Hebrews 11
1 Faith is the realisation of things hoped for – the proof of things not seen.
Now faith is the foundation of hoping, the evidence of events not being seen.
2 And it was for faith that the people of old were renowned.
For by this the ancients were well reported.
3 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)
By faith we understand the ages to have been prepared by the word of God. For the things that are seen do not come to be from that which is visible. (aiōn g165)
4 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.
By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, because of which he was reported to be righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through it, he who died still speaks.
5 Faith led to Enoch’s removal from earth, so 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;
By faith Enoch was transferred to not see death, and he was not found, because God transferred him. For before his removal he was reported to be pleasing to God.
6 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.
And apart from faith it is impossible to please him. For he who comes to God must believe that he is, and becomes a rewarder of those who search for him.
7 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 on faith.
By faith Noah, being divinely warned about things not yet seen, moved with awe, prepared an ark for the salvation of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became an heir of righteousness according to faith.
8 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.
By faith Abraham, when called, obeyed to go out to the place that he was going to take for an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
9 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.
By faith he lived alien in the land of promise as a foreigner, having dwelt in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the fellow heirs of the same promise.
10 For he was looking for the city with the sure foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
For he anticipated the city that has the foundations, whose builder and architect is God.
11 Again, it was faith that enabled Sarah to conceive (though she was past the age for childbearing), because she felt sure that he who had given her the promise would not fail her.
By faith even Sarah herself received power for conception of seed, and she gave birth beyond the time of age, because she considered him faithful who promised.
12 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 on the shore.”
And therefore from one man, and these things having become deadened, were begotten as the stars of the heaven for multitude, and as the sand of the seashore, countless.
13 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 foreigners and strangers on the earth.
All these died in faith, not having taken the promises, but who saw and greeted them from afar, and who confessed that they were foreigners and sojourners on the earth.
14 Those who speak like this show plainly that they are seeking their homeland.
For those who say such things show that they are seeking a fatherland.
15 If they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they could have found opportunities to return.
And if indeed they remembered that from which they came out, they would have had time to return.
16 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.
But now they aspire for a superior one, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
17 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,
By faith Abraham, being tested, offered Isaac. And he who received the promises offered his only begotten son,
18 of whom it had been said – “It is through Isaac that there will be descendants to bear your name.”
about whom it was said, The seed by thee will be called in Isaac.
19 For he argued that God was even able to raise a man from the dead – and indeed, figuratively speaking, Abraham did receive Isaac back from the dead.
Having reckoned that God is able to raise up even from the dead, from where also, in a figure, he did receive him back.
20 It was faith that enabled Isaac to bless Jacob and Esau, even with regard to the future.
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau about things coming.
21 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 on the top of his staff.”
By faith Jacob, while dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and bowed in worship upon the top of his staff.
22 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.
By faith Joseph, while perishing, remembered about the exodus of the sons of Israel, and commanded about his bones.
23 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.
By faith Moses, after being born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw the child well-formed, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
24 It was faith that caused Moses, when he was grown up, to refuse the title of “son of a daughter of Pharaoh.”
By faith Moses, having become great, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
25 He preferred sharing the hardships of God’s people to enjoying the short-lived pleasures of sin.
having chosen rather to be mistreated with the people of God, than to have the pleasure of sin temporarily.
26 For he counted “the reproaches that are heaped on the Christ” of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, looking forward, as he did, to the reward awaiting him.
Having esteemed the vilification of the Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he focused toward the recompense of reward.
27 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.
By faith he forsook Egypt, not having feared the wrath of the king, for he persevered as seeing the invisible.
28 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.
By faith he performed the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who was destroying the firstborn would not touch them.
29 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.
By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land, of which the Egyptians, having taken an attempt, were drowned.
30 Faith caused the walls of Jericho to fall after being encircled for seven days.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, having been encircled for seven days.
31 Faith saved Rahab, the prostitute, from perishing with the unbelievers, after she had entertained the spies with friendliness.
By faith Rahab the harlot was not destroyed with those who were disobedient, having received the spies with peace.
32 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.
And what shall I say further? For the time would fail me telling about Gideon, also Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets,
33 By their faith they subdued kingdoms, ruled righteously, gained the fulfilment of God’s promises, shut the mouths of lions,
who, through faith, conquered kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, closed the mouths of lions,
34 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.
quenched the force of fire, escaped the jaw of the sword. Out of weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, bowed down armies of aliens.
35 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.
Women took hold of their dead from a resurrection, but others were tortured, not having accepted deliverance, so that they might experience a superior resurrection.
36 Others had to face taunts and blows, and even chains and imprisonment.
And others took a trial of mockings and scourgings, and moreover of bonds and imprisonment.
37 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 –
They were stoned, they were sawed apart, they were tempted, they died in murder by sword. They wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, restricted, tormented
38 people of whom the world was not worthy – roaming in lonely places, and on the mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
(of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves, and the holes of the earth.
39 Yet, though they all won renown by their faith, they did not obtain the final fulfilment of God’s promise;
And all these, having been well reported through faith, did not receive the promise,
40 since God had in view some better thing for us, so that they would only reach perfection together with us.
God having foreseen something superior concerning us, so that without us they would not be made fully perfect.
