tired and become discouraged.
For think diligently upon him that endured such opposition from sinners against himself; that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds.
4 Your resistance so far hasn't cost you blood as you fight against sin.
For you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin:
5 Have you forgotten God's appeal to you when he reasons with you as his children? He says, “My child, don't treat the Lord's discipline lightly, and don't give up when he corrects you either.
And you have forgotten the consolation, which speaketh to you, as unto children, saying: My son, neglect not the discipline of the Lord; neither be thou wearied whilst thou art rebuked by him.
6 The Lord disciplines everyone he loves, and he punishes everyone he welcomes as his child.”
For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth; and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 Be patient as you experience God's discipline because he is treating you as his children. What child doesn't experience a father's discipline?
Persevere under discipline. God dealeth with you as with his sons; for what son is there, whom the father doth not correct?
8 If you are not disciplined, (which everyone has experienced), then you are illegitimate and not true children.
But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are made partakers, then are you bastards, and not sons.
9 For if we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn't we even more be subject to the discipline of our spiritual Father which leads to life?
Moreover we have had fathers of our flesh, for instructors, and we reverenced them: shall we not much more obey the Father of spirits, and live?
10 They disciplined us for a short while as they thought appropriate, but God does so for our benefit in order that we can share his holy character.
And they indeed for a few days, according to their own pleasure, instructed us: but he, for our profit, that we might receive his sanctification.
11 When it happens, all discipline seems painful and not something to be happy about. But later on it produces peace in those who have been trained in this way so that they do what is good and right.
Now all chastisement for the present indeed seemeth not to bring with it joy, but sorrow: but afterwards it will yield, to them that are exercised by it, the most peaceable fruit of justice.
12 So strengthen your feeble hands, and your weak knees!
Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,
13 Make straight paths to walk on, so that those who are crippled won't lose their way, but will be healed.
And make straight steps with your feet: that no one, halting, may go out of the way; but rather be healed.
14 Do your best to live in peace with everybody, and look for holiness—if you don't have this you won't see the Lord.
Follow peace with all men, and holiness: without which no man shall see God.
15 Make sure that none of you lack God's grace, in case some cause of bitterness arises to give trouble and end up corrupting many of you.
Looking diligently, lest any man be wanting to the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up do hinder, and by it many be defiled.
16 Make sure there's nobody who is sexually immoral, or irreligious, like Esau was. He sold his birthright for a single meal.
Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau; who for one mess, sold his first birthright.
17 You remember that even when he wanted to receive the blessing later on he was refused. Even though he really tried, and cried hard, Esau couldn't change what he had done.
For know ye that afterwards, when he desired to inherit the benediction, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance, although with tears he had sought it.
18 You haven't arrived at a physical mountain that can be touched, that burned with fire, to a stormy place of black darkness,
For you are not come to a mountain that might be touched, and a burning fire, and a whirlwind, and darkness, and storm,
19 where the sound of a trumpet and a voice speaking was heard—and those who heard the voice begged never to hear it speak to them again.
And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words, which they that heard excused themselves, that the word might not be spoken to them:
20 For they couldn't take what they were told to do, such as, “Even if a farm animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”
For they did not endure that which was said: And if so much as a beast shall touch the mount, it shall be stoned.
21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses himself said, “I'm so scared I'm shaking!”
And so terrible was that which was seen, Moses said: I am frighted, and tremble.
22 But you have arrived at Mount Zion, the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, with its thousands and thousands of angels.
But you are come to mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of angels,
23 You have come to the church of the firstborn whose names are written down in heaven, to God, the judge of everyone, and to those good people whose lives are complete.
And to the church of the firstborn, who are written in the heavens, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect,
24 You have come to Jesus, who shares with us the new agreed relationship, to the sprinkled blood that means more than that of Abel.
And to Jesus the mediator of the new testament, and to the sprinkling of blood which speaketh better than that of Abel.
25 Make sure you don't reject the one who is speaking! If they didn't escape when they rejected God on earth, it is even more certain that we won't escape if we turn away from God who warns us from heaven!
See that you refuse him not that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke upon the earth, much more shall not we, that turn away from him that speaketh to us from heaven.
26 Back then God's voice shook the earth, but his promise is now: “One more time I'm going to shake not only the earth, but heaven too.”
Whose voice then moved the earth; but now he promiseth, saying: Yet once more, and I will move not only the earth, but heaven also.
27 This expression, “one more time,” indicates that all creation that is shaken is removed so that everything that is not shaken may remain.
And in that he saith, Yet once more, he signifieth the translation of the moveable things as made, that those things may remain which are immoveable.
28 Since we're receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have a gracious attitude, so we can serve God in a way that pleases him, with reverence and respect.
Therefore receiving an immoveable kingdom, we have grace; whereby let us serve, pleasing God, with fear and reverence.
29 For “our God is a fire that consumes.”
For our God is a consuming fire.