Hebrews 12
1 Seeing, therefore, that there is on every side of us such a throng of witnesses, let us also lay aside everything that hinders us, and the sin that clings about us, and run with patient endurance the race that lies before us,
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,
2 our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfect example of our faith, who, for the joy that lay before him, endured the cross, heedless of its shame, and now ‘has taken his seat at the right hand’ of the throne of God.
looking to Yeshua, 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.
3 Weigh well the example of him who had to endure such opposition from ‘people who were sinning against themselves,’ so that you should not grow weary or faint-hearted.
For consider him who has endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you may not become tired and give up.
4 You have not yet, in your struggle with sin, resisted to the death;
You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your struggle against sin;
5 and you have forgotten the encouraging words which are addressed to you as God’s children – ‘My child, think not lightly of the Lord’s discipline, do not despond when he rebukes you;
and you have forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with children, "My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose heart when you are corrected by him.
6 For it is him whom he loves that he disciplines, and he chastises every child whom he acknowledges.’
For whom the Lord loves he disciplines, and punishes every son he accepts."
7 It is for your discipline that you have to endure all this. God is dealing with you as his children. For where is there a child whom his father does not discipline?
If you are enduring discipline, God is dealing with you as children. For what child is there whom his father does not discipline?
8 If you are left without that discipline, in which all children share, it shows that you are bastards, and not true children.
But if you are without discipline, of which all have been made partakers, then you are illegitimate, and not children.
9 Further, when our earthly fathers disciplined us, we respected them. Should we not, then, much rather yield submission to the Father of souls, and live?
Furthermore, we had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live?
10 Our fathers disciplined us for only a short time and as seemed best to them; but God disciplines us for our true good, to enable us to share his holiness.
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.
11 No discipline is pleasant at the time; on the contrary, it is painful. But afterward its fruit is seen in the peacefulness of a righteous life which is the lot of those who have been trained under it.
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.
12 Therefore ‘lift again the down-dropped hands and straighten the weakened knees;
Therefore, lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees,
13 make straight paths for your feet,’ so that the lame limb may not be put out of joint, but rather be cured.
and make straight paths for your feet, so that which is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
14 Try earnestly to live at peace with everyone, and to attain to that purity without which no one will see the Lord.
Pursue peace with everyone, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord,
15 Take care that no one fails to use the loving help of God, ‘that no bitterness is allowed to take root and spring up, and cause trouble,’ and so poison the whole community.
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;
16 Take care that no one becomes immoral, or irreligious like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.
that there be no sexually immoral or profane person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for one meal.
17 For you know that even afterward, when he wished to claim his father’s blessing, he was rejected – for he never found an opportunity to repair his error – though he begged for the blessing with tears.
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.
18 It is not to tangible ‘flaming fire’ that you have drawn near, nor to ‘gloom, and darkness, and storm,
For you have not come to something that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and darkness, gloom, and storm,
19 and the blast of a trumpet, and an audible voice.’ Those who heard that voice entreated that they might hear no more,
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,
20 for they could not bear to think of the command – ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it is to be stoned to death;’
for they could not stand that which was commanded, "If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned;"
21 and so fearful was the sight that Moses said – ‘I tremble with fear.’
and so fearful was the appearance, that Mushe said, "I am terrified and trembling."
22 No, but it is to Mount Zion that you have drawn near, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to countless hosts of angels,
But you have come to Mount Tsehyun, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Urishlim, and to innumerable multitudes of angels,
23 to the festal gathering and assemblage of God’s firstborn whose names are enrolled in heaven, to God the judge of all people, to the spirits of the righteous who have attained perfection,
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,
24 to Jesus, the intermediary of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that tells of better things than the blood of Abel.
to Yeshua, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better than that of Habeil.
25 Beware how you refuse to hear him who is speaking. For, if the Israelites did not escape punishment, when they refused to listen to him who taught them on earth the divine will, far worse will it be for us, if we turn away from him who is teaching us from heaven.
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,
26 Then his voice shook the earth, but now his declaration is – ‘Still once more I will cause not only the earth to tremble, but also the heavens.’
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."
27 And those words ‘still once more’ indicate the passing away of all that is shaken – that is, of all created things – in order that only what is unshaken may remain.
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.
28 Therefore, let us, who have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken, be thankful, and so offer acceptable worship to God, with awe and the deepest respect.
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,
29 For our God is ‘a consuming fire.’
for our God is a consuming fire.
