Hebreos 11
1 ES pues la fé la sustancia de las cosas que se esperan, la demostracion de las cosas que no se ven.
Now our trust in God is the guarantee of what we hope for, the evidence of what we can't see.
2 Porque por ella alcanzaron testimonio los antiguos.
People who lived long ago trusted God and this is what gained them God's approval.
3 Por la fé entendemos haber sido compuestos los siglos por la palabra de Dios, siendo hecho lo que se ve de lo que no se veia. (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 Por la fé Abel ofreció á Dios mayor sacrificio que Cain, por la cual alcanzó testimonio de que era justo, dando Dios testimonio á sus presentes; y difunto, aun habla por ella.
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 Por la fé Enoc fué traspuesto para no ver muerte, y no fué hallado, porque lo traspuso Dios. Y ántes que fuese traspuesto, tuvo testimonio de haber agradado á Dios.
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 Empero sin fé es imposible agradar á Dios; porque es menester que el que á Dios se allega, crea que le hay, y que es galardonador de los que le buscan.
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 Por la fé Noé, habiendo recibido respuesta de cosas que aun no se veian, con temor aparejó el arca en que su casa se salvase: por la cual [fé] condenó al mundo, y fué hecho heredero de la justicia que es por la fé.
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 Por la fé Abraham, siendo llamado, obedeció para salir al lugar que habia de recibir por heredad; y salió sin saber donde iba.
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 Por fé habitó en la tierra prometida como en [tierra] ajena, morando en cabañas con Isaac y Jacob, herederos juntamente de la misma promesa:
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 Porque esperaba ciudad con fundamentos, el artífice y hacedor de la cual es Dios.
For Abraham was looking forward to a city built on foundations that last, with God as its builder and maker.
11 Por la fé tambien la misma Sara, siendo estéril, recibió fuerza para concebir simiente; y parió aun fuera del tiempo de la edad, porque creyó ser fiel el que [lo] habia prometido.
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 Por lo cual tambien, de uno, y ese ya amortecido, salieron como las estrellas del cielo en multitud, y como la arena innumerable que está á la orilla de la mar.
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 Conforme á la fé murieron todos estos sin haber recibido las promesas, sino mirándolas de léjos, y creyéndolas, y saludándolas; y confesando que eran peregrinos y advenedizos sobre la tierra.
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 Porque los que esto dicen, claramente dan á entender que buscan una patria.
People who say such things make it clear that they're looking for a country of their own.
15 Que si se acordaran de aquella de donde salieron, cierto tenian tiempo para volverse:
For if they cared about the country they'd left behind, they could have returned.
16 Empero deseaban la mejor, es á saber, la celestial; por lo cual Dios no se avergüenza de llamarse Dios de ellos; porque les habia aparejado ciudad.
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 Por fé ofreció Abraham á Isaac, cuando fué probado; y ofrecia al unigénito el que habia recibido las promesas.
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 Habiéndole sido dicho: En Isaac te será llamada simiente:
even though he'd been told, “It's through Isaac that your descendants will be counted.”
19 Pensando que aun de los muertos [es] Dios poderoso para levantar; de donde tambien lo volvió á recibir por figura.
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 Por fé bendijo Isaac á Jacob y á Esaú respecto á cosas que habian de ser.
Trusting in God, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to what the future would bring.
21 Por fé Jacob, muriéndose, bendijo á cada uno de los hijos de José; y adoró [estribando] sobre la punta de su bordon.
Trusting in God, Jacob as he was dying blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped God, leaning on his staff.
22 Por fé José muriéndose, se acordó de la partida de los hijos de Israel: y dió mandamiento acerca de sus huesos.
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 Por fé Moisés, nacido, fué escondido de sus padres por tres meses, porque lo vieron hermoso niño, y no temieron el mandamiento del rey.
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 Por fé Moisés, hecho ya grande, rehusó ser llamado hijo de la hija de Pharaon;
Trusting in God, Moses, when he grew up, refused to be known as the adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter.
25 Escogiendo ántes ser afligido con el pueblo de Dios, que gozar de comodidades temporales de pecado:
Instead he chose to share in the sufferings of God's people rather than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin.
26 Teniendo por mayores riquezas el vituperio de Cristo que los tesoros de los Egipcios; porque miraba á la remuneracion.
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 Por fé dejó á Egipto no temiendo la ira del rey; porque se sostuvo como viendo al invisible.
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 Por fé celebró la Pascua y el derramamiento de la sangre, para que el que mataba los primogénitos, no les tocase.
Trusting in God he observed the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroying angel would not touch the Israelites.
29 Por fé pasaron el mar Bermejo como por tierra seca; lo cual probando los Egipcios, fueron sumergidos.
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 Por fé cayeron los muros de Jericó con rodearlos siete dias.
Trusting in God, the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho for seven days, and the walls fell down.
31 Por fé Rahab la ramera no pereció juntamente con los incrédulos, habiendo recibido los espías con paz.
Trusting in God, Rahab the prostitute didn't die with those who rejected God, because she had welcomed the Israelite spies in peace.
32 ¿Y qué mas digo, porque el tiempo me faltará contando de Gedeon, de Barac, de Samson, de Jephté, de David, de Samuel, y de los profetas;
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 Que por fé ganaron reinos, obraron justicia, alcanzaron promesas, taparon las bocas de leones
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 Apagaron fuegos impetuosos, evitaron filo de cuchillo, convalecieron de enfermedades, fueron hechos fuertes en batallas, trastornaron campos de [enemigos] extraños.
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 las mujeres recibieron sus muertos por resurreccion: unos fueron estirados, no aceptando el rescate para ganar mejor resurreccion:
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 Otros experimentaron vituperios y azotes; y á más de esto prisiones y cárceles:
Yet others suffered insults and whippings; they were put in chains and imprisoned.
37 Fueron apedreados, aserrados, tentados, muertos á cuchillo; anduvieron de acá para allá [cubiertos] de pieles de ovejas y de cabras, pobres, angustiados, maltratados;
Some were stoned, cut in pieces, tempted, killed by the sword. Some dressed in sheepskins and goatskins: destitute, oppressed, and mistreated.
38 De los cuales el mundo no era digno: perdidos por los desiertos, por los montes, por las cuevas y por las cavernas de la tierra.
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 Y todos estos, aprobados por testimonio de la fé, no recibieron la promesa:
All of these people, even though they had God's approval, didn't receive what God had promised.
40 Proveyendo Dios alguna cosa mejor para nosotros, para que no fuesen perfeccionados sin nosotros.
God has given us something even better, so that they can't be complete without us.
