Hebrews 11
1 Faith is the realisation of things hoped for – the proof of things not seen.
εστιν δε πιστις ελπιζομενων υποστασις πραγματων ελεγχος ου βλεπομενων
2 And it was for faith that the people of old were renowned.
εν ταυτη γαρ εμαρτυρηθησαν οι πρεσβυτεροι
3 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)
πιστει νοουμεν κατηρτισθαι τους αιωνας ρηματι θεου εις το μη εκ φαινομενων το βλεπομενον γεγονεναι (aiōn g165)
4 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.
πιστει πλειονα θυσιαν αβελ παρα καιν προσηνεγκεν τω θεω δι ης εμαρτυρηθη ειναι δικαιος μαρτυρουντος επι τοις δωροις αυτου του θεου και δι αυτης αποθανων ετι λαλει
5 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;
πιστει ενωχ μετετεθη του μη ιδειν θανατον και ουχ ηυρισκετο διοτι μετεθηκεν αυτον ο θεος προ γαρ της μεταθεσεως μεμαρτυρηται ευαρεστηκεναι τω θεω
6 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.
χωρις δε πιστεως αδυνατον ευαρεστησαι πιστευσαι γαρ δει τον προσερχομενον {VAR1: [τω] } {VAR2: τω } θεω οτι εστιν και τοις εκζητουσιν αυτον μισθαποδοτης γινεται
7 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.
πιστει χρηματισθεις νωε περι των μηδεπω βλεπομενων ευλαβηθεις κατεσκευασεν κιβωτον εις σωτηριαν του οικου αυτου δι ης κατεκρινεν τον κοσμον και της κατα πιστιν δικαιοσυνης εγενετο κληρονομος
8 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.
πιστει καλουμενος αβρααμ υπηκουσεν εξελθειν εις τοπον ον ημελλεν λαμβανειν εις κληρονομιαν και εξηλθεν μη επισταμενος που ερχεται
9 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.
πιστει παρωκησεν εις γην της επαγγελιας ως αλλοτριαν εν σκηναις κατοικησας μετα ισαακ και ιακωβ των συγκληρονομων της επαγγελιας της αυτης
10 For he was looking for the city with the sure foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
εξεδεχετο γαρ την τους θεμελιους εχουσαν πολιν ης τεχνιτης και δημιουργος ο θεος
11 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.
πιστει και αυτη σαρρα {VAR2: στειρα } δυναμιν εις καταβολην σπερματος ελαβεν και παρα καιρον ηλικιας επει πιστον ηγησατο τον επαγγειλαμενον
12 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.”
διο και αφ ενος εγεννηθησαν και ταυτα νενεκρωμενου καθως τα αστρα του ουρανου τω πληθει και ως η αμμος η παρα το χειλος της θαλασσης η αναριθμητος
13 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.
κατα πιστιν απεθανον ουτοι παντες μη {VAR1: κομισαμενοι } {VAR2: λαβοντες } τας επαγγελιας αλλα πορρωθεν αυτας ιδοντες και ασπασαμενοι και ομολογησαντες οτι ξενοι και παρεπιδημοι εισιν επι της γης
14 Those who speak like this show plainly that they are seeking their homeland.
οι γαρ τοιαυτα λεγοντες εμφανιζουσιν οτι πατριδα επιζητουσιν
15 If they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they could have found opportunities to return.
και ει μεν εκεινης εμνημονευον αφ ης εξεβησαν ειχον αν καιρον ανακαμψαι
16 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.
νυν δε κρειττονος ορεγονται τουτ εστιν επουρανιου διο ουκ επαισχυνεται αυτους ο θεος θεος επικαλεισθαι αυτων ητοιμασεν γαρ αυτοις πολιν
17 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,
πιστει προσενηνοχεν αβρααμ τον ισαακ πειραζομενος και τον μονογενη προσεφερεν ο τας επαγγελιας αναδεξαμενος
18 of whom it had been said – “It is through Isaac that there will be descendants to bear your name.”
προς ον ελαληθη οτι εν ισαακ κληθησεται σοι σπερμα
19 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.
λογισαμενος οτι και εκ νεκρων εγειρειν δυνατος ο θεος οθεν αυτον και εν παραβολη εκομισατο
20 It was faith that enabled Isaac to bless Jacob and Esau, even with regard to the future.
πιστει και περι μελλοντων ευλογησεν ισαακ τον ιακωβ και τον ησαυ
21 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.”
πιστει ιακωβ αποθνησκων εκαστον των υιων ιωσηφ ευλογησεν και προσεκυνησεν επι το ακρον της ραβδου αυτου
22 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.
πιστει ιωσηφ τελευτων περι της εξοδου των υιων ισραηλ εμνημονευσεν και περι των οστεων αυτου ενετειλατο
23 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.
πιστει μωυσης γεννηθεις εκρυβη τριμηνον υπο των πατερων αυτου διοτι ειδον αστειον το παιδιον και ουκ εφοβηθησαν το διαταγμα του βασιλεως
24 It was faith that caused Moses, when he was grown up, to refuse the title of “son of a daughter of Pharaoh.”
πιστει μωυσης μεγας γενομενος ηρνησατο λεγεσθαι υιος θυγατρος φαραω
25 He preferred sharing the hardships of God’s people to enjoying the short-lived pleasures of sin.
μαλλον ελομενος συγκακουχεισθαι τω λαω του θεου η προσκαιρον εχειν αμαρτιας απολαυσιν
26 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.
μειζονα πλουτον ηγησαμενος των αιγυπτου θησαυρων τον ονειδισμον του χριστου απεβλεπεν γαρ εις την μισθαποδοσιαν
27 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.
πιστει κατελιπεν αιγυπτον μη φοβηθεις τον θυμον του βασιλεως τον γαρ αορατον ως ορων εκαρτερησεν
28 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.
πιστει πεποιηκεν το πασχα και την προσχυσιν του αιματος ινα μη ο ολοθρευων τα πρωτοτοκα θιγη αυτων
29 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.
πιστει διεβησαν την ερυθραν θαλασσαν ως δια ξηρας γης ης πειραν λαβοντες οι αιγυπτιοι κατεποθησαν
30 Faith caused the walls of Jericho to fall after being encircled for seven days.
πιστει τα τειχη ιεριχω επεσαν κυκλωθεντα επι επτα ημερας
31 Faith saved Rahab, the prostitute, from perishing with the unbelievers, after she had entertained the spies with friendliness.
πιστει ρααβ η πορνη ου συναπωλετο τοις απειθησασιν δεξαμενη τους κατασκοπους μετ ειρηνης
32 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.
και τι ετι λεγω επιλειψει με γαρ διηγουμενον ο χρονος περι γεδεων βαρακ σαμψων ιεφθαε δαυιδ τε και σαμουηλ και των προφητων
33 By their faith they subdued kingdoms, ruled righteously, gained the fulfilment of God’s promises, shut the mouths of lions,
οι δια πιστεως κατηγωνισαντο βασιλειας ειργασαντο δικαιοσυνην επετυχον επαγγελιων εφραξαν στοματα λεοντων
34 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.
εσβεσαν δυναμιν πυρος εφυγον στοματα μαχαιρης εδυναμωθησαν απο ασθενειας εγενηθησαν ισχυροι εν πολεμω παρεμβολας εκλιναν αλλοτριων
35 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.
ελαβον γυναικες εξ αναστασεως τους νεκρους αυτων αλλοι δε ετυμπανισθησαν ου προσδεξαμενοι την απολυτρωσιν ινα κρειττονος αναστασεως τυχωσιν
36 Others had to face taunts and blows, and even chains and imprisonment.
ετεροι δε εμπαιγμων και μαστιγων πειραν ελαβον ετι δε δεσμων και φυλακης
37 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 –
ελιθασθησαν {VAR1: επειρασθησαν } επρισθησαν εν φονω μαχαιρης απεθανον περιηλθον εν μηλωταις εν αιγειοις δερμασιν υστερουμενοι θλιβομενοι κακουχουμενοι
38 people of whom the world was not worthy – roaming in lonely places, and on the mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
ων ουκ ην αξιος ο κοσμος επι ερημιαις πλανωμενοι και ορεσιν και σπηλαιοις και ταις οπαις της γης
39 Yet, though they all won renown by their faith, they did not obtain the final fulfilment of God’s promise;
και ουτοι παντες μαρτυρηθεντες δια της πιστεως ουκ εκομισαντο την επαγγελιαν
40 since God had in view some better thing for us, so that they would only reach perfection together with us.
του θεου περι ημων κρειττον τι προβλεψαμενου ινα μη χωρις ημων τελειωθωσιν
