Hebrews, 12

1. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us

1. With so many witnesses in a great cloud all around us, we too, then, should throw off everything that weighs us down and the sin that clings so closely, and with perseverance keep running in the race which lies ahead of us.

2. while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.

2. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection: for the sake of the joy which lay ahead of him, he endured the cross, disregarding the shame of it, and has taken his seat at the right of God's throne.

3. Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.

3. Think of the way he persevered against such opposition from sinners and then you will not lose heart and come to grief.

4. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.

4. In the fight against sin, you have not yet had to keep fighting to the point of bloodshed.

5. You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons: "My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him;

5. Have you forgotten that encouraging text in which you are addressed as sons? My son, do not scorn correction from the Lord, do not resent his training,

6. for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges."

6. for the Lord trains those he loves, and chastises every son he accepts.

7. Endure your trials as "discipline"; God treats you as sons. For what "son" is there whom his father does not discipline?

7. Perseverance is part of your training; God is treating you as his sons. Has there ever been any son whose father did not train him?

8. If you are without discipline, in which all have shared, you are not sons but bastards.

8. If you were not getting this training, as all of you are, then you would be not sons but bastards.

9. Besides this, we have had our earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not (then) submit all the more to the Father of spirits and live?

9. Besides, we have all had our human fathers who punished us, and we respected them for it; all the more readily ought we to submit to the Father of spirits, and so earn life.

10. They disciplined us for a short time as seemed right to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we may share his holiness.

10. Our human fathers were training us for a short life and according to their own lights; but he does it all for our own good, so that we may share his own holiness.

11. At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.

11. Of course, any discipline is at the time a matter for grief, not joy; but later, in those who have undergone it, it bears fruit in peace and uprightness.

12. So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees.

12. So steady all weary hands and trembling knees

13. Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed.

13. and make your crooked paths straight; then the injured limb will not be maimed, it will get better instead.

14. Strive for peace with everyone, and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

14. Seek peace with all people, and the holiness without which no one can ever see the Lord.

15. See to it that no one be deprived of the grace of God, that no bitter root spring up and cause trouble, through which many may become defiled,

15. Be careful that no one is deprived of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness should begin to grow and make trouble; this can poison a large number.

16. that no one be an immoral or profane person like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.

16. And be careful that there is no immoral person, or anyone worldly minded like Esau, who sold his birthright for one single meal.

17. For you know that later, when he wanted to inherit his father's blessing, he was rejected because he found no opportunity to change his mind, even though he sought the blessing with tears.

17. As you know, when he wanted to obtain the blessing afterwards, he was rejected and, though he pleaded for it with tears, he could find no way of reversing the decision.

18. You have not approached that which could be touched and a blazing fire and gloomy darkness and storm

18. What you have come to is nothing known to the senses: not a blazing fire, or gloom or total darkness, or a storm;

19. and a trumpet blast and a voice speaking words such that those who heard begged that no message be further addressed to them,

19. or trumpet-blast or the sound of a voice speaking which made everyone that heard it beg that no more should be said to them.

20. for they could not bear to hear the command: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned."

20. They could not bear the order that was given: If even a beast touches the mountain, it must be stoned.

21. Indeed, so fearful was the spectacle that Moses said, "I am terrified and trembling."

21. The whole scene was so terrible that Moses said, 'I am afraid and trembling.'

22. No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering,

22. But what you have come to is Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem where the millions of angels have gathered for the festival,

23. and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect,

23. with the whole Church of first-born sons, enrolled as citizens of heaven. You have come to God himself, the supreme Judge, and to the spirits of the upright who have been made perfect;

24. and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.

24. and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to purifying blood which pleads more insistently than Abel's.

25. See that you do not reject the one who speaks. For if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much more in our case if we turn away from the one who warns from heaven.

25. Make sure that you never refuse to listen when he speaks. If the people who on earth refused to listen to a warning could not escape their punishment, how shall we possibly escape if we turn away from a voice that warns us from heaven?

26. His voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, "I will once more shake not only earth but heaven."

26. That time his voice made the earth shake, but now he has given us this promise: I am going to shake the earth once more and not only the earth but heaven as well.

27. That phrase, "once more," points to (the) removal of shaken, created things, so that what is unshaken may remain.

27. The words once more indicate the removal of what is shaken, since these are created things, so that what is not shaken remains.

28. Therefore, we who are receiving the unshakable kingdom should have gratitude, with which we should offer worship pleasing to God in reverence and awe.

28. We have been given possession of an unshakeable kingdom. Let us therefore be grateful and use our gratitude to worship God in the way that pleases him, in reverence and fear.

29. For our God is a consuming fire.

29. For our God is a consuming fire.