Hebreerne 11
1 Men tro er full visshet om det som håpes, overbevisning om ting som ikke sees.
Faith is the realisation of things hoped for – the proof of things not seen.
2 For på grunn av den fikk de gamle godt vidnesbyrd.
And it was for faith that the people of old were renowned.
3 Ved tro skjønner vi at verden er kommet i stand ved Guds ord, så det som sees, ikke blev til av det synlige. (aiōn g165)
Faith enables us to perceive that the universe was created at the bidding of God – so that we know that what we see was not made out of visible things. (aiōn g165)
4 Ved tro bar Abel frem for Gud et bedre offer enn Kain; ved den fikk han det vidnesbyrd at han var rettferdig, idet Gud vidnet om hans gaver, og ved den taler han ennu efter sin død.
Faith made the sacrifice which Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain’s, and won him renown as a righteous man, God himself establishing his renown by accepting his gifts; and it is by the example of his faith that Abel, though dead, still speaks.
5 Ved tro blev Enok bortrykket, så han ikke skulde se døden, og han blev ikke funnet, fordi Gud hadde bortrykket ham. For før han blev bortrykket, fikk han det vidnesbyrd at han tektes Gud;
Faith led to Enoch’s removal from earth, so that he might not experience death. “He could not be found because God had removed him.” For, before his removal, he was renowned as having pleased God;
6 men uten tro er det umulig å tekkes Gud; for den som treder frem for Gud, må tro at han er til, og at han lønner dem som søker ham.
but without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that God exists, and that he rewards those who seek for him.
7 Ved tro bygget Noah, varslet av Gud om det som ennu ikke var sett, i hellig frykt en ark til frelse for sitt hus; ved den fordømte han verden og blev arving til rettferdigheten av tro.
It was faith that enabled Noah, after he had received the divine warning about what could not then be foreseen, to build, in reverent obedience, an ark in which to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world, and became possessed of that righteousness which follows on faith.
8 Ved tro var Abraham lydig da han blev kalt, så han drog ut til det sted han skulde få til arv, og han drog ut uten å vite hvorhen han skulde komme;
It was faith that enabled Abraham to obey the call that he received, and to set out for the place which he was afterwards to obtain as his own; and he set out not knowing where he was going.
9 ved tro opholdt han sig som utlending i det lovede land som i et fremmed land, idet han bodde i telt sammen med Isak og Jakob, medarvingene til det samme løfte;
It was faith that made him go to live as an emigrant in the promised land – as in a strange country – living there in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who shared the promise with him.
10 for han ventet på den stad som har de faste grunnvoller, og som Gud er byggmester og skaper til.
For he was looking for the city with the sure foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11 Ved tro fikk også Sara kraft til å grunnlegge en ætt, og det til tross for sin alder, da hun aktet ham trofast som gav løftet;
Again, it was faith that enabled Sarah to conceive (though she was past the age for childbearing), because she felt sure that he who had given her the promise would not fail her.
12 derfor blev det også av en, og det en utlevd, avlet så mange som himmelens stjerner og som sanden ved havets strand, som ingen kan telle.
And so from one man – and that when his powers were dead – there sprang a people as numerous “as the stars in the heavens or the countless grains of sand on the shore.”
13 I tro døde alle disse uten at de hadde opnådd det som var lovt; men de så det langt borte og hilste det og bekjente at de var fremmede og utlendinger på jorden.
All these died sustained by faith. They did not obtain the promised blessings, but they saw them from a distance and welcomed the sight, and they acknowledged themselves to be only foreigners and strangers on the earth.
14 For de som sier slikt, gir derved til kjenne at de søker et fedreland;
Those who speak like this show plainly that they are seeking their homeland.
15 og dersom de hadde tenkt på det som de var kommet fra, da hadde de jo hatt tid til å vende tilbake;
If they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they could have found opportunities to return.
16 men nu stunder de efter et bedre, det er et himmelsk; derfor skammer Gud sig ikke ved dem, ved å kalles deres Gud; for han har gjort en stad ferdig til dem.
But no, they were longing for a better, a heavenly, land! And therefore God was not ashamed to be called their God; indeed he had already prepared them a city.
17 Ved tro ofret Abraham Isak dengang han blev fristet; ja, sin enbårne ofret han som hadde fått løftene,
It was faith that enabled Abraham, when put to the test, to offer Isaac as a sacrifice – he who had received the promises offering up his only son,
18 han som det blev sagt til: I Isak skal det nevnes dig en ætt;
of whom it had been said – “It is through Isaac that there will be descendants to bear your name.”
19 for han tenkte at Gud er mektig endog til å opvekke fra de døde, og derfra fikk han ham og likesom tilbake.
For he argued that God was even able to raise a man from the dead – and indeed, figuratively speaking, Abraham did receive Isaac back from the dead.
20 Ved tro velsignet Isak Jakob og Esau, med syn på det som skulde komme.
It was faith that enabled Isaac to bless Jacob and Esau, even with regard to the future.
21 Ved tro velsignet Jakob døende hver og en av Josefs sønner og tilbad, bøiet over knappen på sin stav.
Faith enabled Jacob, when dying, to give his blessing to each of the sons of Joseph, and “to bow himself in worship as he leant on the top of his staff.”
22 Ved tro talte Josef på sitt siste om Israels barns utgang og gav påbud om sine ben.
Faith caused Joseph, when his end was near, to speak of the future migration of the Israelites, and to give instructions with regard to his bones.
23 Ved tro blev Moses efter sin fødsel skjult i tre måneder av sine foreldre, fordi de så at gutten var fager, og de fryktet ikke for kongens bud.
Faith caused the parents of Moses to hide the child for three months after his birth, for they saw that he was a beautiful child; and they would not respect the king’s order.
24 Ved tro nektet Moses, da han var blitt stor, å kalles Faraos datters sønn,
It was faith that caused Moses, when he was grown up, to refuse the title of “son of a daughter of Pharaoh.”
25 idet han heller valgte å lide ondt sammen med Guds folk enn å ha en kortvarig nydelse av synden,
He preferred sharing the hardships of God’s people to enjoying the short-lived pleasures of sin.
26 og aktet Kristi vanære for en større rikdom enn Egyptens skatter; for han så frem til lønnen.
For he counted “the reproaches that are heaped on the Christ” of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, looking forward, as he did, to the reward awaiting him.
27 Ved tro forlot han Egypten, uten å frykte for kongens vrede; for han holdt ut, som om han så den usynlige.
Faith caused him to leave Egypt, though undaunted by the king’s anger, for he was strengthened in his endurance by the vision of the invisible God.
28 Ved tro holdt han påsken med blodsprengningen, forat ikke ødeleggeren skulde røre deres førstefødte.
Faith led him to institute the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the Destroyer might not touch the eldest children of the Israelites.
29 Ved tro gikk de gjennem det Røde Hav som over tørt land; men da egypterne prøvde på det, druknet de.
Faith enabled the people to cross the Red Sea, as if it had been dry land, while the Egyptians, when they attempted to do so, were drowned.
30 Ved tro falt Jerikos murer, da de hadde gått omkring dem i syv dager.
Faith caused the walls of Jericho to fall after being encircled for seven days.
31 Ved tro undgikk skjøgen Rahab å gå til grunne med de vantro, da hun hadde tatt imot speiderne med fred.
Faith saved Rahab, the prostitute, from perishing with the unbelievers, after she had entertained the spies with friendliness.
32 Og hvorfor taler jeg lenger? Tiden vilde bli mig for kort om jeg skulde fortelle om Gideon og Barak og Samson og Jefta, om David og Samuel og profetene,
Need I add anything more? Time would fail me if I attempted to relate the stories of Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah, and those of David, Samuel, and the prophets.
33 som ved tro seiret over kongeriker, håndhevde rettferdighet, fikk løfter opfylt, stoppet gapet på løver,
By their faith they subdued kingdoms, ruled righteously, gained the fulfilment of God’s promises, shut the mouths of lions,
34 slukket ilds kraft, slapp fra sverds egg, fikk styrke igjen efter sykdom, blev veldige i krig, fikk fienders hærer til å vike;
quelled the fury of the flames, escaped the edge of the sword, found strength in the hour of weakness, displayed their prowess in war, and routed hostile armies.
35 kvinner fikk sine døde igjen ved opstandelse; andre blev utspent til pinsel og vilde ikke ta imot utløsning, forat de kunde få del i en bedre opstandelse;
Women received back their dead raised to life. Some were tortured on the wheel, and refused release in order that they might rise to a better life.
36 andre fikk lide spott og hudstrykning, ja bånd og fengsel;
Others had to face taunts and blows, and even chains and imprisonment.
37 de blev stenet, gjennemsaget, fristet; de døde for sverd; de flakket omkring i fåreskinn, i gjeteskinn, de led mangel, trengsel, hård medferd
They were stoned to death, they were tortured, they were swan asunder, they were put to the sword; they wandered about clothed in the skins of sheep or goats, destitute, persecuted, ill-used –
38 - verden var dem ikke verd - de vanket om i utørkener og fjell og huler og jordkløfter.
people of whom the world was not worthy – roaming in lonely places, and on the mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
39 Og enda alle disse fikk vidnesbyrd for sin tro, opnådde de ikke det som var lovt,
Yet, though they all won renown by their faith, they did not obtain the final fulfilment of God’s promise;
40 fordi Gud forut hadde utsett noget bedre for oss, så de ikke skulde nå fullendelsen uten oss.
since God had in view some better thing for us, so that they would only reach perfection together with us.
