Hebrews 12
12
A Large Crowd of Witnesses
1 #
4 Macc 6.10;
4 Macc 14.2. Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us! So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won't let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us. 2#4 Macc 11.26. We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side#12.2 right side: See the note at 1.3. of God's throne! 3So keep your mind on Jesus, who put up with many insults from sinners. Then you won't get discouraged and give up.
4None of you have yet been hurt#12.4 hurt: Or “killed.” in your battle against sin. 5#Job 5.17; Pr 3.11,12 (LXX). But you have forgotten that the Scriptures say to God's children,
“When the Lord punishes you,
don't make light of it,
and when he corrects you,
don't be discouraged.
6The Lord corrects the people
he loves
and disciplines those
he calls his own.”
7Be patient when you are being corrected! This is how God treats his children. Don't all parents correct their children? 8God corrects all his children, and if he doesn't correct you, then you don't really belong to him. 9Our earthly fathers correct us, and we still respect them. Isn't it even better to be given true life by letting our spiritual Father correct us?
10Our human fathers correct us for a short time, and they do it as they think best. But God corrects us for our own good, because he wants us to be holy, as he is. 11It is never fun to be corrected. In fact, at the time it is always painful. But if we learn to obey by being corrected, we will do right and live at peace.
12 # Is 35.3 (LXX). Now stand up straight! Stop your knees from shaking 13#Pr 4.26 (LXX). and walk a straight path. Then lame people will be healed, instead of getting worse.
Warning against Turning from God
14Try to live at peace with everyone! Live a clean life. If you don't, you will never see the Lord. 15#Dt 29.18 (LXX). Make sure no one misses out on God's wonderful kindness. Don't let anyone become bitter and cause trouble for the rest of you. 16#Gn 25.29-34. Watch out for immoral and ungodly people like Esau, who sold his future blessing#12.16 sold his future blessing: As the first-born son, Esau had certain privileges that were known as a “birthright.” for only one meal. 17#Gn 27.30-40. You know how he later wanted it back. But there was nothing he could do to change things, even though he begged his father and cried.
18 #
Ex 19.16-22; 20.18-21; Dt 4.11,12; 5.22-27. You have not come to a place like Mount Sinai#12.18 a place like Mount Sinai: The Greek text has “a place,” but the writer is referring to the time that the Lord spoke to the people of Israel from Mount Sinai (see Exodus 19.16-25). that can be seen and touched. There is no flaming fire or dark cloud or storm 19or trumpet sound. The people of Israel heard a voice speak. But they begged it to stop, 20#Ex 19.12,13. because they could not obey its commands. They were even told to kill any animal that touched the mountain. 21The sight was so frightening that Moses said he shook with fear.
22You have now come to Mount Zion and to the heavenly Jerusalem. This is the city of the living God, where thousands and thousands of angels have come to celebrate. 23Here you will find all of God's dearest children,#12.23 all of God's dearest children: The Greek text has “the gathering of the first-born children” (see the note at 1.6). whose names are written in heaven. And you will find God himself, who judges everyone. Here also are the spirits of those good people who have been made perfect. 24#Gn 4.10. And Jesus is here! He is the one who makes God's new agreement with us, and his sprinkled blood says much better things than the blood of Abel.#12.24 blood of Abel: Cain and Abel were the two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain murdered Abel (see Genesis 4.1-16).
25 #
Ex 20.22. Make sure you obey the one who speaks to you. The people did not escape, when they refused to obey the one who spoke to them at Mount Sinai. Do you think you can possibly escape, if you refuse to obey the one who speaks to you from heaven? 26#Hg 2.6 (LXX). When God spoke the first time, his voice shook only the earth. This time he has promised to shake the earth once again, and heaven too.
27The words “once again” mean that these created things will someday be shaken and removed. Then what cannot be shaken will last. 28We should be grateful we were given a kingdom that cannot be shaken. And in this kingdom we please God by worshiping him and by showing him great honor and respect. 29#Dt 4.24. Our God is like a destructive fire!
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Hebrews 12
12
1So, therefore, als (since) we have surrounding us so great an Anan Edim (Cloud of Witnesses), let us also lay aside every weighty impediment and easily ensnaring averos, and let us run with endurance and savlanut the race set before us,
2Fixing our gaze on the Mekhonen (Founder) of our#12:2 Orthodox Messianic Jewish faith, and the One who makes it Shleimut — Yehoshua, who because of the simcha set before him, endured HaEtz HaMoshiach, disregarding its bushah (shame), and “sat down at the right hand of the throne of G-d.”#12:2 Ps 110:1
3Let your hitbonenut (meditation) be on the one who endured such opposition from chote'im (sinners), that you may not be weary in your neshamot, losing heart.
4For you have not yet resisted to the point of death al kiddush ha-Shem in your struggle against Chet;
5And you have let slip from zikaron (remembrance) the dvar haChizzuk which he speaks to you as banim, My son, do not despise the musar of Hashem, do not lose heart, resent when rebuked by Him;
6KI ES ASHER YE'EHAV HASHEM YOKHI'ACH (for whom Hashem loves he disciplines), and he punishes ES BEN YIRTZEH (every son he receives).#12:6 Prov 3:11-12; Job 5:17
7For you endure nisyonos for the sake of musar. And Hashem is dealing with you as banim. For what ben is there whom an Abba does not give musar?
8But if you are without musar, in which all the yeladim share, then you are not banim but mamzerim.
9Furthermore, we had Avot on HaAretz, who were morim that we reverenced and treated with kavod. Should we not even more subject ourselves to the Avi HaRuchot and live?
10For they disciplined us for a short time, as seemed tov to them, but Hashem disciplines us for tov lanu in order that we might share in his kedushah.
11All musar for the moment seems not to be na'im (pleasant), but seems to bring agmat nefesh; yet afterwards to those who have been taught by musar, it yields the p'ri haShalom and the p'ri haTzedek.
12Therefore, “Bring chizzuk to the weak hands and the feeble knees;”#12:12 Isa 35:3
13And make the drakhim straight for your feet, so that the ever (limb, member) which is lame may not be dislocated, but rather have refu'ah (healing).
14Pursue shalom with kol Bnei Adam, and the kedushah without which no one will see Hashem.
15See to it that no one fall short of the Chen v'Chesed Hashem; that no SHORESH#12:15 Isa 35:3 of merirut (bitterness) sprouting up may cause tzoros, and by it many be made teme'ot;
16Lest someone guilty of gilui arayot (sexual immorality) or some person who is mitnaged ladat (irreligious, opponent of religion) like Esav, who in exchange for one meal sold HaBechorah belonging to him.
17For you have da'as that even afterwards, when he desired to receive the nachalah of the bracha, he was rejected, for he found no place for teshuva, though he sought for it with tears.
18For you have not come to a Har that can be touched and to a blazing Eish and to choshech and gloom and storm,
19And to the blast of a shofar and the sound of devarim, which sound was such that the ones having heard begged that no further dvar be spoken to them.
20For they could not bear the mitzvah, “If even a BEHEMAH#12:20 Ex 19:13 (animal) should touch the Har, the punishment will be seqilah (stoning).”
21And so fearful was the sight that Moshe Rabbeinu said, “YAGORTI”#12:21 Dt 9:19 (I am afraid) with trembling.
22But you have come to Mount Tziyon, that is, HaIr HaElohim Chayyim, to the Yerushalayim in Shomayim and to myriads of malachim in a knesset innumerable,
23And to the Kehillat HaBechorim who are inscribed in Shomayim and to Hashem, the Shofet HaKol, and to the ruchot (spirits) of the tzaddikim made shleimim,
24And to Yehoshua, the Metavekh of a Brit Chadasha and to the dahm hahazzayah#12:24 Isa 52:15 (blood of sprinkling), which speaks better than the dahm haHevel (blood of Abel).
25See to it that you do not refuse the One speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused Him who gave them warning on ha'aretz, much less shall we escape who turn away from the One whose warning comes from Shomayim.
26And the bat kol of Hashem shook ha'aretz then, but now He has given havtachah (promise), saying, Yet once more V'ANI MARISH ES HASHOMAYIM V'ES HA'ARETZ#12:26 Hag 2:6 (And I will shake the heavens and the earth).
27Now the phrase, “Yet once more” denotes the removal of that which can be shaken, that is, created things, in order that the unshakeable may remain.
28Therefore, als (since) we are receiving a malchut unshakeable, let us hold on to the Chen v'Chesed Hashem through which we may offer to Hashem, an acceptable avodas kodesh, with yirat Shomayim and chasidus.
29For, indeed, Eloheinu is a consuming Eish.#12:29 Dt 4:24; 9:3; Isa 33:14
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