Hebrews 12
1 Wherefore, let vs also, seeing that we are compassed with so great a cloude of witnesses, cast away euery thing that presseth downe, and the sinne that hangeth so fast on: let vs runne with patience the race that is set before vs,
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.
2 Looking vnto Iesus the authour and finisher of our faith, who for the ioy that was set before him, endured the crosse, and despised the shame, and is set at the right hand of the throne of God.
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.
3 Consider therefore him that endured such speaking against of sinners, lest ye should be wearied and faint in your mindes.
Think about Jesus who endured such hostility from sinful people so you don't grow tired and become discouraged.
4 Ye haue not yet resisted vnto blood, striuing against sinne.
Your resistance so far hasn't cost you blood as you fight against sin.
5 And ye haue forgotten the consolation, which speaketh vnto you as vnto children, My sonne, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither faint when thou art rebuked of him.
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.
6 For whom the Lord loueth, he chasteneth: and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth:
The Lord disciplines everyone he loves, and he punishes everyone he welcomes as his child.”
7 If ye endure chastening, God offereth him selfe vnto you as vnto sonnes: for what sonne is it whom the father chasteneth not?
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?
8 If therefore ye be without correction, whereof al are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sonnes.
If you are not disciplined, (which everyone has experienced), then you are illegitimate and not true children.
9 Moreouer we haue had the fathers of our bodies which corrected vs, and we gaue them reuerence: should we not much rather be in subiection vnto the father of spirites, that we might liue?
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?
10 For they verely for a few dayes chastened vs after their owne pleasure: but he chasteneth vs for our profite, that we might be partakers of his holinesse.
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.
11 Now no chastising for the present seemeth to be ioyous, but, grieuous: but afterwarde, it bringeth the quiet fruite of righteousnesse, vnto them which are thereby exercised.
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.
12 Wherfore lift vp your hands which hang downe, and your weake knees,
So strengthen your feeble hands, and your weak knees!
13 And make straight steppes vnto your feete, lest that which is halting, be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed.
Make straight paths to walk on, so that those who are crippled won't lose their way, but will be healed.
14 Followe peace with all men, and holinesse, without the which no man shall see ye Lord.
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.
15 Take heede, that no man fall away from the grace of God: let no roote of bitternes spring vp and trouble you, lest thereby many be defiled.
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.
16 Let there be no fornicator, or prophane person as Esau, which for one portion of meate solde his birthright.
Make sure there's nobody who is sexually immoral, or irreligious, like Esau was. He sold his birthright for a single meal.
17 For ye knowe howe that afterwarde also when he woulde haue inherited the blessing, he was reiected: for he founde no place to repentance, though he sought that blessing with teares.
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.
18 For ye are not come vnto the mount that might be touched, nor vnto burning fire, nor to blacknes and darkenes, and tempest,
You haven't arrived at a physical mountain that can be touched, that burned with fire, to a stormy place of black darkness,
19 Neither vnto the sounde of a trumpet, and the voyce of wordes, which they that heard it, excused themselues, that the word should not be spoken to them any more,
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.
20 (For they were not able to abide that which was commanded, yea, though a beast touche the mountaine, it shalbe stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
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.”
21 And so terrible was the sight which appeared, that Moses said, I feare and quake.)
The sight was so terrifying that Moses himself said, “I'm so scared I'm shaking!”
22 But ye are come vnto the mount Sion, and to the citie of the liuing God, the celestiall Hierusalem, and to ye company of innumerable Angels,
But you have arrived at Mount Zion, the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, with its thousands and thousands of angels.
23 And to the assemblie and congregation of the first borne, which are written in heauen, and to God the iudge of all, and to the spirits of iust and perfite men,
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.
24 And to Iesus the Mediatour of the new Testament, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel.
You have come to Jesus, who shares with us the new agreed relationship, to the sprinkled blood that means more than that of Abel.
25 See that ye despise not him that speaketh: for if they escaped not which refused him, that spake on earth: much more shall we not escape, if we turne away from him, that speaketh from heauen.
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!
26 Whose voyce then shooke the earth and nowe hath declared, saying, Yet once more will I shake, not the earth onely, but also heauen.
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.”
27 And this worde, Yet once more, signifieth the remouing of those things which are shaken, as of things which are made with hands, that the things which are not shaken, may remaine.
This expression, “one more time,” indicates that all creation that is shaken is removed so that everything that is not shaken may remain.
28 Wherefore seeing we receiue a kingdome, which cannot be shaken, let vs haue grace whereby we may so serue God, that we may please him with reuerence and feare.
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.
29 For euen our God is a consuming fire.
For “our God is a fire that consumes.”
