Hebrews 12

¹Furthermore, since we also have so great a cloud of witnesses over us, let us set aside every burden and sin which may surround us, and advance, through patience, to the struggle offered to us.

²Let us gaze upon Jesus, as the Author and the completion of our faith, who, having joy laid out before him, endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and who now sits at the right hand of the throne of God.

³So then, meditate upon him who endured such adversity from sinners against himself, so that you may not become weary, failing in your souls.

⁴For you have not yet resisted unto blood, while striving against sin.

⁵And you have forgotten the consolation which speaks to you like sons, saying: “My son, do not be willing to neglect the discipline of the Lord. Neither should you become weary, while being rebuked by him.”

⁶For whomever the Lord loves, he chastises. And every son whom he accepts, he scourges.

⁷Persevere in discipline. God presents you to himself as sons. But what son is there, whom his father does not correct?

⁸But if you are without that discipline in which all have become sharers, then you are of adultery, and you are not sons.

⁹Then, too, we have certainly had the fathers of our flesh as instructors, and we reverenced them. Should we not obey the Father of spirits all the more, and so live?

¹⁰And indeed, for a few days and according to their own wishes, they instructed us. But he does so to our benefit, so that we may receive his sanctification.

¹¹Now every discipline, in the present time, does not seem a gladness, of course, but a grief. But afterwards, it will repay a most peaceful fruit of justice to those who become trained in it.

¹²Because of this, lift up your lazy hands and your lax knees,

¹³and straighten the path of your feet, so that no one, being lame, may wander astray, but instead may be healed.

¹⁴Pursue peace with everyone. Pursue sanctity, without which no one shall see God.

¹⁵Be contemplative, lest anyone lack the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness spring up and impede you, and by it, many might be defiled,

¹⁶lest any fornicator or worldly person be like Esau, who, for the sake of one meal, sold his birthright.

¹⁷For you know that afterwards, when he desired to inherit the benediction, he was rejected. For he found no place for repentance, even though he had sought it with tears.

¹⁸But you have not drawn near to a tangible mountain, or a burning fire, or a whirlwind, or a mist, or a storm,

¹⁹or the sound of a trumpet, or a voice of words. Those who had experienced these things excused themselves, lest the Word be spoken to them.

²⁰For they could not bear what was said, and so, if even a beast would have touched the mountain, it would have been stoned.

²¹And what was seen was so terrible that even Moses said: “I am terrified, and so, I tremble.”

²²But you have drawn near to mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of Angels,

²³and to the Church of the first-born, those who have been inscribed in the heavens, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect,

²⁴and to Jesus, the Mediator of the New Testament, and to a sprinkling of blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

²⁵Be careful not to reject the One who is speaking. For if those who rejected him who was speaking upon the earth were not able to escape, so much more we who might turn away from the One who is speaking to us from heaven.

²⁶Then, his voice moved the earth. But now, he makes a promise, saying: “There is still one more time, and then I will move, not only the earth, but also heaven itself.”

²⁷And so, in saying, “There is still one more time,” he declares the transfer of the moveable things of creation, so that those things which are immoveable may remain.

²⁸Thus, in receiving an immoveable kingdom, we have grace. So, through grace, let us be of service, by pleasing God with fear and reverence.

²⁹For our God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 12

¹And therefore we also having so great a cloud of witnesses over our head, laying aside every weight and sin which surrounds us, let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us:

²Looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who, having joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and now sitteth on the right hand of the throne of God.

³For think diligently upon him that endured such opposition from sinners against himself that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds.

⁴For you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

⁵And you have forgotten the consolation which speaketh to you, as unto children, saying: My son, neglect not the discipline of the Lord: neither be thou wearied whilst thou art rebuked by him.

⁶For whom the Lord loveth he chastiseth: and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

⁷Persevere under discipline. God dealeth with you as with his sons. For what son is there whom the father doth not correct?

⁸But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are made partakers, then are you bastards and not sons.

⁹Moreover, we have had fathers of our flesh for instructors, and we reverenced them. Shall we not much more obey the Father of spirits and live?

¹⁰And they indeed for a few days, according to their own pleasure, instructed us: but he, for our profit, that we might receive his sanctification.

¹¹Now all chastisement for the present indeed seemeth not to bring with it joy, but sorrow: but afterwards it will yield to them that are exercised by it the most peaceable fruit of justice.

¹²Wherefore, lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees:

¹³And make straight steps with your feet: that no one, halting, may go out of the way; but rather be healed.

¹⁴Follow peace with all men and holiness: without which no man shall see God.

¹⁵Looking diligently, lest any man be wanting to the grace of God: lest any root of bitterness springing up do hinder and by it many be defiled:

¹⁶Lest there be any fornicator or profane person, as Esau who for one mess sold his first birthright.

¹⁷For know ye that afterwards, when he desired to inherit the benediction, he was rejected. For he found no place of repentance, although with tears he had sought it.

¹⁸For you are not come to a mountain that might be touched and a burning fire and a whirlwind and darkness and storm,

¹⁹And the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, which they that had excused themselves, that the word might not be spoken to them.

²⁰For they did not endure that which was said: and if so much as a beast shall touch the mount, it shall be stoned.

²¹And so terrible was that which was seen, Moses said: I am frighted, and tremble.

²²But you are come to mount Sion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of angels,

²³And to the church of the firstborn who are written in the heavens, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect,

²⁴And to Jesus the mediator of the new testament, and to the sprinkling of blood which speaketh better than that of Abel.

²⁵See that you refuse him not that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke upon earth, much more shall not we that turn away from him that speaketh to us from heaven.

²⁶Whose voice then moved the earth; but now he promiseth, saying: Yet once more: and I will move, not only the earth, but heaven also.

²⁷And in that he saith: Yet once more, he signifieth the translation of the moveable things as made, that those things may remain which are immoveable.

²⁸Therefore, receiving an immoveable kingdom, we have grace: whereby let us serve, pleasing God, with fear and reverence.