Hebrews 12
1 Therefore, indeed, seeing that, we also, have encircling us, so great a cloud of witnesses, stripping off every incumbrance and the easily entangling sin, with endurance, let us be running, the race that is lying before us,
We [know about] many people like that [who showed they trusted in God]. They are like a crowd of spectators [who are cheering for us inside a stadium] [MET]. Knowing that, we must put away all the things that hinder us, [as a runner puts aside everything that would hinder him because they are heavy] [MET]. Especially we must put away sinful actions that [hinder us, as a runner] sets aside clothes he does not need, clothes that would entangle him [MET]. Let us [wholeheartedly strive to achieve what God has planned for us, as someone] in a race wholeheartedly runs the course that is before him [MET].
2 Looking away unto our faith’s Princely-leader and perfecter, Jesus, —who, in consideration of the joy lying before him, endured a cross, shame, despising! And, on the right hand of the throne of God, hath taken his seat.
And let us [keep our minds on] Jesus, [as a runner] keeps his eyes on [the goal] [MET]. Jesus is the one we should imitate in the way he perfectly trusted [God. When he died on] the cross he endured it as he suffered greatly [MTY], instead of [thinking about the things he would] rejoice about [later]. He disregarded being disgraced by [dying that way]. He is now sitting at the place of highest honor [MTY] at the throne [where God rules].
3 For take ye into consideration—him who hath endured, such contradiction, by sinners against themselves, lest ye be wearied, in your souls becoming exhausted.
[Jesus] patiently endured it when sinful people acted so hostilely against him. Try to act the way he did, so that you do not give up [trusting] God or become discouraged.
4 Not yet unto blood, have ye resisted, against sin, waging a contest;
While you have struggled against [being tempted to] sin, you have not yet bled [and died because of resisting evil, as Jesus did].
5 And ye have quite forgotten the exhortation which, indeed, with you as with sons, doth reason: —My son! be not slighting the discipline of the Lord, neither be fainting, when by him, thou art reproved;
Do not forget [RHQ] these words [that Solomon spoke to his son, that are the same as God] would exhort you as his children: My child, pay attention [LIT] when the Lord is disciplining you, and do not be discouraged when the Lord punishes you [DOU],
6 For, whom the Lord loveth, he doth, discipline, and scourgeth every son whom he doth welcome home.
because it is everyone whom he loves whom the Lord disciplines, and he punishes everyone whom he accepts as his child.
7 For the sake of discipline, persevere! As towards sons, God, beareth himself, towards you; for who is a son whom a father doth not discipline?
It is in order that God may discipline you that he requires you to endure the disagreeable things [that happen to you]. [When God disciplines you] he is treating you as a father treats his children. All fathers [RHQ] discipline their children [LIT].
8 If however ye are without discipline, whereof, all, have received a share, then, are ye, bastards, and, not sons.
So, if you have not experienced God disciplining you just like he disciplines all his other children, you are [not true children of God] [MET]. [You are like] illegitimate children; [no father disciplines them].
9 Furthermore, indeed, the fathers of our flesh, we used to have, as administrators of discipline, and we used to pay deference: shall we not, much rather, submit ourselves to the Father of our spirits and, live?
Furthermore, our natural fathers disciplined us [when we were young], and we respected them for doing that. So we should certainly more readily accept God our spiritual Father disciplining us, with the result that we live eternally [RHQ]!
10 For, they, indeed, for a few days, according to that which seemed good to them, were administering discipline; but, he, unto that which is profitable, with view to our partaking of his holiness:
Our natural fathers disciplined us for a short time in a way that they considered right, [but it wasn’t always right], but God always disciplines us [in a right way], to help us. He does it so that we may be holy as he is.
11 But, no discipline, for the present, indeed, seemeth to be of joy, but of sorrow: afterwards, however—to them who thereby have been trained, it yieldeth peaceful fruit, of righteousness.
During the time that God is disciplining us, that does not seem to be something about which we should rejoice. Instead, it is something that pains us. But later it causes those who have learned from it to be peaceful and to [live] righteously.
12 Wherefore, the slackened hands and paralysed knees, restore ye,
So, [instead of acting as though you were spiritually exhausted], renew yourselves [MET] spiritually.
13 And, straight tracks, be making for your feet—that the lame member may not be dislocated, but, be healed rather.
Go straight forward [in your Christian life] [MET], in order that believers who are uncertain about their faith [will imitate you] and not ([leave God’s way/] useless [to God]) [MET]. Instead, they will be spiritually restored [MET] as an injured and useless limb is restored.
14 Peace, be pursuing, with all, and the obtaining of holiness, —without which no one shall see the Lord:
Try to live peacefully with all people. Seek to be holy, since no one will see the Lord if he is not holy.
15 Using oversight—lest any one be falling behind from the favour of God, —lest any root of bitterness, springing up above, be causing trouble, and, through it, the many, be defiled:
Beware that none of you stops [trusting in] God, [who has done kind things for us that we did not deserve] (OR, Beware that you have never [experienced] God kindly [saving you]). Be on guard lest any of you [act in an evil way towards others], because your doing that will [grow like] [MET] a root [grows into a big plant], and the result [of your] doing that will be that many believers will sin and become unacceptable to God.
16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, like Esau, —who, for the sake of one meal, yielded up his own firstborn rights;
Do not let anyone be immoral, or be irreligious as Esau was. He exchanged the rights he had as a firstborn son for only one meal.
17 For ye know that, afterwards—when he even wished to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for, place of repentance, found he none, even though, with tears, he diligently sought it.
You know that after he did that, he wanted to receive [what his father would promise to give him if] he blessed him. But [his father] was unable [to change what he had already done]. And Esau found no way to change things, even though he sought tearfully to do that.
18 For ye have not approached—unto, a searching and scorching fire, and gloom, and mist, and tempest,
In coming [to God] you have not [experienced things like what the Israeli people experienced] at [Sinai] Mountain. [They] approached [a mountain that God told them they] should not touch. [They approached] a blazing fire, and it was gloomy and dark [DOU], and there was a hurricane/cyclone.
19 And a trumpets peal, —and a sound of things spoken: —from which they who heard excused themselves, lest there should be added to them, a word;
They heard a trumpet sounding and they heard [God] speak. The result was that those who heard it pleaded for God not to speak to them like that again.
20 For they could not bear, that which was being enjoined, —and, should a beast be touching the mountain, it shall be stoned;
When [God] commanded them saying, “If [a person or] even an animal touches this mountain, [you] must [kill him/it by] throwing stones at him/it,” they were terrified.
21 And, so fearful was that which was showing itself, Moses, said—I am terrified, and do tremble!
Truly, because Moses was terrified after seeing what happened [on the mountain], he said, “I am trembling because I am very afraid!”
22 But ye have approached—unto Zion’s mountain, and unto the city of a Living God, a heavenly Jerusalem, —and unto myriads of messengers,
Instead, [it is as though] you have come to [the presence of God in heaven] [MET]. [That is like what your ancestors did when they came to worship] God on Zion Hill, in Jerusalem, in the city of God who is all-powerful. You have come (OR, you are coming) to where there are countless angels, who are rejoicing as they have gathered together.
23 in high festival, —and unto an assembly of firstborn ones, enrolled in the heavens, —and unto God, judge of all, —and unto the spirits of righteous ones made perfect, —
You have joined all the believers [who have privileges like] firstborn sons, whose names [God] has written down in heaven. You have come to God, who will judge everyone. You have come to where the spirits of God’s people are, people who lived righteously [before they died], and who now have been made perfect [in heaven].
24 And unto the mediator of a new covenant, Jesus, —and unto the blood of sprinkling, more excellently speaking, than, Abel.
You have come to Jesus, who arranged a new covenant [between us and God]. You have accepted [what he accomplished when] his blood flowed [when he died on the cross. His doing that made it possible for God to forgive us]. That is better than the blood of Abel, [who just] wanted revenge because his brother Cain murdered him.
25 Beware, lest ye excuse yourselves from him that speaketh; for, if, they escaped not, who excused themselves from him who on earth was warning, how much less, shall, we, who from him that warneth from the heavens, do turn ourselves away:
Beware that you do not refuse to listen to [God] who is speaking to you. The Israeli people did not escape [God punishing them] when [Moses] (OR, [God]) warned them here on earth. So we shall surely not escape [God punishing us] if we reject him when he warns us from heaven! [RHQ]
26 Whose voice shook the earth, then, but, now, hath he promised, saying—Yet once for all, I, will shake—not only the earth, but, also the heaven.
The earth shook [PRS] then when he spoke [MTY] [at Sinai Mountain]. But now he has promised, “I will shake the earth again, one more time, but I will shake heaven too.”
27 But, the saying, Yet once for all, maketh clear the removal of the things which can be shaken, as of things done with, —that they may remain, which cannot be shaken.
The words “again, one more time” indicate that things [on earth] will be shaken {that [he] will shake things [on earth]}, meaning that he will set aside all that [he] has created, in order that the things [in heaven] that cannot be shaken {that nothing can shake} may remain forever.
28 Wherefore, seeing that, of a kingdom not to be shaken, we are receiving possession, let us have gratitude—whereby we may be rendering divine service well-pleasingly unto God, with reverence and awe;
So, let us thank God that we are becoming members of a kingdom that nothing can shake. Let us worship/serve God in a way that pleases him by being greatly in awe [DOU] before him.
29 For, even our God, is a consuming fire.
Remember that the God we [worship/serve] is like a fire that burns up everything [that is impure] [MET]!
