Hebreus 12

Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and *See Eph. 4:22sin which clings so closely, and *See 1 Cor. 9:24let us run *See ch. 10:36with endurance the race that is *ch. 6:18set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, *Luke 24:26;Phil. 2:8;[Isa. 53:11] who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising *Ps. 22:6,7;69:19;Isa. 53:3the shame, and *ch. 1:3is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do Not Grow Weary

3 *[Matt. 10:24;Rev. 2:3] Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or *Gal. 6:9fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

*Cited from Prov. 3:11,12"My son, *Job 5:17do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

nor be weary when reproved by him.

6 For *Ps. 94:12;119:67,75;Rev. 3:19the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and chastises every son whom he receives."

7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. *Deut. 8:5;2 Sam. 7:14;[Prov. 13:24;19:18;23:13]God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, *[1 Pet. 5:9]in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to *See Num. 16:22the Father of spirits *[Isa. 38:16]and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, *[2 Pet. 1:4]; See Lev. 11:44that we may share his holiness. 11 *[1 Pet. 1:6] For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields *James 3:17,18the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

12 Therefore *Cited from Isa. 35:3;[Job 4:3,4]lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and *Prov. 4:26,27make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint *James 5:16;[Gal. 6:1]but rather be healed. 14 *See Rom. 14:19Strive for peace with everyone, and for the *1 Thess. 4:7holiness *Matt. 5:8;[2 Cor. 7:1;Eph. 5:5;Rev. 21:27;22:4]without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one *ch. 4:1;[2 Cor. 6:1;Gal. 5:4] fails to obtain the grace of God; that no *Deut. 29:18"root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is *ch. 13:4;Gen. 25:33sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that *Gen. 27:34,36,38afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken

18 For you have not come to *Ex. 19:18;20:18;Deut. 4:11;5:22;[2 Cor. 3:9]what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and *Ex. 19:16,19the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words *Ex. 20:19;Deut. 5:5;18:16made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. 20 For they could not endure the order that was given, *Cited from Ex. 19:12,13"If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned." 21 Indeed, *[Ex. 19:16;Deut. 9:19]so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I tremble with fear." 22 But you have come to *Rev. 14:1Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, *See Gal. 4:26the heavenly Jerusalem, and to *Jude 14innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to *[Ex. 4:22] the assembly*12:23 Or church of the firstborn who are *Luke 10:20enrolled in heaven, and to *Gen. 18:25God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, *ch. 8:6;9:15the mediator of a new covenant, and to *See ch. 10:22the sprinkled blood *ch. 11:4;Gen. 4:10that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For *See ch. 2:3if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. 26 At that time *Ex. 19:18his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, *Cited from Hag. 2:6;[Hag. 2:21]"Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." 27 This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates *See Ps. 102:26the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving *Dan. 2:44a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus *ch. 13:15let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our *Cited from Deut. 4:24;See 2 Thess. 1:8God is a consuming fire.