Hebrews 12
12
Jesus, The Originator and Perfecter of Our Faith
1 Consequently, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every burden and the sin which easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the Originator and Perfecter of our* faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down* at the right hand of the throne of God.
Exhortation about Divine Discipline
3 For consider the One who endured such antagonism from sinners against Himself, so that you may not become exhausted in your souls and lose strength. 4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood, contending against sin. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when rebuked by Him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one whom He loves,
and flogs every son whom He accepts.”*
7 You are enduring for discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his* father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Moreover, we have had our earthly fathers as discipliners, and we respected them. Shall we not much more be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days were disciplining us according to what seemed expedient to them; but He does so for our benefit, so that we may share in His holiness. 11 Now all discipline seems not to be joyful but painful*at the time, but later it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore, lift up the hands that are weak and strengthen* the knees that are feeble, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
Pursuit of Peace and Holiness
14 Pursue peace with everyone, and pursue holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.* 15 See to it lest anyone fall short of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and by it many become defiled, 16 lest there be any sexually immoral or profane person, like Esau, who for one meal sold his birthright. 17 For you know that even afterwards, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, because he found no place for repentance, though he sought it with tears.
The Heavenly Gathering
18 For you have not come to what can be touched and to something burning with fire, and to darkness, and to gloom, and to a storm, 19 and to the blast of a trumpet, and to the voice of words, which those who heard begged that no word be further spoken to them. 20 For they could not bear what was commanded, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”* 21 And so frightful was the sight that Moses said, “I am greatly terrified and trembling.”*
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to tens of thousands of angels,* to the festal assembly, 23 and to the church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven,* and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous* made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling which speaks better things than that of Abel.
Warning Against Refusing God
25 See to it that you do not refuse the One who speaks. For if they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, much less we who turn away from the One from heaven,* 26 whose voice shook the earth at that time, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more, I will shake* not only the earth but also the heaven.”* 27 Now this expression* “Yet once more,” signifies the removal of the things that can be shaken, as of things that have been made, so that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, having received an unshakeable kingdom, let us be thankful,* by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our God* is indeed a consuming fire.
Notes
2 Greek the . Here, the Greek definite article functions pronominally, corresponding contextually to the English possessive your our
2 One ancient Greek manuscript reads sat down
5-6 Quoted from Prov. 3:11-12
7 The possessive pronoun his is supplied to the text on contextual considerations for the sake of clarity
11 Greek seems not to be of joy but of pain
12 The verb strengthen is supplied to the text on contextual considerations for the sake of clarity
14 Greek Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
20 Quoted from Ex. 19:12-13
21 Quoted from Deut. 9:19
22 Or thousands upon thousands of angels
23 Greek in heavens
23 Or just
25 Greek heavens
26 Some ancient manuscripts read I shake
26 Quoted from Haggai 2:6
27 The word expression is supplied to the text on contextual considerations for the sake of clarity
28 Or let us be grateful
29 One ancient Greek manuscript reads Lord
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Copyright © 2026 Michael Adeyemi Adegbola. This Scripture text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
