Hebrews 12
1 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,
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,
2 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.
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.
3 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.
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.
4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted so as to endanger your lives;
You have not yet, in your struggle with sin, resisted to the death;
5 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;
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;
6 for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines: and He scourges every son whom He acknowledges."
For it is him whom he loves that he disciplines, and he chastises every child whom he acknowledges.”
7 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?
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?
8 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.
If you are left without that discipline, in which all children share, it shows that you are bastards, and not true children.
9 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?
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?
10 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.
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.
11 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.
No discipline is pleasant at the time; on the contrary, it is painful. But afterwards its fruit is seen in the peacefulness of a righteous life which is the lot of those who have been trained under it.
12 Therefore strengthen the drooping hands and paralysed knees,
Therefore “lift again the down-dropped hands and straighten the weakened knees;
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put entirely out of joint
make straight paths for your feet,” so that the lame limb may not be put out of joint, but rather be cured.
14 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.
Try earnestly to live at peace with everyone, and to attain to that purity without which no one will see the Lord.
15 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;
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.
16 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.
Take care that no one becomes immoral, or irreligious like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.
17 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.
For you know that even afterwards, 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.
18 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--
It is not to tangible “flaming fire” that you have drawn near, nor to “gloom, and darkness, and storm,
19 a sound of such a kind that those who heard it entreated that no more should be added.
and the blast of a trumpet, and an audible voice.” Those who heard that voice entreated that they might hear no more,
20 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;"
for they could not bear to think of the command – “If even an animal touches the mountain, it is to be stoned to death;”
21 and so terrible was the scene that Moses said, "I tremble with fear."
and so fearful was the sight that Moses said – “I tremble with fear.”
22 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,
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,
23 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,
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,
24 and to Jesus the negotiator of a new Covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks in more gracious tones than that of Abel.
to Jesus, the intermediary of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that tells of better things than the blood of Abel.
25 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.
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.
26 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."
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.”
27 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.
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.
28 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.
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.
29 For our God is also a consuming fire.
For our God is “a consuming fire.”
