Hebrews 12
12
1Let us also therefore, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight, and sin which so easily entangles us, run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2looking stedfastly on Jesus the leader and completer of faith: who, in view of the joy lying before him, endured the cross, having despised the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider well him who endured so great contradiction from sinners against himself, that ye be not weary, fainting in your minds.
4Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, wrestling against sin. 5And ye have quite forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when reproved by him; 6for whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives. 7Ye endure for chastening, God conducts himself towards you as towards sons; for who is the son that the father chastens not? 8But if ye are without chastening, of which all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9Moreover we have had the fathers of our flesh as chasteners, and we reverenced them; shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live? 10For they indeed chastened for a few days, as seemed good to them; but he for profit, in order to the partaking of his holiness. 11But no chastening at the time seems to be matter of joy, but of grief; but afterwards yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those exercised by it. 12Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down, and the failing knees; 13and make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame be not turned aside; but that rather it may be healed. 14Pursue peace with all, and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord: 15watching lest there be any one who lacks the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it; 16lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one meal sold his birthright; 17for ye know that also afterwards, desiring to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, (for he found no place for repentance) although he sought it earnestly with tears.
18For ye have not come to the mount that might be touched and was all on fire, and to obscurity, and darkness, and tempest, 19and trumpet's sound, and voice of words; which they that heard, excusing themselves, declined the word being addressed to them any more: 20(for they were not able to bear what was enjoined: And if a beast should touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; 21and, so fearful was the sight, Moses said, I am exceedingly afraid and full of trembling;) 22but ye have come to mount Zion; and to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem; and to myriads of angels, 23the universal gathering; and to the assembly of the firstborn who are registered in heaven; and to God, judge of all; and to the spirits of just men made perfect; 24and to Jesus, mediator of a new covenant; and to the blood of sprinkling, speaking better than Abel. 25See that ye refuse not him that speaks. For if those did not escape who had refused him who uttered the oracles on earth, much more we who turn away from him who does so from heaven: 26whose voice then shook the earth; but now he has promised, saying, Yet once will I shake not only the earth, but also the heaven. 27But this Yet once, signifies the removing of what is shaken, as being made, that what is not shaken may remain. 28Wherefore let us, receiving a kingdom not to be shaken, have grace, by which let us serve God acceptably with reverence and fear. 29For also our God is a consuming fire.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Hebrews 12
12
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
God Disciplines His Children
4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”#12:5,6 Prov. 3:11,12 (see Septuagint)
7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13“Make level paths for your feet,”#12:13 Prov. 4:26 so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Warning and Encouragement
14Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.
The Mountain of Fear and the Mountain of Joy
18You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”#12:20 Exodus 19:12,13 21The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”#12:21 See Deut. 9:19.
22But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
25See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”#12:26 Haggai 2:6 27The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our “God is a consuming fire.”#12:29 Deut. 4:24
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