Hebrews 12
1 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].
Wherefore, let vs also, seeing that we are compassed with so great a cloude of witnesses, cast away euery thing that presseth downe, and the sinne that hangeth so fast on: let vs runne with patience the race that is set before vs,
2 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].
Looking vnto Iesus the authour and finisher of our faith, who for the ioy that was set before him, endured the crosse, and despised the shame, and is set at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 [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.
Consider therefore him that endured such speaking against of sinners, lest ye should be wearied and faint in your mindes.
4 While you have struggled against [being tempted to] sin, you have not yet bled [and died because of resisting evil, as Jesus did].
Ye haue not yet resisted vnto blood, striuing against sinne.
5 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],
And ye haue forgotten the consolation, which speaketh vnto you as vnto children, My sonne, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither faint when thou art rebuked of him.
6 because it is everyone whom he loves whom the Lord disciplines, and he punishes everyone whom he accepts as his child.
For whom the Lord loueth, he chasteneth: and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth:
7 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].
If ye endure chastening, God offereth him selfe vnto you as vnto sonnes: for what sonne is it whom the father chasteneth not?
8 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].
If therefore ye be without correction, whereof al are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sonnes.
9 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]!
Moreouer we haue had the fathers of our bodies which corrected vs, and we gaue them reuerence: should we not much rather be in subiection vnto the father of spirites, that we might liue?
10 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.
For they verely for a few dayes chastened vs after their owne pleasure: but he chasteneth vs for our profite, that we might be partakers of his holinesse.
11 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.
Now no chastising for the present seemeth to be ioyous, but, grieuous: but afterwarde, it bringeth the quiet fruite of righteousnesse, vnto them which are thereby exercised.
12 So, [instead of acting as though you were spiritually exhausted], renew yourselves [MET] spiritually.
Wherfore lift vp your hands which hang downe, and your weake knees,
13 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.
And make straight steppes vnto your feete, lest that which is halting, be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed.
14 Try to live peacefully with all people. Seek to be holy, since no one will see the Lord if he is not holy.
Followe peace with all men, and holinesse, without the which no man shall see ye Lord.
15 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.
Take heede, that no man fall away from the grace of God: let no roote of bitternes spring vp and trouble you, lest thereby many be defiled.
16 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.
Let there be no fornicator, or prophane person as Esau, which for one portion of meate solde his birthright.
17 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.
For ye knowe howe that afterwarde also when he woulde haue inherited the blessing, he was reiected: for he founde no place to repentance, though he sought that blessing with teares.
18 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.
For ye are not come vnto the mount that might be touched, nor vnto burning fire, nor to blacknes and darkenes, and tempest,
19 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.
Neither vnto the sounde of a trumpet, and the voyce of wordes, which they that heard it, excused themselues, that the word should not be spoken to them any more,
20 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.
(For they were not able to abide that which was commanded, yea, though a beast touche the mountaine, it shalbe stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
21 Truly, because Moses was terrified after seeing what happened [on the mountain], he said, “I am trembling because I am very afraid!”
And so terrible was the sight which appeared, that Moses said, I feare and quake.)
22 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.
But ye are come vnto the mount Sion, and to the citie of the liuing God, the celestiall Hierusalem, and to ye company of innumerable Angels,
23 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].
And to the assemblie and congregation of the first borne, which are written in heauen, and to God the iudge of all, and to the spirits of iust and perfite men,
24 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.
And to Iesus the Mediatour of the new Testament, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel.
25 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]
See that ye despise not him that speaketh: for if they escaped not which refused him, that spake on earth: much more shall we not escape, if we turne away from him, that speaketh from heauen.
26 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.”
Whose voyce then shooke the earth and nowe hath declared, saying, Yet once more will I shake, not the earth onely, but also heauen.
27 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.
And this worde, Yet once more, signifieth the remouing of those things which are shaken, as of things which are made with hands, that the things which are not shaken, may remaine.
28 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.
Wherefore seeing we receiue a kingdome, which cannot be shaken, let vs haue grace whereby we may so serue God, that we may please him with reuerence and feare.
29 Remember that the God we [worship/serve] is like a fire that burns up everything [that is impure] [MET]!
For euen our God is a consuming fire.
