Hebrews 12
1 Therefore, we also having so great a cloud of witnesses set around us, every weight having put off, and the closely besetting sin, through endurance may we run the contest that is set 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 looking to the author and perfecter of faith — Jesus, who, over-against the joy set before him — did endure a cross, shame having despised, on the right hand also of the throne of God did sit down;
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 for consider again him who endured such gainsaying from the sinners to himself, that ye may not be wearied in your souls — being faint.
Wherefore consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, that ye may not give out, fainting in your minds:
4 Not yet unto blood did ye resist — with the sin striving;
for ye have not resisted unto blood in striving against sin.
5 and ye have forgotten the exhortation that doth speak fully with you as with sons, 'My son, be not despising chastening of the Lord, nor be faint, being reproved by Him,
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 whom the Lord doth love He doth chasten, and He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth;'
for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth."
7 if chastening ye endure, as to sons God beareth Himself to you, for who is a son whom a father doth not chasten?
If ye endure chastening, God treateth you as sons; for what son is there, whom the father doth not chastise?
8 and if ye are apart from chastening, of which all have become partakers, then bastards are ye, and not sons.
But if ye be without chastisement, of which all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons.
9 Then, indeed, fathers of our flesh we have had, chastising [us], and we were reverencing [them]; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of the 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 they, indeed, for a few days, according to what seemed good to them, were chastening, but He for profit, to be partakers of His separation;
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 and all chastening for the present, indeed, doth not seem to be of joy, but of sorrow, yet afterward the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those exercised through it — it doth yield.
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 Wherefore, the hanging-down hands and the loosened knees set ye up;
Lift up therefore the hands that hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.
13 and straight paths make for your feet, that that which is lame may not be turned aside, but rather be healed;
And make strait paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be turned out of the way, but rather be healed.
14 peace pursue with all, and the separation, apart from which no one shall see the Lord,
Follow peace with all men; and holiness, without which none shall see the Lord:
15 looking diligently over lest any one be failing of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up may give trouble, and through this many may be 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 lest any one be a fornicator, or a profane person, as Esau, who in exchange for one morsel of food did sell his birthright,
least there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one repast gave away his birthright.
17 for ye know that also afterwards, wishing to inherit the blessing, he was disapproved of, for a place of reformation he found not, though with tears having sought it.
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 ye came not near to the mount touched and scorched with fire, and to blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
Ye are not come to a tangible mountain, and burning fire, and a thick cloud, and darkness, and tempest,
19 and a sound of a trumpet, and a voice of sayings, which those having heard did entreat that a word might not be added 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 were not bearing that which is commanded, 'And if a beast may touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or with an arrow shot through,'
(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 and, (so terrible was the sight, ) Moses said, 'I am fearful exceedingly, and trembling.'
and so terrible was the appearance that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and tremble: )
22 But, ye came to Mount Zion, and to a city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of messengers,
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 company and assembly of the first-born in heaven enrolled, and to God the judge of all, and to spirits of righteous men 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 to a mediator of a new covenant — Jesus, and to blood of sprinkling, speaking better things than that of Abel!
and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than Abel.
25 See, may ye not refuse him who is speaking, for if those did not escape who refused him who upon earth was divinely speaking — much less we who do turn away from him who [speaketh] 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 whose voice the earth shook then, and now hath he promised, saying, 'Yet once — I shake not only the earth, but also the heaven;'
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 and this — 'Yet once' — doth make evident the removal of the things shaken, as of things having been made, that the things not 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 wherefore, a kingdom that cannot be shaken receiving, may we have grace, through which we may serve God well-pleasingly, with reverence and religious 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 also our God [is] a consuming fire.
for our God is a consuming fire.
