Hebrews 12
1 Therefore let’s also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with perseverance the race that is set before us,
For this reason, as we are circled by so great a cloud of witnesses, putting off every weight, and the sin into which we come so readily, let us keep on running in the way which is marked out for us,
2 looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Having our eyes fixed on Jesus, the guide and end of our faith, who went through the pains of the cross, not caring for the shame, because of the joy which was before him, and who has now taken his place at the right hand of God's seat of power.
3 For consider him who has endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, that you don’t grow weary, fainting in your souls.
Give thought to him who has undergone so much of the hate of sinners against himself, so that you may not be tired and feeble of purpose.
4 You have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin.
Till now you have not given your blood in your fight against sin:
5 You have forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with children, “My son, don’t take lightly the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by him;
And you have not kept in mind the word which says to you as to sons, My son, do not make little of the Lord's punishment, and do not give up hope when you are judged by him;
6 for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
For the Lord sends punishment on his loved ones; everyone whom he takes as his son has experience of his rod.
7 It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with children, for what son is there whom his father doesn’t discipline?
It is for your training that you undergo these things; God is acting to you as a father does to his sons; for what son does not have punishment from his father?
8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have been made partakers, then you are illegitimate, and not children.
But if you have not that punishment of which we all have our part, then you are not true sons, but children of shame.
9 Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
And again, if the fathers of our flesh gave us punishment and had our respect, how much more will we be under the authority of the Father of spirits, and have life?
10 For they indeed for a few days disciplined us as seemed good to them, but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness.
For they truly gave us punishment for a short time, as it seemed good to them; but he does it for our profit, so that we may become holy as he is.
11 All chastening seems for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
At the time all punishment seems to be pain and not joy: but after, those who have been trained by it get from it the peace-giving fruit of righteousness.
12 Therefore lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees,
For this cause let the hands which are hanging down be lifted up, and let the feeble knees be made strong,
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
And make straight roads for your feet, so that the feeble may not be turned out of the way, but may be made strong.
14 Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord,
Let your desire be for peace with all men, and to be made holy, without which no man may see the Lord;
15 looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and many be defiled by it,
Looking with care to see that no man among you in his behaviour comes short of the grace of God; for fear that some bitter root may come up to be a trouble to you, and that some of you may be made unclean by it;
16 lest there be any sexually immoral person or profane person, like Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal.
And that there may not be any evil liver, or any man without respect for God, like Esau, who let his birthright go for a plate of food.
17 For you know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for a change of mind though he sought it diligently with tears.
For you have knowledge that even long after, when he was desiring the blessing for his heritage, he was turned away, though he made his request frequently and with weeping; because the past might not be changed.
18 For you have not come to a mountain that might be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness, darkness, storm,
You have not come to a mountain which may be touched, and is burning with fire, and to a black cloud, and a dark smoke, and a violent wind,
19 the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which those who heard it begged that not one more word should be spoken to them,
And to the sound of a horn, and the voice of words, the hearers of which made request that not a word more might be said to them:
20 for they could not stand that which was commanded, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned”.
For the order which said, If the mountain is touched even by a beast, the beast is to be stoned, seemed hard to them;
21 So fearful was the appearance that Moses said, “I am terrified and trembling.”
And the vision was so overpowering that even Moses said, I am shaking and full of fear.
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable multitudes of angels,
But you have come to the mountain of Zion, to the place of the living God, to the Jerusalem which is in heaven, and to an army of angels which may not be numbered,
23 to the festal gathering and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,
To the great meeting and church of the first of those who are named in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of good men made complete,
24 to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better than that of Abel.
And to Jesus by whom the new agreement has been made between God and man, and to the sign of the blood which says better things than Abel's blood.
25 See that you don’t refuse him who speaks. For if they didn’t escape when they refused him who warned on the earth, how much more will we not escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven,
See that you give ear to his voice which comes to you. For if those whose ears were shut to the voice which came to them on earth did not go free from punishment, what chance have we of going free if we give no attention to him whose voice comes from heaven?
26 whose voice shook the earth then, but now he has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.”
Whose voice was the cause of the shaking of the earth; but now he has made an oath, saying, There will be still one more shaking, not only of the earth, but of heaven.
27 This phrase, “Yet once more” signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain.
And the words, Still one more, make it clear that there will be a taking away of those things which are shaking, as of things which are made, so that there may be only those things of which no shaking is possible.
28 Therefore, receiving a Kingdom that can’t be shaken, let’s have grace, through which we serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe,
If then, we have a kingdom which will never be moved, let us have grace, so that we may give God such worship as is pleasing to him with fear and respect:
29 for our God is a consuming fire.
For our God is an all-burning fire.
