1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.2 This is what the ancients were commended for.3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: "He could not be found, because God had taken him away." "For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she "considered him faithful who had made the promise.12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.16 Instead, they were longing for a better country —a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son,18 even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." [^3]19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.23 By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.28 By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. [^4]32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets,33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.37 They were put to death by stoning; "they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated —38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

1 Men tro er full visshet om det som håpes, overbevisning om ting som ikke sees.2 For på grunn av den fikk de gamle godt vidnesbyrd.3 Ved tro skjønner vi at verden er kommet i stand ved Guds ord, så det som sees, ikke blev til av det synlige.4 Ved tro bar Abel frem for Gud et bedre offer enn Kain; ved den fikk han det vidnesbyrd at han var rettferdig, idet Gud vidnet om hans gaver, og ved den taler han ennu efter sin død.5 Ved tro blev Enok bortrykket, så han ikke skulde se døden, og han blev ikke funnet, fordi Gud hadde bortrykket ham. For før han blev bortrykket, fikk han det vidnesbyrd at han tektes Gud;6 men uten tro er det umulig å tekkes Gud; for den som treder frem for Gud, må tro at han er til, og at han lønner dem som søker ham.7 Ved tro bygget Noah, varslet av Gud om det som ennu ikke var sett, i hellig frykt en ark til frelse for sitt hus; ved den fordømte han verden og blev arving til rettferdigheten av tro.8 Ved tro var Abraham lydig da han blev kalt, så han drog ut til det sted han skulde få til arv, og han drog ut uten å vite hvorhen han skulde komme;9 ved tro opholdt han sig som utlending i det lovede land som i et fremmed land, idet han bodde i telt sammen med Isak og Jakob, medarvingene til det samme løfte;10 for han ventet på den stad som har de faste grunnvoller, og som Gud er byggmester og skaper til.11 Ved tro fikk også Sara kraft til å grunnlegge en ætt, og det til tross for sin alder, da hun aktet ham trofast som gav løftet;12 derfor blev det også av en, og det en utlevd, avlet så mange som himmelens stjerner og som sanden ved havets strand, som ingen kan telle.13 I tro døde alle disse uten at de hadde opnådd det som var lovt; men de så det langt borte og hilste det og bekjente at de var fremmede og utlendinger på jorden.14 For de som sier slikt, gir derved til kjenne at de søker et fedreland;15 og dersom de hadde tenkt på det som de var kommet fra, da hadde de jo hatt tid til å vende tilbake;16 men nu stunder de efter et bedre, det er et himmelsk; derfor skammer Gud sig ikke ved dem, ved å kalles deres Gud; for han har gjort en stad ferdig til dem.17 Ved tro ofret Abraham Isak dengang han blev fristet; ja, sin enbårne ofret han som hadde fått løftene,18 han som det blev sagt til: I Isak skal det nevnes dig en ætt;19 for han tenkte at Gud er mektig endog til å opvekke fra de døde, og derfra fikk han ham og likesom tilbake.20 Ved tro velsignet Isak Jakob og Esau, med syn på det som skulde komme.21 Ved tro velsignet Jakob døende hver og en av Josefs sønner og tilbad, bøiet over knappen på sin stav.22 Ved tro talte Josef på sitt siste om Israels barns utgang og gav påbud om sine ben.23 Ved tro blev Moses efter sin fødsel skjult i tre måneder av sine foreldre, fordi de så at gutten var fager, og de fryktet ikke for kongens bud.24 Ved tro nektet Moses, da han var blitt stor, å kalles Faraos datters sønn,25 idet han heller valgte å lide ondt sammen med Guds folk enn å ha en kortvarig nydelse av synden,26 og aktet Kristi vanære for en større rikdom enn Egyptens skatter; for han så frem til lønnen.27 Ved tro forlot han Egypten, uten å frykte for kongens vrede; for han holdt ut, som om han så den usynlige.28 Ved tro holdt han påsken med blodsprengningen, forat ikke ødeleggeren skulde røre deres førstefødte.29 Ved tro gikk de gjennem det Røde Hav som over tørt land; men da egypterne prøvde på det, druknet de.30 Ved tro falt Jerikos murer, da de hadde gått omkring dem i syv dager.31 Ved tro undgikk skjøgen Rahab å gå til grunne med de vantro, da hun hadde tatt imot speiderne med fred.32 Og hvorfor taler jeg lenger? Tiden vilde bli mig for kort om jeg skulde fortelle om Gideon og Barak og Samson og Jefta, om David og Samuel og profetene,33 som ved tro seiret over kongeriker, håndhevde rettferdighet, fikk løfter opfylt, stoppet gapet på løver,34 slukket ilds kraft, slapp fra sverds egg, fikk styrke igjen efter sykdom, blev veldige i krig, fikk fienders hærer til å vike;35 kvinner fikk sine døde igjen ved opstandelse; andre blev utspent til pinsel og vilde ikke ta imot utløsning, forat de kunde få del i en bedre opstandelse;36 andre fikk lide spott og hudstrykning, ja bånd og fengsel;37 de blev stenet, gjennemsaget, fristet; de døde for sverd; de flakket omkring i fåreskinn, i gjeteskinn, de led mangel, trengsel, hård medferd38 - verden var dem ikke verd - de vanket om i utørkener og fjell og huler og jordkløfter.39 Og enda alle disse fikk vidnesbyrd for sin tro, opnådde de ikke det som var lovt,40 fordi Gud forut hadde utsett noget bedre for oss, så de ikke skulde nå fullendelsen uten oss.