Hebrews 11
1 Now faith is [the] substance of things hoped for, [the] proof of matters not being seen,
Faith is the realisation of things hoped for — the proof of things not seen.
2 for by this, the elders were well-attested.
And it was for faith that the men of old were renowned.
3 By faith we understand the ages to have been prepared by a saying of God, in regard to the things seen having not come out of things appearing. (aiōn g165)
Faith enables us to perceive that the universe was created at the bidding of God — so that we know that what we see was not made out of visible things. (aiōn g165)
4 By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice to God than Cain, through which he was testified to be righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and through it, he being dead, yet speaks.
Faith made the sacrifice which Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain’s, and won him renown as a righteous man, God himself establishing his renown by accepting his gifts; and it is by the example of his faith that Abel, though dead, still speaks.
5 By faith Enoch was translated—not to see death, and was not found, because God translated him; for before his translation he had been testified to—that he had pleased God well,
Faith led to Enoch’s removal from earth, that he might not experience death. ‘He could not be found because God had removed him.’ For, before his removal, he was renowned as having pleased God;
6 and apart from faith it is impossible to please [Him], for it is required of him who is coming to God to believe that He exists and [that] He becomes a rewarder to those seeking Him.
but without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that God exists, and that he rewards those who seek for him.
7 By faith Noah, having been divinely warned concerning the things not yet seen, having feared, prepared an ark to the salvation of his house, through which he condemned the world, and he became heir of the righteousness according to faith.
It was faith that enabled Noah, after he had received the divine warning about what could not then be foreseen, to build, in reverent obedience, an ark in which to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world, and became possessed of that righteousness which follows upon faith.
8 By faith Abraham, being called, obeyed, to go forth into the place that he was about to receive for an inheritance, and he went forth, not knowing to where he goes.
It was faith that enabled Abraham to obey the Call that he received, and to set out for the place which he was afterwards to obtain as his own; and he set out not knowing where he was going.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of the promise as a strange country, having dwelt in dwelling places with Isaac and Jacob, fellow-heirs of the same promise,
It was faith that made him go to live as an emigrant in the Promised Land — as in a strange country — living there in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who shared the promise with him.
10 for he was looking for the city having the foundations, whose craftsman and constructor [is] God.
For he was looking for the City with the sure foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11 And by faith Sarah, herself barren, received power to conceive seed even after the time of life, seeing she judged Him who promised faithful;
Again, it was faith that enabled Sarah to conceive (though she was past the age for child-bearing), because she felt sure that he who had given her the promise would not fail her.
12 for this reason, also, from one—and that of one who had become dead—were begotten as the stars of the sky in multitude, and innumerable as the sand that [is] by the seashore.
And so from one man — and that when his powers were dead — there sprang a people as numerous ‘as the stars in the heavens or the countless grains of sand upon the shore.’
13 All these died in faith, having not received the promises, but having seen them from afar, and having been persuaded, and having greeted [them], and having confessed that they are strangers and sojourners on the earth,
All these died sustained by faith. They did not obtain the promised blessings, but they saw them from a distance and welcomed the sight, and they acknowledged themselves to be only aliens and strangers on the earth.
14 for those saying such things make apparent that they seek a country;
Those who speak thus show plainly that they are seeking their fatherland.
15 and if, indeed, they had been mindful of that from which they came forth, they might have had an opportunity to return,
If they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they could have found opportunities to return.
16 but now they long for better, that is, heavenly, for this reason God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for He prepared a city for them.
But no, they were longing for a better, a heavenly, land! And therefore God was not ashamed to be called their God; indeed he had already prepared them a city.
17 By faith Abraham has offered up Isaac, being tried, even the [one] having received the promises offered up his only begotten,
It was faith that enabled Abraham, when put to the test, to offer Isaac as a sacrifice — he who had received the promises offering up his only son,
18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac will your Seed be called,”
of whom it had been said — ‘It is through Isaac that there shall be descendants to bear thy name.’
19 reckoning that God is even able to raise up out of the dead, from where also in a figurative sense he received [him].
For he argued that God was able even to raise a man from the dead — and indeed, figuratively speaking, Abraham did receive Isaac back from the dead.
20 By faith, concerning coming things, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.
It was faith that enabled Isaac to bless Jacob and Esau, even with regard to the future.
21 By faith Jacob, dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped on the top of his staff.
Faith enabled Jacob, when dying, to give his blessing to each of the sons of Joseph, and ‘to bow himself in worship as he leant upon the top of his staff.’
22 By faith Joseph, dying, made mention concerning the outgoing of the sons of Israel, and gave command concerning his bones.
Faith caused Joseph, when his end was near, to speak of the future migration of the Israelites, and to give instructions with regard to his bones.
23 By faith Moses, having been born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw the child beautiful, and were not afraid of the decree of the king.
Faith caused the parents of Moses to hide the child for three months after his birth, for they saw that he was a beautiful child; and they would not respect the King’s order.
24 By faith Moses, having become great, refused to be called a son of the daughter of Pharaoh,
It was faith that caused Moses, when he was grown up, to refuse the title of ‘Son of a Daughter of Pharaoh.’
25 having chosen rather to be afflicted with the people of God, than to have sin’s pleasure for a season,
He preferred sharing the hardships of God’s People to enjoying the short-lived pleasures of sin.
26 having reckoned the reproach of the Christ greater wealth than the treasures in Egypt, for he looked to the repayment of reward.
For he counted ‘the reproaches that are heaped upon the Christ’ of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, looking forward, as he did, to the reward awaiting him.
27 By faith he left Egypt behind, having not been afraid of the wrath of the king, for as seeing the Invisible One—he endured.
Faith caused him to leave Egypt, though undaunted by the King’s anger, for he was strengthened in his endurance by the vision of the invisible God.
28 By faith he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, so that He who is destroying the firstborn might not touch them.
Faith led him to institute the Passover and the Sprinkling of the Blood, so that the Destroyer might not touch the eldest children of the Israelites.
29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as through dry land, which having made an attempt [to cross], the Egyptians were swallowed up.
Faith enabled the people to cross the Red Sea, as if it had been dry land, while the Egyptians, when they attempted to do so, were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, having been surrounded for seven days.
Faith caused the walls of Jericho to fall after being encircled for seven days.
31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who disbelieved, having received the spies with peace.
Faith saved Rahab, the prostitute, from perishing with the unbelievers, after she had entertained the spies with friendliness.
32 And what yet will I say? For the time will fail me recounting about Gideon, also Barak, and Samson, and Jephthah, also David, and Samuel, and the prophets,
Need I add anything more? Time would fail me if I attempted to relate the stories of Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah, and those of David, Samuel, and the Prophets.
33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped mouths of lions,
By their faith they subdued kingdoms, ruled righteously, gained the fulfilment of God’s promises, ‘shut the mouths of lions,’
34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the mouth of the sword, were made powerful out of weakness, became strong in battle, caused armies of the foreigners to give way;
quelled the fury of the flames, escaped the edge of the sword, found strength in the hour of weakness, displayed their prowess in war, and routed hostile armies.
35 women received their dead by a resurrection, and others were tortured, not accepting the redemption, that they might receive a better resurrection,
Women received back their dead raised to life. Some were tortured on the wheel, and refused release in order that they might rise to a better life.
36 and others received trial of mockings and scourgings, and yet of bonds and imprisonment;
Others had to face taunts and blows, and even chains and imprisonment.
37 they were stoned, they were sawn apart, they were tried; they died in the killing of the sword; they went around in sheepskins, in goatskins—being destitute, afflicted, injuriously treated,
They were stoned to death, they were tortured, they were swan asunder, they were put to the sword; they wandered about clothed in the skins of sheep or goats, destitute, persecuted, ill-used —
38 of whom the world was not worthy; wandering in deserts, and mountains, and caves, and the holes of the earth;
men of whom the world was not worthy — roaming in lonely places, and on the mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
39 and all these, having been testified to through faith, did not receive the promise,
Yet, though they all won renown by their faith, they did not obtain the final fulfilment of God’s promise;
40 God, having provided something better for us, that apart from us they might not be made perfect.
since God had in view some better thing for us, that they, apart from us, should not attain perfection.
A Dove is Sent Forth from the Ark
