Hebrews 12
1 Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Therefore, surrounded as we are by such a vast cloud of witnesses, let us fling aside every encumbrance and the sin that so readily entangles our feet. And let us run with patient endurance the race that lies before us,
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and completer of the faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
simply fixing our gaze upon Jesus, our Prince Leader in the faith, who will also award us the prize. He, for the sake of the joy which lay before Him, patiently endured the cross, looking with contempt upon its shame, and afterwards seated Himself-- where He still sits--at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider him who has endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you may not become tired and give up.
Therefore, if you would escape becoming weary and faint-hearted, compare your own sufferings with those of Him who endured such hostility directed against Him by sinners.
4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your struggle against sin;
In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted so as to endanger your lives;
5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with sons, "My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose heart when you are corrected by him.
and you have quite forgotten the encouraging words which are addressed to you as sons, and which say, "My son, do not think lightly of the Lord's discipline, and do not faint when He corrects you;
6 For whom the Lord loves he disciplines, and punishes every son he accepts."
for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines: and He scourges every son whom He acknowledges."
7 If you are enduring discipline, God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
The sufferings that you are enduring are for your discipline. God is dealing with you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have been made partakers, then you are illegitimate, and not sons.
And if you are left without discipline, of which every true son has had a share, that shows that you are bastards, and not true sons.
9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we paid them respect. Should we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?
Besides this, our earthly fathers used to discipline us and we treated them with respect, and shall we not be still more submissive to the Father of our spirits, and live?
10 For they indeed, for a few days, disciplined us as seemed good to them; but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness.
It is true that they disciplined us for a few years according as they thought fit; but He does it for our certain good, in order that we may become sharers in His own holy character.
11 All discipline seems for the moment painful, not joyful; yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been exercised thereby.
Now, at the time, discipline seems to be a matter not for joy, but for grief; yet it afterwards yields to those who have passed through its training a result full of peace--namely, righteousness.
12 Therefore, lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees,
Therefore strengthen the drooping hands and paralysed knees,
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that which is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put entirely out of joint
14 Pursue peace with everyone, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord,
but may rather be restored. Persistently strive for peace with all men, and for that growth in holiness apart from which no one will see the Lord.
15 looking carefully lest there be anyone who falls short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by it many become defiled;
Be carefully on your guard lest there be any one who falls back from the grace of God; lest any root bearing bitter fruit spring up and cause trouble among you, and through it the whole brotherhood be defiled;
16 that there be no sexually immoral or profane person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for one meal.
lest there be a fornicator, or an ungodly person like Esau, who, in return for a single meal, parted with the birthright which belonged to him.
17 For you know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for a change of mind though he sought it diligently with tears.
For you know that even afterwards, when he wished to secure the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no opportunity for undoing what he had done, though he sought the blessing earnestly with tears.
18 For you have not come to something that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and darkness, gloom, and storm,
For you have not come to a material object all ablaze with fire, and to gloom and darkness and storm and trumpet-blast and the sound of words--
19 the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which those who heard it begged that not one more word should be spoken to them,
a sound of such a kind that those who heard it entreated that no more should be added.
20 for they could not stand that which was commanded, "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned;"
For they could not endure the order which had been given, "Even a wild beast, if it touches the mountain, shall be stoned to death;"
21 and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, "I am terrified and trembling."
and so terrible was the scene that Moses said, "I tremble with fear."
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable multitudes of angels,
On the contrary you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the ever-living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to countless hosts of angels,
23 to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect,
to the great festal gathering and Church of the first-born, whose names are recorded in Heaven, and to a Judge who is God of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,
24 to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better than that of Abel.
and to Jesus the negotiator of a new Covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks in more gracious tones than that of Abel.
25 See that you do not refuse him who speaks. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned on the earth, how much more will we not escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven,
Be careful not to refuse to listen to Him who is speaking to you. For if they of old did not escape unpunished when they refused to listen to him who spoke on earth, much less shall we escape who turn a deaf ear to Him who now speaks from Heaven.
26 whose voice shook the earth then, but now he has promised, saying, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens."
His voice then shook the earth, but now we have His promise, "Yet again I will, once for all, cause not only the earth to tremble, but Heaven also."
27 This phrase, "Yet once more," signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain.
Here the words "Yet again, once for all" denote the removal of the things which can be shaken--created things--in order that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 So since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, through which we may offer service pleasing to God, with reverence and awe,
Therefore, receiving, as we now do, a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us cherish thankfulness so that we may ever offer to God an acceptable service, with godly reverence and awe.
29 for our God is a consuming fire.
For our God is also a consuming fire.
