ibriNaH 11
1 vizvAsa AzaMsitAnAM nizcayaH, adRzyAnAM viSayANAM darzanaM bhavati|
Now our trust in God is the guarantee of what we hope for, the evidence of what we can't see.
2 tena vizvAsena prAJco lokAH prAmANyaM prAptavantaH|
People who lived long ago trusted God and this is what gained them God's approval.
3 aparam Izvarasya vAkyena jagantyasRjyanta, dRSTavastUni ca pratyakSavastubhyo nodapadyantaitad vayaM vizvAsena budhyAmahe| (aiōn g165)
Through our trust in God we understand that the whole universe was created by God's command, that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen. (aiōn g165)
4 vizvAsena hAbil Izvaramuddizya kAbilaH zreSThaM balidAnaM kRtavAn tasmAccezvareNa tasya dAnAnyadhi pramANe datte sa dhArmmika ityasya pramANaM labdhavAn tena vizvAsena ca sa mRtaH san adyApi bhASate|
By trusting him Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain, and as a result God identified him as someone who lived right. God showed this by accepting his offering. Even though Abel has been dead for a long time, he still speaks to us through what he did.
5 vizvAsena hanok yathA mRtyuM na pazyet tathA lokAntaraM nItaH, tasyoddezazca kenApi na prApi yata IzvarastaM lokAntaraM nItavAn, tatpramANamidaM tasya lokAntarIkaraNAt pUrvvaM sa IzvarAya rocitavAn iti pramANaM prAptavAn|
By trusting God Enoch was taken to heaven so he didn't experience death. He couldn't be found on earth because God took him to heaven. Before this happened he was known as someone God was pleased with.
6 kintu vizvAsaM vinA ko'pIzvarAya rocituM na zaknoti yata Izvaro'sti svAnveSilokebhyaH puraskAraM dadAti cetikathAyAm IzvarazaraNAgatai rvizvasitavyaM|
You can't expect God to be pleased with you if you don't trust him! Anyone who comes to God must believe that God exists, and that he rewards those who are searching for him.
7 aparaM tadAnIM yAnyadRzyAnyAsan tAnIzvareNAdiSTaH san noho vizvAsena bhItvA svaparijanAnAM rakSArthaM potaM nirmmitavAn tena ca jagajjanAnAM doSAn darzitavAn vizvAsAt labhyasya puNyasyAdhikArI babhUva ca|
Noah trusted God, and was warned by him about things that had never happened before. Because Noah paid serious attention to what God said, he constructed an ark to save his family. By trusting God, Noah showed that the world was wrong, and received the reward of being set right by God.
8 vizvAsenebrAhIm AhUtaH san AjJAM gRhItvA yasya sthAnasyAdhikArastena prAptavyastat sthAnaM prasthitavAn kintu prasthAnasamaye kka yAmIti nAjAnAt|
Through trusting God Abraham obeyed when God called him to go to the land God was going to give him. He left, not knowing where he was going.
9 vizvAsena sa pratijJAte deze paradezavat pravasan tasyAH pratijJAyAH samAnAMzibhyAm ishAkA yAkUbA ca saha dUSyavAsyabhavat|
Trusting in God he lived in the promised land—but as a foreigner, living in tents, together with Isaac and Jacob who shared with him in inheriting the same promise.
10 yasmAt sa IzvareNa nirmmitaM sthApitaJca bhittimUlayuktaM nagaraM pratyaikSata|
For Abraham was looking forward to a city built on foundations that last, with God as its builder and maker.
11 aparaJca vizvAsena sArA vayotikrAntA santyapi garbhadhAraNAya zaktiM prApya putravatyabhavat, yataH sA pratijJAkAriNaM vizvAsyam amanyata|
By her trust in God even Sarah herself was given the ability to conceive a child though she was too old, because she trusted God who had made the promise.
12 tato heto rmRtakalpAd ekasmAt janAd AkAzIyanakSatrANIva gaNanAtItAH samudratIrasthasikatA iva cAsaMkhyA lokA utpedire|
That is why the descendants of Abraham, (who was as good as dead!), became as numerous as the stars of heaven, as countless as the sand of the sea-shore.
13 ete sarvve pratijJAyAH phalAnyaprApya kevalaM dUrAt tAni nirIkSya vanditvA ca, pRthivyAM vayaM videzinaH pravAsinazcAsmaha iti svIkRtya vizvAsena prANAn tatyajuH|
They all died still trusting in God. Though they didn't receive the things God promised, they were still looking for them as it were from a distance and welcomed them, acknowledging that on this earth they were foreigners, people just passing through.
14 ye tu janA itthaM kathayanti taiH paitRkadezo 'smAbhiranviSyata iti prakAzyate|
People who say such things make it clear that they're looking for a country of their own.
15 te yasmAd dezAt nirgatAstaM yadyasmariSyan tarhi parAvarttanAya samayam alapsyanta|
For if they cared about the country they'd left behind, they could have returned.
16 kintu te sarvvotkRSTam arthataH svargIyaM dezam AkAGkSanti tasmAd IzvarastAnadhi na lajjamAnasteSAm Izvara iti nAma gRhItavAn yataH sa teSAM kRte nagaramekaM saMsthApitavAn|
But they're looking for a better country instead, a heavenly country. That is why God isn't disappointed with them, and is happy to be called their God, for he has built a city for them.
17 aparam ibrAhImaH parIkSAyAM jAtAyAM sa vizvAseneshAkam utsasarja,
Abraham trusted God when he was tested and offered Isaac to God. Abraham, who had accepted God's promises, was still ready to offer to God his only son,
18 vastuta ishAki tava vaMzo vikhyAsyata iti vAg yamadhi kathitA tam advitIyaM putraM pratijJAprAptaH sa utsasarja|
even though he'd been told, “It's through Isaac that your descendants will be counted.”
19 yata Izvaro mRtAnapyutthApayituM zaknotIti sa mene tasmAt sa upamArUpaM taM lebhe|
Abraham had thought it through and decided that God could bring Isaac back to life from the dead. In a sense that's what did happen—Abraham received Isaac back from the dead.
20 aparam ishAk vizvAsena yAkUb eSAve ca bhAviviSayAnadhyAziSaM dadau|
Trusting in God, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to what the future would bring.
21 aparaM yAkUb maraNakAle vizvAsena yUSaphaH putrayorekaikasmai janAyAziSaM dadau yaSTyA agrabhAge samAlambya praNanAma ca|
Trusting in God, Jacob as he was dying blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped God, leaning on his staff.
22 aparaM yUSaph caramakAle vizvAsenesrAyelvaMzIyAnAM misaradezAd bahirgamanasya vAcaM jagAda nijAsthIni cAdhi samAdideza|
Trusting in God, Joseph too, when his own death approached, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites, and gave instructions about what to do with his bones.
23 navajAto mUsAzca vizvAsAt trAn mAsAn svapitRbhyAm agopyata yatastau svazizuM paramasundaraM dRSTavantau rAjAjJAJca na zaGkitavantau|
Trusting in God, Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born. They recognized he was a special child. They weren't afraid to go against what the king had commanded.
24 aparaM vayaHprApto mUsA vizvAsAt phirauNo dauhitra iti nAma nAGgIcakAra|
Trusting in God, Moses, when he grew up, refused to be known as the adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter.
25 yataH sa kSaNikAt pApajasukhabhogAd Izvarasya prajAbhiH sArddhaM duHkhabhogaM vavre|
Instead he chose to share in the sufferings of God's people rather than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin.
26 tathA misaradezIyanidhibhyaH khrISTanimittAM nindAM mahatIM sampattiM mene yato hetoH sa puraskAradAnam apaikSata|
He counted the rejection he experienced from following Christ to be of far greater value than the wealth of Egypt—because he was focused on the reward to come.
27 aparaM sa vizvAsena rAjJaH krodhAt na bhItvA misaradezaM paritatyAja, yatastenAdRzyaM vIkSamANeneva dhairyyam Alambi|
Trusting in God, he left Egypt and wasn't scared of Pharaoh's anger—he kept going with his eyes fixed on the invisible God.
28 aparaM prathamajAtAnAM hantA yat svIyalokAn na spRzet tadarthaM sa vizvAsena nistAraparvvIyabalicchedanaM rudhirasecanaJcAnuSThitAvAn|
Trusting in God he observed the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroying angel would not touch the Israelites.
29 aparaM te vizvAsAt sthaleneva sUphsAgareNa jagmuH kintu misrIyalokAstat karttum upakramya toyeSu mamajjuH|
Trusting in God the Israelites crossed the Red Sea as if it were dry land. When the Egyptians attempted to do the same they were drowned.
30 aparaJca vizvAsAt taiH saptAhaM yAvad yirIhoH prAcIrasya pradakSiNe kRte tat nipapAta|
Trusting in God, the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho for seven days, and the walls fell down.
31 vizvAsAd rAhabnAmikA vezyApi prItyA cArAn anugRhyAvizvAsibhiH sArddhaM na vinanAza|
Trusting in God, Rahab the prostitute didn't die with those who rejected God, because she had welcomed the Israelite spies in peace.
32 adhikaM kiM kathayiSyAmi? gidiyono bArakaH zimzono yiptaho dAyUd zimUyelo bhaviSyadvAdinazcaiteSAM vRttAntakathanAya mama samayAbhAvo bhaviSyati|
What other examples should I give? I don't have time to talk about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah; about David, Samuel, and the prophets.
33 vizvAsAt te rAjyAni vazIkRtavanto dharmmakarmmANi sAdhitavantaH pratijJAnAM phalaM labdhavantaH siMhAnAM mukhAni ruddhavanto
Because of their trust in God they conquered kingdoms, did what was good and right, received God's promises, shut the mouths of lions,
34 vahnerdAhaM nirvvApitavantaH khaGgadhArAd rakSAM prAptavanto daurbbalye sabalIkRtA yuddhe parAkramiNo jAtAH pareSAM sainyAni davayitavantazca|
put out blazing fires, escaped being killed by the sword, were weak but made strong, did mighty deeds in war, and routed enemy armies.
35 yoSitaH punarutthAnena mRtAn AtmajAn lebhire, apare ca zreSThotthAnasya prApterAzayA rakSAm agRhItvA tADanena mRtavantaH|
Women were given their dead family members back through resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to compromise and be pardoned, because they wanted to be part of a better resurrection.
36 apare tiraskAraiH kazAbhi rbandhanaiH kArayA ca parIkSitAH|
Yet others suffered insults and whippings; they were put in chains and imprisoned.
37 bahavazca prastarAghAtai rhatAH karapatrai rvA vidIrNA yantrai rvA kliSTAH khaGgadhArai rvA vyApAditAH| te meSANAM chAgAnAM vA carmmANi paridhAya dInAH pIDitA duHkhArttAzcAbhrAmyan|
Some were stoned, cut in pieces, tempted, killed by the sword. Some dressed in sheepskins and goatskins: destitute, oppressed, and mistreated.
38 saMsAro yeSAm ayogyaste nirjanasthAneSu parvvateSu gahvareSu pRthivyAzchidreSu ca paryyaTan|
The world was not worthy to have such people who wandered in the deserts and mountains, living in caves and holes in the ground.
39 etaiH sarvvai rvizvAsAt pramANaM prApi kintu pratijJAyAH phalaM na prApi|
All of these people, even though they had God's approval, didn't receive what God had promised.
40 yataste yathAsmAn vinA siddhA na bhaveyustathaivezvareNAsmAkaM kRte zreSThataraM kimapi nirdidize|
God has given us something even better, so that they can't be complete without us.
