Hebreos 11
1 Ahora bien, fe es [la] esencia de lo que se espera, la convicción de lo que no se ve.
Faith is the realisation of things hoped for – the proof of things not seen.
2 Por ella los antiguos fueron aprobados.
And it was for faith that the people of old were renowned.
3 Por fe entendemos que el universo fue creado por la Palabra de Dios, de modo que lo que se ve fue hecho de lo invisible. (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 Por fe Abel ofreció a Dios un mejor sacrificio que Caín, por medio del cual se dio testimonio de que era justo. Dios dio testimonio sobre sus ofrendas, y aunque murió, aún habla por medio de ellas.
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 Por fe Enoc fue trasladado para que no pasara por la muerte, y no fue hallado porque Dios lo trasladó. Pero antes del traslado se dio testimonio de que agradó a Dios.
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 Pero sin fe es imposible agradar [a Dios], porque es necesario que el que se acerca a Dios crea que existe y que es Galardonador de los que lo buscan.
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 Por fe Noé, después de ser advertido por Dios acerca de cosas aún no vistas, con temor construyó [el] arca en la cual se salvaría su familia. Por medio de esa fe condenó al mundo y heredó [la] justicia que es según la fe.
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 Por fe Abraham, cuando fue llamado, obedeció para salir al lugar que iba a recibir como herencia. Salió sin entender a dónde iba.
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 Por fe habitó como extranjero en [la] tierra de la promesa y vivió en tiendas con Isaac y Jacob, los coherederos de la misma promesa,
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 porque esperaba la ciudad que tiene fundamentos, cuyo Arquitecto y Constructor es Dios.
For he was looking for the city with the sure foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11 Por fe también la misma Sara, quien era estéril y de edad avanzada, recibió fuerza para concebir descendencia, porque consideró que [Dios] es fiel a lo que prometió.
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 Por lo cual también de uno y éste ya casi muerto, salieron [descendientes] en multitud como las estrellas del cielo y como la arena innumerable de la orilla del mar.
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 Según fe todos éstos murieron sin recibir [el cumplimiento de] las promesas. Aunque las miraban desde lejos, se saludaban y confesaban que eran extranjeros y peregrinos en la tierra.
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 Porque los que dicen esto dan a entender que buscan [la ]patria,
Those who speak like this show plainly that they are seeking their homeland.
15 y si pensaran en aquella de la cual salieron, ciertamente tendrían tiempo de regresar.
If they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they could have found opportunities to return.
16 Pero en ese momento se esforzaban por una [patria] mejor, esto es celestial, por lo cual Dios no se avergüenza de llamarse Dios de ellos, porque les preparó una ciudad.
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 Por fe Abraham, al ser probado, ofreció a Isaac [en sacrificio]. Ofrecía al unigénito sobre el cual recibió las promesas,
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 pues le fue dicho: En Isaac tendrás descendencia.
of whom it had been said – “It is through Isaac that there will be descendants to bear your name.”
19 Tenía en cuenta que Dios es poderoso para levantar aun de entre [los] muertos, de donde también en figura lo recuperó.
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 Por fe Isaac bendijo a Jacob y a Esaú con respecto a cosas venideras.
It was faith that enabled Isaac to bless Jacob and Esau, even with regard to the future.
21 Por fe Jacob, cuando iba a morir, bendijo a cada uno de los hijos de José y adoró apoyado sobre el extremo de su bastón.
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 Por fe José, cuando iba a morir, mencionó el éxodo de los hijos de Israel y dio órdenes acerca de sus huesos.
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 Por fe los padres de Moisés lo escondieron tres meses cuando éste nació, porque vieron al niño hermoso y no temieron al decreto del rey.
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 Por fe Moisés, cuando creció, rehusó ser llamado hijo de [la] hija de Faraón
It was faith that caused Moses, when he was grown up, to refuse the title of “son of a daughter of Pharaoh.”
25 y escogió más bien sufrir aflicción con el pueblo de Dios, que gozar de los deleites temporales del pecado,
He preferred sharing the hardships of God’s people to enjoying the short-lived pleasures of sin.
26 porque consideró mayor riqueza la afrenta de Cristo que los tesoros de Egipto, porque fijaba la atención en el galardón.
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 Por fe salió de Egipto sin temer la ira del rey, porque se sostuvo con la mirada en el Invisible.
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 Por fe celebró la Pascua y el rociamiento de la sangre para que el destructor no tocara a los primogénitos.
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 Por fe cruzaron el mar Rojo como por tierra seca. Cuando los egipcios intentaron hacer lo mismo fueron ahogados.
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 Por fe cayeron los muros de Jericó después de ser rodeados durante siete días.
Faith caused the walls of Jericho to fall after being encircled for seven days.
31 Por fe la prostituta Rahab, después de recibir a los espías en paz, no pereció juntamente con los desobedientes.
Faith saved Rahab, the prostitute, from perishing with the unbelievers, after she had entertained the spies with friendliness.
32 ¿Qué más digo? Porque el tiempo me faltará para hablar de Gedeón, Barac, Sansón, Jefté, David, Samuel y de los profetas,
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 quienes por fe conquistaron reinos, hicieron justicia, obtuvieron promesas, cerraron bocas de leones,
By their faith they subdued kingdoms, ruled righteously, gained the fulfilment of God’s promises, shut the mouths of lions,
34 extinguieron fuegos violentos, escaparon del filo de espada. Fueron fortalecidos en debilidad y fuertes en batalla. Pusieron en fuga a enemigos hostiles.
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 Las mujeres recibieron a sus muertos por medio de resurrección. Otros, al no aceptar el rescate, fueron torturados para obtener mejor resurrección.
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 Otros experimentaron pruebas de burlas y azotes, y aun cadenas y cárcel.
Others had to face taunts and blows, and even chains and imprisonment.
37 Fueron apedreados, aserrados, murieron a filo de espada, vagaron de lugar en lugar [cubiertos con] pieles de ovejas y cabras, indigentes, afligidos, maltratados.
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 Anduvieron por desiertos, montañas, cuevas y cavernas de la tierra. ¡El mundo no era digno de ellos!
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 Todos éstos, quienes fueron aprobados por medio de fe, no obtuvieron lo que se les prometió.
Yet, though they all won renown by their faith, they did not obtain the final fulfilment of God’s promise;
40 Dios proveyó algo mejor para nosotros, a fin de que ellos no fueran perfeccionados aparte de nosotros.
since God had in view some better thing for us, so that they would only reach perfection together with us.
