Hebrews 12
1 Therefore, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that lies 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 fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and 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 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners against himself, so that you will not grow weary or lose heart.
Wherefore consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, that ye may not give out, fainting in your minds:
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
for ye have not resisted unto blood in striving against sin.
5 And you have completely forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not think lightly of the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you.
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 the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he punishes every son he receives.”
for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth."
7 For the sake of discipline you must endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?
If ye endure chastening, God treateth you as sons; for what son is there, whom the father doth not chastise?
8 If you do not experience discipline, which is something everyone receives, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
But if ye be without chastisement, of which all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons.
9 Furthermore, we have all had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them. Should we not submit even more 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 our fathers disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in 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 Now no discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces the peaceful fruit of righteousness for those trained by it.
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 your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees.
Lift up therefore the hands that hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.
13 Make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but healed instead.
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 holiness, for without it no one will see the Lord.
Follow peace with all men; and holiness, without which none shall see the Lord:
15 Make sure no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, which would result in many becoming 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 And make sure there is no fornicator or profane person like Esau, who sold his birthright in exchange for a single meal.
least there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one repast gave away his birthright.
17 You know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance, even though he sought the blessing 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 a mountain that can be touched, to a blazing fire, darkness, gloom, and a whirlwind.
Ye are not come to a tangible mountain, and burning fire, and a thick cloud, and darkness, and tempest,
19 You have not come to a trumpet blast and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further word 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 bear the order that was given: “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall 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 Indeed, the sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
and so terrible was the appearance that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and tremble: )
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads 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 festive gathering and assembly of the firstborn, whose names are enrolled in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous people who have been 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 And you have come to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than Abel.
25 Be careful not to refuse him who is speaking. For if the people did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we turn away from him who warns us 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 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “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 Now the phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be 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 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. It is by our thankfulness that we offer God acceptable worship, with reverence and godly fear.
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.
