Προς Εβραιους 12
1 τοιγαρουν και ημεις τοσουτον εχοντες περικειμενον ημιν νεφος μαρτυρων ογκον αποθεμενοι παντα και την ευπεριστατον αμαρτιαν δι υπομονης τρεχωμεν τον προκειμενον ημιν αγωνα
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 αφορωντες εις τον της πιστεως αρχηγον και τελειωτην ιησουν ος αντι της προκειμενης αυτω χαρας υπεμεινεν σταυρον αισχυνης καταφρονησας εν δεξια τε του θρονου του θεου κεκαθικεν
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 αναλογισασθε γαρ τον τοιαυτην υπομεμενηκοτα υπο των αμαρτωλων εις αυτον αντιλογιαν ινα μη καμητε ταις ψυχαις υμων εκλυομενοι
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 ουπω μεχρις αιματος αντικατεστητε προς την αμαρτιαν ανταγωνιζομενοι
You have not yet, in your struggle with sin, resisted to the death;
5 και εκλελησθε της παρακλησεως ητις υμιν ως υιοις διαλεγεται υιε μου μη ολιγωρει παιδειας κυριου μηδε εκλυου υπ αυτου ελεγχομενος
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 ον γαρ αγαπα κυριος παιδευει μαστιγοι δε παντα υιον ον παραδεχεται
For it is him whom he loves that he disciplines, and he chastises every child whom he acknowledges.’
7 εις παιδειαν υπομενετε ως υιοις υμιν προσφερεται ο θεος τις γαρ υιος εστιν ον ου παιδευει πατηρ
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 ει δε χωρις εστε παιδειας ης μετοχοι γεγονασιν παντες αρα νοθοι εστε και ουχ υιοι
If you are left without that discipline, in which all children share, it shows that you are bastards, and not true children.
9 ειτα τους μεν της σαρκος ημων πατερας ειχομεν παιδευτας και ενετρεπομεθα ου πολλω μαλλον υποταγησομεθα τω πατρι των πνευματων και ζησομεν
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 οι μεν γαρ προς ολιγας ημερας κατα το δοκουν αυτοις επαιδευον ο δε επι το συμφερον εις το μεταλαβειν της αγιοτητος αυτου
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 πασα δε παιδεια προς μεν το παρον ου δοκει χαρας ειναι αλλα λυπης υστερον δε καρπον ειρηνικον τοις δι αυτης γεγυμνασμενοις αποδιδωσιν δικαιοσυνης
No discipline is pleasant at the time; on the contrary, it is painful. But afterward its fruit is seen in the peacefulness of a righteous life which is the lot of those who have been trained under it.
12 διο τας παρειμενας χειρας και τα παραλελυμενα γονατα ανορθωσατε
Therefore ‘lift again the down-dropped hands and straighten the weakened knees;
13 και τροχιας ορθας ποιησατε τοις ποσιν υμων ινα μη το χωλον εκτραπη ιαθη δε μαλλον
make straight paths for your feet,’ so that the lame limb may not be put out of joint, but rather be cured.
14 ειρηνην διωκετε μετα παντων και τον αγιασμον ου χωρις ουδεις οψεται τον κυριον
Try earnestly to live at peace with everyone, and to attain to that purity without which no one will see the Lord.
15 επισκοπουντες μη τις υστερων απο της χαριτος του θεου μη τις ριζα πικριας ανω φυουσα ενοχλη και δια ταυτης μιανθωσιν πολλοι
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 μη τις πορνος η βεβηλος ως ησαυ ος αντι βρωσεως μιας απεδοτο τα πρωτοτοκια αυτου
Take care that no one becomes immoral, or irreligious like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.
17 ιστε γαρ οτι και μετεπειτα θελων κληρονομησαι την ευλογιαν απεδοκιμασθη μετανοιας γαρ τοπον ουχ ευρεν καιπερ μετα δακρυων εκζητησας αυτην
For you know that even afterward, 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 ου γαρ προσεληλυθατε ψηλαφωμενω ορει και κεκαυμενω πυρι και γνοφω και σκοτω και θυελλη
It is not to tangible ‘flaming fire’ that you have drawn near, nor to ‘gloom, and darkness, and storm,
19 και σαλπιγγος ηχω και φωνη ρηματων ης οι ακουσαντες παρητησαντο μη προστεθηναι αυτοις λογον
and the blast of a trumpet, and an audible voice.’ Those who heard that voice entreated that they might hear no more,
20 ουκ εφερον γαρ το διαστελλομενον καν θηριον θιγη του ορους λιθοβοληθησεται
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 και ουτως φοβερον ην το φανταζομενον μωυσης ειπεν εκφοβος ειμι και εντρομος
and so fearful was the sight that Moses said – ‘I tremble with fear.’
22 αλλα προσεληλυθατε σιων ορει και πολει θεου ζωντος ιερουσαλημ επουρανιω και μυριασιν αγγελων
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 πανηγυρει και εκκλησια πρωτοτοκων εν ουρανοις απογεγραμμενων και κριτη θεω παντων και πνευμασιν δικαιων τετελειωμενων
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 και διαθηκης νεας μεσιτη ιησου και αιματι ραντισμου κρειττον λαλουντι παρα τον αβελ
to Jesus, the intermediary of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that tells of better things than the blood of Abel.
25 βλεπετε μη παραιτησησθε τον λαλουντα ει γαρ εκεινοι ουκ εφυγον τον επι γης παραιτησαμενοι χρηματιζοντα πολλω μαλλον ημεις οι τον απ ουρανων αποστρεφομενοι
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 ου η φωνη την γην εσαλευσεν τοτε νυν δε επηγγελται λεγων ετι απαξ εγω σειω ου μονον την γην αλλα και τον ουρανον
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 το δε ετι απαξ δηλοι των σαλευομενων την μεταθεσιν ως πεποιημενων ινα μεινη τα μη σαλευομενα
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 διο βασιλειαν ασαλευτον παραλαμβανοντες εχωμεν χαριν δι ης λατρευομεν ευαρεστως τω θεω μετα αιδους και ευλαβειας
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 και γαρ ο θεος ημων πυρ καταναλισκον
For our God is ‘a consuming fire.’
