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,
Having therefore so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every incumbrance, and the sin that easily besets us, and run with patience the race that is set 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.
looking unto Jesus the leader and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down 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.
Wherefore consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, that ye may not give out, fainting in your minds:
4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your struggle against sin;
for ye have not resisted unto blood in striving against sin.
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.
Have ye forgotten the exhortation, which speaketh to you as to sons, saying, "My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor saint when rebuked by Him?
6 For whom the Lord loves he disciplines, and punishes every son he accepts."
for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth."
7 If you are enduring discipline, God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
If ye endure chastening, God treateth you as sons; for what son is there, whom the father doth not chastise?
8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have been made partakers, then you are illegitimate, and not sons.
But if ye be without chastisement, of which all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not 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?
Now if we had fathers of our flesh, who corrected us, and we gave them reverence; shall we not much more be in subjection to the Father of 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.
For they indeed corrected us for a while, as seemed good to them; but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness.
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 no chastening seems for the present to be matter of joy but of grief: and yet afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those that are exercised thereby.
12 Therefore, lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees,
Lift up therefore the hands that hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that which is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
And make strait paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be turned out of the way, but rather be healed.
14 Pursue peace with everyone, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord,
Follow peace with all men; and holiness, without which none shall 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;
looking to it, least there be any one falling short of the grace of God, least any root of bitterness springing up should be troublesome, and by it many be defiled:
16 that there be no sexually immoral or profane person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for one meal.
least there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one repast gave away his birthright.
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 ye know that, when he would afterwards have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no room for repentance, though he sought it earnestly even with tears.
18 For you have not come to something that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and darkness, gloom, and storm,
Ye are not come to a tangible mountain, and burning fire, and a thick cloud, and darkness, and tempest,
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,
and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words, which they that heard, intreated that the word might not any more be thus delivered to them:
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 bear the strict command, if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or shot through with a dart;
21 and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, "I am terrified and trembling."
and so terrible was the appearance that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and tremble: )
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,
but ye are come to mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads 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 general assembly and church of the first-born who are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just 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 mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than 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,
See that ye reject not Him that speaketh; for if they escaped not, who rejected him that gave forth divine oracles on earth, much less shall we, if we turn away from Him that speaketh 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."
whose voice then shook the earth; but now He hath promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also the heaven."
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.
Now this expression "yet once more" signifieth the removing of the things that are shaken, as of things which had been appointed only for a season, that those 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,
Wherefore since we receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and holy fear:
29 for our God is a consuming fire.
for our God is a consuming fire.
