Hebrews 11
1 And faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of matters not seen a conviction,
Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the conviction of what we do not see.
2 for in this were the elders testified of;
Because of their faith, the people of old were commended.
3 by faith we understand the ages to have been prepared by a saying of God, in regard to the things seen not having come out of things appearing; (aiōn g165)
By faith we understand that the universe was formed by the word of God. Consequently, we know that what can be seen did not come from anything visible. (aiōn g165)
4 by faith a better sacrifice did Abel offer to God than Cain, through which he was testified to be righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and through it, he being dead, doth yet speak.
By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous when God gave approval to his gifts. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
5 By faith Enoch was translated — not to see death, and was not found, because God did translate him; for before his translation he had been testified to — that he had pleased God well,
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death, and he was not to be found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.
6 and apart from faith it is impossible to please well, for it behoveth him who is coming to God to believe that He is, and to those seeking Him He becometh a rewarder.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, for anyone who comes to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
7 By faith Noah, having been divinely warned concerning the things not yet seen, having feared, did prepare an ark to the salvation of his house, through which he did condemn the world, and of the righteousness according to faith he became heir.
By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, was moved with reverent fear and built an ark to save his household. By faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
8 By faith Abraham, being called, did obey, to go forth to the place that he was about to receive for an inheritance, and he went forth, not knowing whither he doth go;
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
9 by faith he did sojourn in the land of the promise as a strange country, in tabernacles having dwelt with Isaac and Jacob, fellow-heirs of the same promise,
By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise.
10 for he was looking for the city having the foundations, whose artificer and constructor [is] God.
For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
11 By faith also Sarah herself did receive power to conceive seed, and she bare after the time of life, seeing she did judge Him faithful who did promise;
By faith Sarah herself received the ability to conceive, and she bore a child when she was beyond the proper age, because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.
12 wherefore, also from one were begotten — and that of one who had become dead — as the stars of the heaven in multitude, and as sand that [is] by the sea-shore — the innumerable.
And so from one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
13 In faith died all these, not having received the promises, but from afar having seen them, and having been persuaded, and having saluted [them], and having confessed that strangers and sojourners they are upon the earth,
All these people died in faith without receiving the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance and welcomed them. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and sojourners on the earth.
14 for those saying such things make manifest that they seek a country;
For people who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.
15 and if, indeed, they had been mindful of that from which they came forth, they might have had an opportunity to return,
If they had been thinking of the land they left behind, they would have had an opportunity to return.
16 but now they long for a better, that is, an heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for He did prepare for them a city.
Instead, they were longing for a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
17 By faith Abraham hath offered up Isaac, being tried, and the only begotten he did offer up who did receive the promises,
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his one and only son,
18 of whom it was said — 'In Isaac shall a seed be called to thee;'
even though God had said to him, “Through Isaac yoʋr descendants will be counted.”
19 reckoning that even out of the dead God is able to raise up, whence also in a figure he did receive [him].
He reasoned that God could even raise him from the dead. And figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
20 By faith, concerning coming things, Isaac did bless Jacob and Esau;
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 by faith Jacob dying — each of the sons of Joseph did bless, and did bow down upon the top of his staff;
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
22 by faith, Joseph dying, concerning the outgoing of the sons of Israel did make mention, and concerning his bones did give command.
By faith Joseph, when his end was near, mentioned the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave instructions concerning his bones.
23 By faith Moses, having been born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw the child comely, and were not afraid of the decree of the king;
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they did not fear the decree of the king.
24 by faith Moses, having become great, did refuse to be called a son of the daughter of Pharaoh,
By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
25 having chosen rather to be afflicted with the people of God, than to have sin's pleasure for a season,
choosing to be mistreated with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin.
26 greater wealth having reckoned the reproach of the Christ than the treasures in Egypt, for he did look to the recompense of reward;
He considered the reproach of Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was focused on the reward.
27 by faith he left Egypt behind, not having been afraid of the wrath of the king, for, as seeing the Invisible One — he endured;
By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as though he could see him who is invisible.
28 by faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, that He who is destroying the first-born might not touch them.
By faith he celebrated the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the Israelites.
29 By faith they did pass through the Red Sea as through dry land, which the Egyptians having received a trial of, were swallowed up;
By faith they passed through the Red Sea as on dry land, but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
30 by faith the walls of Jericho did fall, having been surrounded for seven days;
By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days.
31 by faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with those who disbelieved, having received the spies with peace.
By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had welcomed the spies in peace.
32 And what shall I yet say? for the time will fail me recounting about Gideon, Barak also, and Samson, and Jephthah, David also, and Samuel, and the prophets,
And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,
33 who through faith did subdue kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped mouths of lions,
who by faith conquered kingdoms, carried out justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the mouth of the sword, were made powerful out of infirmities, became strong in battle, caused to give way camps of the aliens.
quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong from weakness, became mighty in battle, and routed the armies of foreigners.
35 Women received by a rising again their dead, and others were tortured, not accepting the redemption, that a better rising again they might receive,
Women received back their dead by resurrection. Other people were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection.
36 and others of mockings and scourgings did receive trial, and yet of bonds and imprisonment;
Others endured mocking and flogging, as well as chains and imprisonment.
37 they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tried; in the killing of the sword they died; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins — being destitute, afflicted, injuriously treated,
They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, and they were killed with the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins; they were destitute, afflicted, and mistreated.
38 of whom the world was not worthy; in deserts wandering, and [in] mountains, and [in] caves, and [in] the holes of the earth;
The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
39 and these all, having been testified to through the faith, did not receive the promise,
All these people were commended for their faith, but they did not receive what was promised.
40 God for us something better having provided, that apart from us they might not be made perfect.
For God had planned something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.
