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,
Seeing, therefore, that there is on every side of us such a throng of witnesses, let us also lay aside everything that hinders us, and the sin that clings about us, and run with patient endurance the race that lies 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.
our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfect example of our faith, who, for the joy that lay before him, endured the cross, heedless of its shame, and now ‘has taken his seat at the right hand’ of the throne of God.
3 Consider therefore him that endured such speaking against of sinners, lest ye should be wearied and faint in your mindes.
Weigh well the example of him who had to endure such opposition from ‘people who were sinning against themselves,’ so that you should not grow weary or faint-hearted.
4 Ye haue not yet resisted vnto blood, striuing against sinne.
You have not yet, in your struggle with sin, resisted to the death;
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.
and you have forgotten the encouraging words which are addressed to you as God’s children – ‘My child, think not lightly of the Lord’s discipline, do not despond when he rebukes you;
6 For whom the Lord loueth, he chasteneth: and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth:
For it is him whom he loves that he disciplines, and he chastises every child whom he acknowledges.’
7 If ye endure chastening, God offereth him selfe vnto you as vnto sonnes: for what sonne is it whom the father chasteneth not?
It is for your discipline that you have to endure all this. God is dealing with you as his children. For where is there a child whom his father does not discipline?
8 If therefore ye be without correction, whereof al are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sonnes.
If you are left without that discipline, in which all children share, it shows that you are bastards, 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?
Further, when our earthly fathers disciplined us, we respected them. Should we not, then, much rather yield submission to the Father of souls, and live?
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.
Our fathers disciplined us for only a short time and as seemed best to them; but God disciplines us for our true good, to enable us to share his holiness.
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.
No discipline is pleasant at the time; on the contrary, it is painful. But afterward its fruit is seen in the peacefulness of a righteous life which is the lot of those who have been trained under it.
12 Wherfore lift vp your hands which hang downe, and your weake knees,
Therefore ‘lift again the down-dropped hands and straighten the weakened 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 for your feet,’ so that the lame limb may not be put out of joint, but rather be cured.
14 Followe peace with all men, and holinesse, without the which no man shall see ye Lord.
Try earnestly to live at peace with everyone, and to attain to that purity without which no one will 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.
Take care that no one fails to use the loving help of God, ‘that no bitterness is allowed to take root and spring up, and cause trouble,’ and so poison the whole community.
16 Let there be no fornicator, or prophane person as Esau, which for one portion of meate solde his birthright.
Take care that no one becomes immoral, or irreligious like Esau, who 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.
For you know that even afterward, when he wished to claim his father’s blessing, he was rejected – for he never found an opportunity to repair his error – though he begged for the blessing with tears.
18 For ye are not come vnto the mount that might be touched, nor vnto burning fire, nor to blacknes and darkenes, and tempest,
It is not to tangible ‘flaming fire’ that you have drawn near, nor to ‘gloom, and darkness, and storm,
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,
and the blast of a trumpet, and an audible voice.’ Those who heard that voice entreated that they might hear no more,
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 could not bear to think of the command – ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it is to be stoned to death;’
21 And so terrible was the sight which appeared, that Moses said, I feare and quake.)
and so fearful was the sight that Moses said – ‘I tremble with fear.’
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,
No, but it is to Mount Zion that you have drawn near, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to countless hosts 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,
to the festal gathering and assemblage of God’s firstborn whose names are enrolled in heaven, to God the judge of all people, to the spirits of the righteous who have attained perfection,
24 And to Iesus the Mediatour of the new Testament, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel.
to Jesus, the intermediary of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that tells of better things than the blood 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.
Beware how you refuse to hear him who is speaking. For, if the Israelites did not escape punishment, when they refused to listen to him who taught them on earth the divine will, far worse will it be for us, if we turn away from him who is teaching 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.
Then his voice shook the earth, but now his declaration is – ‘Still once more I will cause not only the earth to tremble, but also the heavens.’
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.
And those words ‘still once more’ indicate the passing away of all that is shaken – that is, of all created things – in order that only what is unshaken 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.
Therefore, let us, who have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken, be thankful, and so offer acceptable worship to God, with awe and the deepest respect.
29 For euen our God is a consuming fire.
For our God is ‘a consuming fire.’
