Hebrews, 12

1. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

1. What a cloud of innumerable witnesses surround us! So let us be rid of every encumbrance, and especially of sin, to persevere in running the race marked out before us.

2. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

2. Let us look to Jesus the founder of our faith, who will bring it to completion. For the sake of the joy reserved for him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and then sat at the right of the throne of God.

3. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

3. Think of Jesus who suffered so many contradictions from evil people, and you will not be discouraged or grow weary.

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

4. Have you already shed your blood in the struggle against sin?

5. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

5. Do not forget the comforting words that Wisdom addresses to you as children: My son, pay attention when the Lord corrects you and do not be discouraged when he punishes you.

6. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

6. For the Lord corrects those he loves and chastises everyone he accepts as a son.

7. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

7. What you endure is in order to correct you. God treats you like sons and what son is not corrected by his father?

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

8. If you were without correction which has been received by all, (as is fitting for sons), you would not be sons but bastards.

9. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected [us], and we gave [them] reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

9. Besides, when our parents according to the flesh corrected us, we respected them. How much more should we be subject to the Father of spirits to have life?

10. For they verily for a few days chastened [us] after their own pleasure; but he for [our] profit, that [we] might be partakers of his holiness.

10. Our parents corrected us as they saw fit, with a view to this very short life; but God corrects us for our own good that we may share his holiness.

11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

11. All correction is painful at the moment, rather than pleasant; later it brings the fruit of peace, that is, holiness to those who have been trained by it.

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

12. Lift up, then, your drooping hands, and strengthen your trembling knees;

13. And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

13. make level the ways for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but healed.

14. Follow peace with all [men], and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

14. Strive for peace with all and strive to be holy, for without holiness no one will see the Lord.

15. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble [you], and thereby many be defiled;

15. See that no one falls from the grace of God, lest a bitter plant spring up and its poison corrupt many among you.

16. Lest there [be] any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

16. Let no one be immoral or irreligious like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.

17. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

17. You know that later, when he wished to get the blessing, he was rejected although he pleaded with tears.

18. For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

18. Remember your initiation. There was no material presence nor heat of a blazing fire, darkness and gloom and storms...

19. And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which [voice] they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:

19. blasts of trumpets or such a voice that the people pleaded that no further word be spoken.

20. (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:

20. All this was intended to have them respect the order not to approach: Every man or beast reaching the mountain shall be stoned.

21. And so terrible was the sight, [that] Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)

21. The sight was so terrifying that Moses said: I tremble with fear.

22. But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

22. But you came near to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem with its innumerable angels. You have come to the solemn feast,

23. To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

23. the assembly of the firstborn of God, whose names are written in heaven. There is God, Judge of all, with the spirits of the upright brought to perfection.

24. And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than [that of] Abel.

24. There is Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, with the sprinkled blood that cries out more effectively than Abel's.

25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more [shall not] we [escape], if we turn away from him that [speaketh] from heaven:

25. Be careful not to reject God when he speaks. If those who did not heed the prophet's warnings were not spared on earth, how much more shall we be punished if we do not heed the One warning us from Heaven?

26. Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

26. His voice then shook the earth, but now he says: In this last time I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.

27. And this [word], Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

27. The words in this last time indicate the removal of everything that can be shaken, that is, created things, and only those that cannot be shaken will remain.

28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

28. Such is the kingdom that we receive. Let us then be grateful and offer to God a worship pleasing to him with reverence and awe.

29. For our God [is] a consuming fire.

29. Our God is indeed a consuming fire.