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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,
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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.
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3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
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4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
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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:
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6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
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7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
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8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
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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.
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14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
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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;
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16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
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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.
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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,
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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:
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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:
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21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
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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,
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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,
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24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
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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:
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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.
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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.
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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:
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29 For our God is a consuming fire.
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- 1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
- 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
- 4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;
- 5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;
- 6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.”
- 7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with 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 children and not sons.
- 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?
- 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.
- 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
- 12 Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble,
- 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.
- 14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.
- 15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;
- 16 that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.
- 17 For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.
- 18 For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind,
- 19 and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them.
- 20 For they could not bear the command, “IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED.”
- 21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I AM FULL OF FEAR and trembling.”
- 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,
- 23 to the general assembly and 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 sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.
- 25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.
- 26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.”
- 27 This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
- 28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;
- 29 for our God is a consuming fire.
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