Hebrews 12
1 Therefore, we also having so great a cloud of witnesses set around us, having put off every weight, and the closely besetting sin, may we run the contest that is set before us through endurance,
Seeing then that we are encircled with this great cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and the sin that clings about us. Let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 looking to the Author and Perfecter of the faith—Jesus, who, for the joy set before Him, endured a cross, having despised shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God;
looking unto Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured a cross, despising shame, and has now taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 for again consider Him who endured such contradiction from the sinners to Himself, that you may not be wearied in your souls—being faint.
Compare yourselves with him who endured such hostility against himself at the hands of sinners, lest you grow weary, fainting in your souls.
4 You did not yet resist to blood—striving with sin;
Not yet have you resisted unto blood in your fight against sin;
5 and you have forgotten the exhortation that speaks fully to you as to sons, “My son, do not despise [the] discipline of [the] LORD, nor be faint, being reproved by Him,
and have you forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as sons? My son, do not despise the training of the Lord, Nor faint when he corrects you;
6 for whom the LORD loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives”;
For it is those whom he loves that he disciplines, And he scourges every son whom he acknowledges.
7 if you endure discipline, God bears Himself to you as to sons, for who is a son whom a father does not discipline?
It is for discipline that you are enduring these sufferings. God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8 And if you are apart from discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are bastards, and not sons.
If you are left without discipline, in which all children share, then are you bastards and not sons.
9 Then, indeed, we have had fathers of our flesh, correctors, and we respected [them]; will we not much rather be subject to the Father of the spirits, and live?
Furthermore, our earthly fathers used to discipline us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they, indeed, for a few days, according to what seemed good to them, were disciplining, but He for profit, to be partakers of His separation;
For they only disciplined us for a few days, as seemed good to them; but he does it for our profit, that we may share his holiness.
11 and all discipline for the present, indeed, does not seem to be of joy, but of sorrow, yet afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those exercised through it.
Now no discipline seems for the present to be joyous, but grievous; but afterward it yields the peaceable fruits of righteousness to those who have been trained under it.
12 For this reason, lift up the hanging-down hands and the loosened knees;
Wherefore lift up your listless hands, strengthen your feeble knees;
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that which is lame may not be turned aside, but rather be healed;
make straight path for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.
14 pursue peace with all, and the separation, apart from which no one will see the LORD,
Run swiftly after peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
15 observing lest anyone be failing of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up may give trouble, and through this many may be defiled;
Look carefully that there be no one who falls back from the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up to trouble you, and by its means many become defiled.
16 lest anyone be a fornicator, or a profane person, as Esau, who in exchange for one morsel of food sold his birthright,
Take care lest there be any fornicator or scorner like Esau among you, who for one meal sold his birthright.
17 for you know that also afterward, wishing to inherit the blessing, he was disapproved of, for he did not find a place of conversion, though having sought it with tears.
For you know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; he found no room for repentance, though he sought it earnestly, with tears.
18 For you did not come near to the mountain touched and scorched with fire, and to blackness, and darkness, and storm,
For you are not come to a palpable and enkindled fire,
19 and a sound of a trumpet, and a voice of sayings, which those having heard begged that a word might not be added to them,
nor to gloom and darkness and tempest and the blare of a trumpet and an audible voice. Those who heard that voice entreated that no word more should be spoken to them.
20 for they were not bearing that which is commanded, “And if a beast may touch the mountain, it will be stoned, or shot through with an arrow,”
For they could not endure that which was enjoined, Even if a wild beast touches the mountain it shall be stoned to death;
21 and (so terrible was the sight), Moses said, “I am exceedingly fearful, and trembling.”
and so terrible was the scene that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and tremble.
22 But you came to Mount Zion, and to [the] city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of messengers,
On the contrary you are come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to innumerable hosts of angels,
23 to the assembly-place and Assembly of the Firstborn registered in Heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to spirits of righteous men made perfect,
to the festal assemblage and church of the firstborn, registered in heaven, to a Judge who is God of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24 and to a mediator of a new covenant—Jesus, and to blood of sprinkling, speaking better things than that of Abel!
to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant, and to his sprinkled Blood whose message cries louder than that of Abel.
25 Watch out lest you refuse Him who is speaking, for if those did not escape who refused him who was divinely speaking on earth—much less we who turn away from Him who [speaks] from Heaven,
See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape punishment when they refused to listen to their instructor on earth, much less shall we escape if we turn away from him who is teaching us from heaven;
26 whose voice shook the earth then, and now He has promised, saying, “Yet once [more]—I shake not only the earth, but also Heaven”;
whose voice then shook the earth, but now he has promised, saying, Once again, once for all, I make not only earth, but heaven also to tremble.
27 and this, “Yet once [more],” makes evident the removal of the things shaken, as of things having been made, that the things not shaken may remain;
That phrase, "Once again," signifies the removal of the things which can be shaken, created things, in order that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 for this reason, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, may we have grace, through which we may serve God well-pleasingly, with reverence and fear,
Wherefore since we are receiving a kingdom which is unshakable, let us give thanks, and so offer acceptable worship to God, with holy awe and fear,
29 for our God [is] also a consuming fire.
FOR INDEED OUR GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE.
