Hebrews 11
1 And faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of matters not seen a conviction,
Now faith is a well-grounded assurance of that for which we hope, and a conviction of the reality of things which we do not see.
2 for in this were the elders testified of;
For by it the saints of old won God's approval.
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)
Through faith we understand that the worlds came into being, and still exist, at the command of God, so that what is seen does not owe its existence to that which is 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.
Through faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain did, and through this faith he obtained testimony that he was righteous, God giving the testimony by accepting his gifts; and through it, though he is dead, he still speaks.
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,
Through faith Enoch was taken from the earth so that he did not see death, and he could not be found, because God had taken him; for before he was taken we have evidence that he truly 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.
But where there is no faith it is impossible truly to please Him; for the man who draws near to God must believe that there is a God and that He proves Himself a rewarder of those who earnestly try to find 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.
Through faith Noah, being divinely taught about things as yet unseen, reverently gave heed and built an ark for the safety of his family, and by this act he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which depends on 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;
Through faith Abraham, upon being called to leave home and go into a land which he was soon to receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing where he was going to.
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,
Through faith he came and made his home for a time in a land which had been promised to him, as if in a foreign country, living in tents together with Isaac and Jacob, sharers with him in the same promise;
10 for he was looking for the city having the foundations, whose artificer and constructor [is] God.
for he continually looked forward to the city which has the foundations, whose architect 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;
Through faith even Sarah herself received strength to become a mother--although she was past the time of life for this--because she judged Him faithful who had given 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 thus there sprang from one man, and him practically dead, a nation like the stars of the sky in number, and like the sands on the sea shore which cannot be counted.
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 died in the possession of faith. They had not received the promised blessings, but had seen them from a distance and had greeted them, and had acknowledged themselves to be foreigners and strangers here on earth;
14 for those saying such things make manifest that they seek a country;
for men who acknowledge this make it manifest that they are seeking elsewhere a country of their own.
15 and if, indeed, they had been mindful of that from which they came forth, they might have had an opportunity to return,
And if they had cherished the remembrance of the country they had left, they would have found 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.
but, as it is, we see them eager for a better land, that is to say, a heavenly one. For this reason God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has now 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,
Through faith Abraham, as soon as God put him to the test, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had joyfully welcomed the promises was on the point of sacrificing his only son
18 of whom it was said — 'In Isaac shall a seed be called to thee;'
with regard to whom he had been told, "It is through Isaac that your posterity shall be traced."
19 reckoning that even out of the dead God is able to raise up, whence also in a figure he did receive [him].
For he reckoned that God is even able to raise a man up from among the dead, and, figuratively speaking, it was from among the dead that he received Isaac again.
20 By faith, concerning coming things, Isaac did bless Jacob and Esau;
Through faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even in connexion with things soon 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;
Through faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and, leaning on the top of his staff, worshipped God.
22 by faith, Joseph dying, concerning the outgoing of the sons of Israel did make mention, and concerning his bones did give command.
Through faith Joseph, when he was near his end, made mention of the departure of the descendants of Israel, and gave orders about his own body.
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;
Through faith the child Moses was hid for three months by his parents, because they saw his rare beauty; and the king's edict had no terror for them.
24 by faith Moses, having become great, did refuse to be called a son of the daughter of Pharaoh,
Through faith Moses, when he grew to manhood, refused to be known as Pharaoh's daughter's son,
25 having chosen rather to be afflicted with the people of God, than to have sin's pleasure for a season,
having determined to endure ill-treatment along with the people of God rather than enjoy the short-lived pleasures 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;
because he deemed the reproaches which he might meet with in the service of the Christ to be greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt; for he fixed his gaze on the coming 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;
Through faith he left Egypt, not being frightened by the king's anger; for he held on his course as seeing the unseen One.
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.
Through faith he instituted the Passover, and the sprinkling with blood so that the destroyer of the firstborn might 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;
Through faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing over dry land, but the Egyptians, when they tried to do the same, were swallowed up.
30 by faith the walls of Jericho did fall, having been surrounded for seven days;
Through faith the walls of Jericho fell to the ground after being surrounded for seven days.
31 by faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with those who disbelieved, having received the spies with peace.
Through faith the notorious sinner Rahab did not perish along with the disobedient, for she had welcomed the spies and had sheltered them.
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 why need I say more? For time will fail me if I tell the story of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, and of David and Samuel and the Prophets;
33 who through faith did subdue kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped mouths of lions,
men who, as the result of faith, conquered whole kingdoms, brought about true justice, obtained promises from God, stopped lions' mouths,
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.
deprived fire of its power, escaped being killed by the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put to flight foreign armies.
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 dear ones alive from the dead; and others were put to death with torture, refusing the deliverance offered to them--that they might secure a better resurrection.
36 and others of mockings and scourgings did receive trial, and yet of bonds and imprisonment;
Others again were tested by cruel mockery and by scourging; yes, and by 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 asunder, they were tried by temptation, they were killed with the sword. They went from place to place in sheepskins or goatskins, enduring want, oppression and cruelty.
38 of whom the world was not worthy; in deserts wandering, and [in] mountains, and [in] caves, and [in] the holes of the earth;
(They were men of whom the world was not worthy.) They wandered across deserts and mountains, or hid themselves in caves and in holes in the ground.
39 and these all, having been testified to through the faith, did not receive the promise,
And although by their faith all these people won God's approval, none of them received the fulfilment of His great promise;
40 God for us something better having provided, that apart from us they might not be made perfect.
for God had provided for them and us something better, so that apart from us they were not to attain to full blessedness.
