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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Hebrews 12: CEV
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Hebrews 12
12
God our Father
1As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses round us. So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us. 2Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right-hand side of God's throne.
3Think of what he went through; how he put up with so much hatred from sinners! So do not let yourselves become discouraged and give up. 4For in your struggle against sin you have not yet had to resist to the point of being killed. 5#Job 5.17; Prov 3.11–12 (LXX)Have you forgotten the encouraging words which God speaks to you as his sons and daughters?
“My child, pay attention when the Lord corrects you,
and do not be discouraged when he rebukes you.
6Because the Lord corrects everyone he loves,
and punishes everyone he accepts as his child.”
7Endure what you suffer as being a father's punishment; your suffering shows that God is treating you as his children. Was there ever a child who was not punished by his father? 8If you are not punished, as all his children are, it means you are not real children, but bastards. 9In the case of our human fathers, they punished us and we respected them. How much more, then, should we submit to our spiritual Father and live! 10Our human fathers punished us for a short time, as it seemed right to them; but God does it for our own good, so that we may share his holiness. 11When we are punished, it seems to us at the time something to make us sad, not glad. Later, however, those who have been disciplined by such punishment reap the peaceful reward of a righteous life.
Instructions and Warnings
12 #
Is 35.3
Lift up your tired hands, then, and strengthen your trembling knees! 13#Prov 4.26 (LXX)Keep walking on straight paths, so that the lame foot may not be disabled, but instead be healed.
14Try to be at peace with everyone, and try to live a holy life, because no one will see the Lord without it. 15#Deut 29.18 (LXX)Guard against turning back from the grace of God. Let no one become like a bitter plant that grows up and causes many troubles with its poison. 16#Gen 25.29–34Let no one become immoral or unspiritual like Esau, who for a single meal sold his rights as the elder son. 17#Gen 27.30–40Afterwards, you know, he wanted to receive his father's blessing; but he was turned away, because he could not find any way to change what he had done, even though in tears he looked for it.#12.17 he looked for it; or he tried to get the blessing.
18 #
Ex 19.16–22; 20.18–21; Deut 4.11–12; 5.22–27 You have not come, as the people of Israel came, to what you can feel, to Mount Sinai with its blazing fire, the darkness and the gloom, the storm, 19the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of a voice. When the people heard the voice, they begged not to hear another word, 20#Ex 19.12–13because they could not bear the order which said, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21#Deut 9.19The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling and afraid!”
22Instead, you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, with its thousands of angels. 23You have come to the joyful gathering of God's firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, who is the judge of all people, and to the spirits of good people made perfect. 24#Gen 4.10You have come to Jesus, who arranged the new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that promises much better things than does the blood of Abel.
25 #
Ex 20.22
Be careful, then, and do not refuse to hear him who speaks. Those who refused to hear the one who gave the divine message on earth did not escape. How much less shall we escape, then, if we turn away from the one who speaks from heaven! 26#Hag 2.6 (LXX)His voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, “I will once more shake not only the earth but heaven as well.” 27The words “once more” plainly show that the created things will be shaken and removed, so that the things that cannot be shaken will remain.
28Let us be thankful, then, because we receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let us be grateful and worship God in a way that will please him, with reverence and awe; 29#Deut 4.24because our God is indeed a destroying fire.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.