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Hebrews 1

Theos Has Spoken to Us Through His Son

1In the past Theos spoke to our ancestors at many different times and in many different ways through the prophets. 2In these last days he has spoken to us through his Son. Theos made his Son responsible for everything. His Son is the one through whom Theos made the universe. 3His Son is the reflection of Theos’s glory and the exact likeness of Theos’s being. He holds everything together through his powerful words. After he had cleansed people from their sins, he now holds the honored position—the one next to the majestic Theos [the Father] on the heavenly throne.

Theos’s Son Is Superior to the Angels

4The Son has become greater than the angels since he has been given a name that is superior to theirs. 5Theos never said to any of his angels,

 

“You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.”

 

And Theos never said to any of his angels,

 

“I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son.”

 

6When Theos was about to send his firstborn Son into the world, he said,

 

“All of Theos’s angels must worship him.”

 

7Theos said about the angels,

 

“He makes his messengers winds.
He makes his servants flames of fire.”

 

8But Theos said about his Son,

 

“Your throne, O Theos, is forever and ever.
The scepter in your kingdom is a scepter for justice.
9 You have loved what is right and hated what is wrong.
That is why Theos, your Theos,
anointed you, rather than your companions, with the oil of joy.”

 

10Theos also said,

 

“Lord, in the beginning you laid the foundation of the earth.
With your own hands you made the heavens.
11 They will come to an end, but you will live forever.
They will all wear out like clothes.
12 They will be taken off like a coat.
You will change them like clothes.
But you remain the same, and your life will never end.

 

13But Theos never said to any of the angels,

 

“Take the honored position—the one next to me on the heavenly throne
until I put your enemies under your control.”

 

14What are all the angels? They are spirits sent to serve those who are going to receive salvation.

Hebrews 2

Everything Is under Jesus’ Control

1For this reason we must pay closer attention to what we have heard. Then we won’t drift away ⌞from the truth⌟. 2After all, the message that the angels brought was reliable, and every violation and act of disobedience was properly punished. 3So how will we escape punishment if we reject the important message, the message that Theos saved us? First, the Lord told this saving message. Then those who heard him confirmed that message. 4Theos verified what they said through miraculous signs, amazing things, other powerful acts, and with other gifts from the Holy Spirit (pneuma) as he wanted.

5He didn’t put the world that will come (about which we are talking) under the angels’ control. 6Instead, someone has declared this somewhere in Scripture:

 

“What is a mortal that you should remember him,
or the Son of Man *“Son of Man” is a name for Jesus. It shows that he was not only Theos’s Son but also human. Some believe “son of man” here refers to humans in general. that you take care of him?
7 You made him a little lower than the angels.
You crowned him with glory and honor.
8 You put everything under his control.”

 

When Theos put everything under his Son’s control, nothing was left out.

However, at the present time we still don’t see everything under his Son’s control. 9Jesus was made a little lower than the angels, but we see him crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death. Through Theos’s kindness  (Or “grace.”) he died on behalf of everyone. 10Theos is the one for whom and through whom everything exists. Therefore, while Theos was bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was the right time to bring Jesus, the source of their salvation, to the end of his work through suffering.

Jesus Became One of Us to Help Us

11Jesus, who makes people holy, and all those who are made holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus isn’t ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. 12He says,

 

“I will tell my people about your name.
I will praise you within the congregation.”

 

13In addition, Jesus says,

 

“I will trust him.”

 

And Jesus says,

 

“I am here with the sons and daughters Theos has given me.”

 

14Since all of these sons and daughters have flesh and blood, Jesus took on flesh and blood to be like them. He did this so that by dying he would destroy the one who had power over death (that is, the devil). 15In this way he would free those who were slaves all their lives because they were afraid of dying. 16So Jesus helps Abraham’s descendants rather than helping angels. 17Therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters so that he could be merciful. He became like them so that he could serve as a faithful chief priest in Theos’s presence and make peace with Theos for their sins. 18Because Jesus experienced temptation when he suffered, he is able to help others when they are tempted.

Hebrews 3

Christ Is Superior to Moses

1Brothers and sisters, you are holy partners in a heavenly calling. So look carefully at Jesus, the apostle and chief priest about whom we make our declaration of faith. 2Jesus is faithful to Theos, who appointed him, in the same way that Moses was faithful when he served in Theos’s house. 3Jesus deserves more praise than Moses in the same way that the builder of a house is praised more than the house. 4After all, every house has a builder, but the builder of everything is Theos.

5Moses was a faithful servant in Theos’s household. He told ⌞the people⌟ what Theos would say in the future. 6But Christ is a faithful son in charge of Theos’s household. We are his household if we continue to have courage and to be proud of the confidence we have.

7As the Holy Spirit (pneuma) says,

 

“If you hear Theos speak today, don’t be stubborn.
8 Don’t be stubborn like those who rebelled
and tested me in the desert.
9 That is where your ancestors tested me,
10 although they had seen what I had done for 40 years.
That is why I was angry with those people. So I said,
‘Their hearts continue to stray,
and they have not learned my ways.’
11 So I angrily took a solemn oath
that they would never enter my place of rest.”

 

12Be careful, brothers and sisters, that none of you ever develop a wicked, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living Theos. 13Encourage each other every day while you have the opportunity. If you do this, none of you will be deceived by sin and become stubborn. 14After all, we will remain Christ’s partners only if we continue to hold on to our original confidence until the end.

15Scripture says,

 

“If you hear Theos speak today, don’t be stubborn.
Don’t be stubborn like those who rebelled.”

 

16Who heard Theos and rebelled? All those whom Moses led out of Egypt rebelled. 17With whom was Theos angry for 40 years? He was angry with those who sinned and died in the desert. 18Who did Theos swear would never enter his place of rest? He was talking about those who didn’t obey him. 19So we see that they couldn’t enter his place of rest because they didn’t believe.

Hebrews 4

We Will Enter Theos’s Place of Rest

1Theos’s promise that we may enter his place of rest still stands. We are afraid that some of you think you won’t enter his place of rest. 2We have heard the same Good News that your ancestors heard. But the message didn’t help those who heard it in the past because they didn’t believe.

3We who believe are entering that place of rest. As Theos said, “So I angrily took a solemn oath that they would never enter my place of rest.” Theos said this even though he had finished his work when he created the world. 4Somewhere in Scripture Theos has said this about the seventh day: “On the seventh day Theos rested from all his work.”

5Theos also said in the same passage, “They will never enter my place of rest.” 6However, some people enter that place of rest. Those who heard the Good News in the past did not enter Theos’s place of rest because they did not obey Theos. 7So Theos set another day. That day is today. Many years after ⌞your ancestors failed to enter that place of rest⌟ Theos spoke about it through David in the passage already quoted: “If you hear Theos speak today, don’t be stubborn.” 8If Joshua had given the people rest, Theos would not have spoken about another day. 9Therefore, a time of eternal rest exists for Theos’s people. 10Those who entered his place of rest also rest from their work as Theos did from his.

11So we must make every effort to enter that place of rest. Then no one will be lost by following the example of those who refused to obey.

12Theos’s word is living and active. It is sharper than any two-edged sword and cuts as deep as the place where soul and spirit (pneuma) meet, the place where joints and marrow meet. Theos’s word judges a person’s thoughts and intentions. 13No creature can hide from Theos. Everything is uncovered and exposed for him to see. We must answer to him.

Christ Is Superior to Other Chief Priests

14We need to hold on to our declaration of faith: We have a superior chief priest who has gone through the heavens. That person is Jesus, the Son of Theos. 15We have a chief priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way that we are, but he didn’t sin. 16So we can go confidently to the throne of Theos’s kindness  (Or “grace.”) to receive mercy and find kindness, which will help us at the right time.

Hebrews 5

1Every chief priest is chosen from humans to represent them in front of Theos, that is, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sin. 2The chief priest can be gentle with people who are ignorant and easily deceived, because he also has weaknesses. 3Because he has weaknesses, he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins in the same way that he does for the sins of his people.

4No one takes this honor for himself. Instead, Theos calls him as he called Aaron. 5So Christ did not take the glory of being a chief priest for himself. Instead, the glory was given to him by Theos, who said,

 

“You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.”

 

6In another place in Scripture, Theos said,

 

“You are a priest forever,
in the way Melchizedek was a priest.”

 

7During his life on earth, Jesus prayed to Theos, who could save him from death. He prayed and pleaded with loud crying and tears, and he was heard because of his devotion to Theos. 8Although Jesus was the Son ⌞of Theos⌟, he learned to be obedient through his sufferings. 9After he had finished his work, he became the source of eternal salvation for everyone who obeys him. 10Theos appointed him chief priest in the way Melchizedek was a priest.

You Need Someone to Teach You

11We have a lot to explain about this. But since you have become too lazy to pay attention, explaining it to you is hard. 12By now you should be teachers. Instead, you still need someone to teach you the elementary truths of Theos’s word. You need milk, not solid food. 13All those who live on milk lack the experience to talk about what is right. They are still babies. 14However, solid food is for mature people, whose minds are trained by practice to know the difference between good and evil.

Hebrews 6

1With this in mind, we should stop going over the elementary truths about Christ and move on to topics for more mature people. We shouldn’t repeat the basics about turning away from the useless things we did and the basics about faith in Theos. 2We shouldn’t repeat the basic teachings about such things as baptisms, setting people apart for holy tasks, dead people coming back to life, and eternal judgment. 3If Theos permits, we will do this.

4Some people once had Theos’s light. They experienced the heavenly gift and shared in the Holy Spirit (pneuma). 5They experienced the goodness of Theos’s word and the powers of the world to come. 6Yet, they have deserted ⌞Christ⌟. They are crucifying the Son of Theos again and publicly disgracing him. Therefore, they cannot be led a second time to Theos.

7Theos blesses the earth. So rain often falls on it, and it produces useful crops for farmers. 8However, if the earth produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

Theos Will Not Forget You

9Dear friends, even though we say these things, we are still convinced that better things are in store for you and that they will save you. 10Theos is fair. He won’t forget what you’ve done or the love you’ve shown for him. You helped his holy people, and you continue to help them. 11We want each of you to prove that you’re working hard so that you will remain confident until the end. 12Then, instead of being lazy, you will imitate those who are receiving the promises through faith and patience.

13Theos made a promise to Abraham. Since he had no one greater on whom to base his oath, he based it on himself. 14He said, “I will certainly bless you and give you many descendants.” 15So Abraham received what Theos promised because he waited patiently for it.

16When people take oaths, they base their oaths on someone greater than themselves. Their oaths guarantee what they say and end all arguments. 17Theos wouldn’t change his plan. He wanted to make this perfectly clear to those who would receive his promise, so he took an oath. 18Theos did this so that we would be encouraged. Theos cannot lie when he takes an oath or makes a promise. These two things can never be changed. Those of us who have taken refuge in him hold on to the confidence we have been given. 19We have this confidence as a sure and strong anchor for our lives. This confidence goes into the ⌞holy⌟ place behind the curtain 20where Jesus went before us on our behalf. He has become the chief priest forever in the way Melchizedek was a priest.

Hebrews 7

Christ Is Superior to Melchizedek

1Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of the Most High Theos. He met Abraham and blessed him when Abraham was returning from defeating the kings. 2Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything he had captured.

In the first place, Melchizedek’s name means king of Theos’s approval. He is also called king of Salem (which means king of peace). 3No one knows anything about Melchizedek’s father, mother, or ancestors. No one knows when he was born or when he died. Like the Son of Theos, Melchizedek continues to be a priest forever.

4You can see how important Melchizedek was. Abraham gave him a tenth of what he had captured, even though Abraham was the father of the chosen people. 5Moses’ Teachings say that members of the tribe of Levi who become priests must receive a tenth of everything from the people. The priests collect it from their own people, Abraham’s descendants. 6Although Melchizedek was not from the tribe of Levi, he received a tenth of everything from Abraham. Then Melchizedek blessed Abraham, who had Theos’s promises. 7No one can deny that the more important person blesses the less important person.

8Priests receive a tenth of everything, but they die. Melchizedek received a tenth of everything, but we are told that he lives. 9We could even say that when Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything, Levi was giving a tenth of everything. Levi gave, although later his descendants would receive a tenth of everything. 10Even though Levi had not yet been born, he was in the body of Abraham when Melchizedek met him.

11The people established the Levitical priesthood based on instructions they received. If the work of the Levitical priests had been perfect, we wouldn’t need to speak about another kind of priest. However, we speak about another kind of priest, a priest like Melchizedek, not a Levitical priest like Aaron.

12When a different kind of priesthood is established, the regulations for those priests are different. 13The priest whom we are talking about was a member of a different tribe. No one from that tribe ever served as a priest at the altar. 14Everyone knows that our Lord came from the tribe of Judah. Moses never said anything about priests coming from that tribe. 15The regulations were different. This became clear when a different priest who is like Melchizedek appeared. 16That person is a priest, not because he met human requirements, but because he has power that comes from a life that cannot be destroyed. 17The Scriptures say the following about him: “You are a priest forever, in the way Melchizedek was a priest.” 18The former requirements are rejected because they are weak and useless. 19Moses’ Teachings couldn’t accomplish everything that Theos required. But we have something else that gives us greater confidence and allows us to approach Theos.

20None of this happened without an oath. The men from the tribe of Levi may have become priests without an oath, 21but Jesus became a priest when Theos took an oath. Theos said about him, “The Lord has taken an oath and will not change his mind. You are a priest forever.” 22In this way Jesus has become the guarantee of a better promise. (Or “covenant.”)

23There was a long succession of priests because when a priest died he could no longer serve. 24But Jesus lives forever, so he serves as a priest forever. 25That is why he is always able to save those who come to Theos through him. He can do this because he always lives and intercedes for them.

26We need a chief priest who is holy, innocent, pure, set apart from sinners, and who holds the honored position—the one next to Theos the Father on the heavenly throne. 27We need a priest who doesn’t have to bring daily sacrifices as those chief priests did. First they brought sacrifices for their own sins, and then they brought sacrifices for the sins of the people. Jesus brought the sacrifice for the sins of the people once and for all when he sacrificed himself. 28Moses’ Teachings designated mortals as chief priests even though they had weaknesses. But Theos’s promise, which came after Moses’ Teachings, designated the Son who forever accomplished everything that Theos required.

Hebrews 8

Jesus’ Priestly Work Is Superior to Other Priests’ Work

1The main point we want to make is this: We do have this kind of chief priest. This chief priest holds the honored position—the one next to the majestic Theos [the Father] on the heavenly throne. 2He serves as priest of the holy place and of the true tent set up by the Lord and not by any human.

3Every chief priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices. Therefore, this chief priest had to offer something. 4If he were on earth, he would not even be a priest. On earth ⌞other⌟ priests offer gifts by following the instructions that Moses gave. 5They serve at a place that is a pattern, a shadow, of what is in heaven. When Moses was about to make the tent, Theos warned him, “Be sure to make everything based on the plan I showed you on the mountain.”

6Jesus has been given a priestly work that is superior to the Levitical priests’ work. He also brings a better promise  (Or “covenant.”) from Theos that is based on better guarantees. 7If nothing had been wrong with the first promise, no one would look for another one. 8But Theos found something wrong with his people and said to them,

 

“The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new promise to Israel and Judah. 9It will not be like the promise that I made to their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of Egypt. They rejected that promise, so I ignored them, says the Lord. 10But this is the promise that I will make to Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my teachings inside them, and I will write those teachings on their hearts. I will be their Theos, and they will be my people. 11No longer will each person teach his neighbors or his relatives by saying, ‘Know the Lord.’ All of them from the least important to the most important will all know me 12because I will forgive their wickedness and I will no longer hold their sins against them.”

 

13Theos made this new promise and showed that the first promise was outdated. What is outdated and aging will soon disappear.

Hebrews 9

Christ Offered a Superior Sacrifice

1The first promise had rules for the priests’ service. It also had a holy place on earth. 2A tent was set up. The first part of this tent was called the holy place. The lamp stand, the table, and the bread of the presence were in this part of the tent. 3Behind the second curtain was the part of the tent called the most holy place. 4It contained the gold incense burner and the ark of the Lord’s promise. The ark was completely covered with gold. In the ark were the gold jar filled with manna, Aaron’s staff that had blossomed, and the tablets on which the promise  (Or “covenant.”) was written. 5Above the ark were the angels  (Or “cherubim.”) of glory ⌞with their wings⌟ overshadowing the throne of mercy. (Discussing these things in detail isn’t possible now.)

6That is how these two parts of the tent were set up. The priests always went into the first part of the tent to perform their duties. 7But only the chief priest went into the second part of the tent. Once a year he entered and brought blood that he offered for himself and for the things that the people did wrong unintentionally. 8The Holy Spirit (pneuma) used this to show that the way into the most holy place was not open while the tent was still in use.

9The first part of the tent is an example for the present time. The gifts and sacrifices that were brought there could not give the worshiper a clear conscience. 10These gifts and sacrifices were meant to be food, drink, and items used in various purification ceremonies. These ceremonies were required for the body until Theos would establish a new way of doing things.

11But Christ came as a chief priest of the good things that are now here. Christ went through a better, more perfect tent that was not made by human hands and that is not part of this created world. 12He used his own blood, not the blood of goats and bulls, for the sacrifice. He went into the most holy place and offered this sacrifice once and for all to free us forever.

13The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of cows sprinkled on unclean  (“Unclean” refers to anything that Moses’ Teachings say is not presentable to Theos.) people made their bodies holy and clean. 14The blood of Christ, who had no defect, does even more. Through the eternal Spirit (pneuma) he offered himself to Theos and cleansed our consciences from the useless things we had done. Now we can serve the living Theos.

15Because Christ offered himself to Theos, he is able to bring a new promise from Theos. Through his death he paid the price to set people free from the sins they committed under the first promise. He did this so that those who are called can be guaranteed an inheritance that will last forever.

16In order for a will to take effect, it must be shown that the one who made it has died. 17A will is used only after a person is dead because it goes into effect only when a person dies.

18That is why even the first promise was made with blood. 19As Scripture tells us, Moses told all the people every commandment. Then he took the blood of calves and goats together with some water, red yarn, and hyssop and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20He said, “Here is the blood that seals the promise Theos has made to you.” 21In the same way, Moses sprinkled blood on the tent and on everything used in worship. 22As Moses’ Teachings tell us, blood was used to cleanse almost everything, because if no blood is shed, no sins can be forgiven.

23The copies of the things in heaven had to be cleansed by these sacrifices. But the heavenly things themselves had to be cleansed by better sacrifices. 24Christ didn’t go into a holy place made by human hands. He didn’t go into a model of the real thing. Instead, he went into heaven to appear in Theos’s presence on our behalf. 25Every year the chief priest went into the holy place to make a sacrifice with blood that isn’t his own. However, Christ didn’t go into heaven to sacrifice himself again and again. 26Otherwise, he would have had to suffer many times since the world was created. But now, at the end of the ages, he has appeared once to remove sin by his sacrifice. 27People die once, and after that they are judged. 28Likewise, Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of humanity, and after that he will appear a second time. This time he will not deal with sin, but he will save those who eagerly wait for him.

Hebrews 10

We Can Enter the Most Holy Place because of Christ’s Superior Work

1Moses’ Teachings with their yearly cycle of sacrifices are only a shadow of the good things in the future. They aren’t an exact likeness of those things. They can never make those who worship perfect. 2If these sacrifices could have made the worshipers perfect, the sacrifices would have stopped long ago. Those who worship would have been cleansed once and for all. Their consciences would have been free from sin. 3Instead, this yearly cycle of sacrifices reminded people of their sins. 4(The blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins.)

5For this reason, when Christ came into the world, he said,

 

“ ‘You did not want sacrifices and offerings,
but you prepared a body for me.
6 You did not approve of burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin.’
7 Then I said, ‘I have come!
(It is written about me in the scroll of the book.)
I have come to do what you want, my Theos.’ ”

 

8In this passage Christ first said, “You did not want sacrifices, offerings, burnt offerings, and sacrifices for sin. You did not approve of them.” (These are the sacrifices that Moses’ Teachings require people to offer.) 9Then Christ says, “I have come to do what you want.” He did away with sacrifices in order to establish the obedience that Theos wants. 10We have been set apart as holy because Jesus Christ did what Theos wanted him to do by sacrificing his body once and for all.

11Every day each priest performed his religious duty. He offered the same type of sacrifice again and again. Yet, these sacrifices could never take away sins. 12However, this chief priest made one sacrifice for sins, and this sacrifice lasts forever. Now he holds the honored position—the one next to Theos the Father on the heavenly throne. 13Since that time, he has been waiting for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14With one sacrifice he accomplished the work of setting them apart for Theos forever.

15The Holy Spirit (pneuma) tells us the same thing: 16“This is the promise  (Or “covenant.”) that I will make to them after those days, says the Lord: ‘I will put my teachings in their hearts and write them in their minds.’ ”

17Then he adds, “I will no longer hold their sins and their disobedience against them.”

18When sins are forgiven, there is no longer any need to sacrifice for sins.

19Brothers and sisters, because of the blood of Jesus we can now confidently go into the holy place. 20Jesus has opened a new and living way for us to go through the curtain. (The curtain is his own body.) 21We have a superior priest in charge of Theos’s house. 22We have been sprinkled ⌞with his blood⌟ to free us from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with clean water. So we must continue to come ⌞to him⌟ with a sincere heart and strong faith. 23We must continue to hold firmly to our declaration of faith. The one who made the promise is faithful.

Encourage Each Other

24We must also consider how to encourage each other to show love and to do good things. 25We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming.

26If we go on sinning after we have learned the truth, no sacrifice can take away our sins. 27All that is left is a terrifying wait for judgment and a raging fire that will consume Theos’s enemies. 28If two or three witnesses accused someone of rejecting Moses’ Teachings, that person was shown no mercy as he was executed. 29What do you think a person who shows no respect for the Son of Theos deserves? That person looks at the blood of the promise (the blood that made him holy) as no different from other people’s blood, and he insults the Spirit (pneuma) that Theos gave us out of his kindness. (Or “grace.”) He deserves a much worse punishment. 30We know the Theos who said,

 

“I alone have the right to take revenge.
I will pay back.”

 

Theos also said,

 

“The Lord will judge his people.”

 

31Falling into the hands of the living Theos is a terrifying thing.

32Remember the past, when you first learned the truth. You endured a lot of hardship and pain. 33At times you were publicly insulted and mistreated. At times you associated with people who were treated this way. 34You suffered with prisoners. You were cheerful even though your possessions were stolen, since you know that you have a better and more permanent possession. (Some manuscripts and translations add “in heaven.”)

35So don’t lose your confidence. It will bring you a great reward. 36You need endurance so that after you have done what Theos wants you to do, you can receive what he has promised.

 

37 “Yet, the one who is coming will come soon. He will not delay.

 

38 The person who has Theos’s approval will live by faith.
But if he turns back, I will not be pleased with him.”

 

39We don’t belong with those who turn back and are destroyed. Instead, we belong with those who have faith and are saved.

Hebrews 11

Faith Directed People’s Lives

1Faith assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see. 2Theos accepted our ancestors because of their faith.

3Faith convinces us that Theos created the world through his word. This means what can be seen was made by something that could not be seen.

4Faith led Abel to offer Theos a better sacrifice than Cain’s sacrifice. Through his faith Abel received Theos’s approval, since Theos accepted his sacrifices. Through his faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

5Faith enabled Enoch to be taken instead of dying. No one could find him, because Theos had taken him. Scripture states that before Enoch was taken, Theos was pleased with him. 6No one can please Theos without faith. Whoever goes to Theos must believe that Theos exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

7Faith led Noah to listen when Theos warned him about the things in the future that he could not see. He obeyed Theos and built a ship to save his family. Through faith Noah condemned the world and received Theos’s approval that comes through faith.

8Faith led Abraham to obey when Theos called him to go to a place that he would receive as an inheritance. Abraham left his own country without knowing where he was going.

9Faith led Abraham to live as a foreigner in the country that Theos had promised him. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who received the same promise from Theos. 10Abraham was waiting for the city that Theos had designed and built, the city with permanent foundations.

11Faith enabled Abraham to become a father, even though he was old and Sarah had never been able to have children. Abraham trusted that Theos would keep his promise. 12Abraham was as good as dead. Yet, from this man came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the grains of sand on the seashore.

13All these people died having faith. They didn’t receive the things that Theos had promised them, but they saw these things coming in the distant future and rejoiced. They acknowledged that they were living as strangers with no permanent home on earth. 14Those who say such things make it clear that they are looking for their own country. 15If they had been thinking about the country that they had left, they could have found a way to go back. 16Instead, these men were longing for a better country—a heavenly country. That is why Theos is not ashamed to be called their Theos. He has prepared a city for them.

17When Theos tested Abraham, faith led him to offer his son Isaac. Abraham, the one who received the promises from Theos, was willing to offer his only son as a sacrifice. 18Theos had said to him, “Through Isaac your descendants will carry on your name.” 19Abraham believed that Theos could bring Isaac back from the dead. Abraham did receive Isaac back from the dead in a figurative sense.

20Faith led Isaac to bless Jacob and Esau.

21While Jacob was dying, faith led him to bless each of Joseph’s sons. He leaned on the top of his staff and worshiped Theos.

22While Joseph was dying, faith led him to speak about the Israelites leaving Egypt and give them instructions about burying his bones.

23Faith led Moses’ parents to hide him for three months after he was born. They did this because they saw that Moses was a beautiful baby and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s order.

24When Moses grew up, faith led him to refuse to be known as a son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25He chose to suffer with Theos’s people rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a little while. 26He thought that being insulted for Christ would be better than having the treasures of Egypt. He was looking ahead to his reward.

27Faith led Moses to leave Egypt without being afraid of the king’s anger. Moses didn’t give up but continued as if he could actually see the invisible Theos.

28Faith led Moses to establish the Passover and spread the blood ⌞on the doorposts⌟ so that the destroying angel would not kill the firstborn sons.

29Faith caused the people to go through the Red Sea as if it were dry land. The Egyptians also tried this, but they drowned.

30Faith caused the walls of Jericho to fall after the Israelites marched around them for seven days.

31Faith led the prostitute Rahab to welcome the spies as friends. She was not killed with those who refused to obey Theos.

32What more should I say? I don’t have enough time to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. 33Through faith they conquered kingdoms, did what Theos approved, and received what Theos had promised. They shut the mouths of lions, 34put out raging fires, and escaped death. They found strength when they were weak. They were powerful in battle and defeated other armies. 35Women received their loved ones back from the dead. Other believers were brutally tortured but refused to be released so that they might gain eternal life. 36Some were made fun of and whipped, and some were chained and put in prison. 37Some were stoned to death, sawed in half, and killed with swords. Some wore the skins of sheep and goats. Some were poor, abused, and mistreated. 38The world didn’t deserve these good people. Some wandered around in deserts and mountains and lived in caves and holes in the ground.

39All these people were known for their faith, but none of them received what Theos had promised. 40Theos planned to give us something very special so that we would gain eternal life with them.

Hebrews 12

Faith Directs Our Lives

1Since we are surrounded by so many examples ⌞of faith⌟, we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up. 2We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him. Now he holds the honored position—the one next to Theos the Father on the heavenly throne. 3Think about Jesus, who endured opposition from sinners, so that you don’t become tired and give up.

4You struggle against sin, but your struggles haven’t killed you. 5You have forgotten the encouraging words that Theos speaks to you as his children:

 

“My child, pay attention when the Lord disciplines you.
Don’t give up when he corrects you.
6 The Lord disciplines everyone he loves.
He severely disciplines everyone he accepts as his child.”

 

7Endure your discipline. Theos corrects you as a father corrects his children. All children are disciplined by their fathers. 8If you aren’t disciplined like the other children, you aren’t part of the family. 9On earth we have fathers who disciplined us, and we respect them. Shouldn’t we place ourselves under the authority of Theos, the father of spirits, so that we will live? 10For a short time our fathers disciplined us as they thought best. Yet, Theos disciplines us for our own good so that we can become holy like him. 11We don’t enjoy being disciplined. It always seems to cause more pain than joy. But later on, those who learn from that discipline have peace that comes from doing what is right.

12Strengthen your tired arms and weak knees. 13Keep walking along straight paths so that your injured leg won’t get worse. Instead, let it heal.

14Try to live peacefully with everyone, and try to live holy lives, because if you don’t, you will not see the Lord. 15Make sure that everyone has kindness  (Or “grace.”) from Theos so that bitterness doesn’t take root and grow up to cause trouble that corrupts many of you. 16Make sure that no one commits sexual sin or is as concerned about earthly things as Esau was. He sold his rights as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17You know that afterwards, when he wanted to receive the blessing that the firstborn son was to receive, he was rejected. Even though he begged and cried for the blessing, he couldn’t do anything to change what had happened.

18You have not come to something that you can feel, to a blazing fire, to darkness, to gloom, to a storm, 19to a trumpet’s blast, and to a voice. When your ancestors heard that voice, they begged not to hear it say another word. 20They couldn’t obey the command that was given, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21The sight was so terrifying that even Moses said he was trembling and afraid.

22Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living Theos, to the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to tens of thousands of angels joyfully gathered together 23and to the assembly of Theos’s firstborn children (whose names are written in heaven). You have come to a judge (the Theos of all people) and to the spirits of people who have Theos’s approval and have gained eternal life. 24You have come to Jesus, who brings the new promise  (Or “covenant.”) from Theos, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better message than Abel’s.

25Be careful that you do not refuse to listen when Theos speaks. Your ancestors didn’t escape when they refused to listen to Theos, who warned them on earth. We certainly won’t escape if we turn away from Theos, who warns us from heaven. 26When Theos spoke to your ancestors, his voice shook the earth. But now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the sky.”

27The words once more show clearly that Theos will change what he has made. These are the things that can be shaken. Then only the things that cannot be shaken will remain. 28Therefore, we must be thankful that we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Because we are thankful, we must serve Theos with fear and awe in a way that pleases him. 29After all, our Theos is a destructive fire.

Hebrews 13

1Continue to love each other. 2Don’t forget to show hospitality to believers you don’t know. By doing this some believers have shown hospitality to angels without being aware of it. 3Remember those in prison as if you were in prison with them. Remember those who are mistreated as if you were being mistreated.

4Marriage is honorable in every way, so husbands and wives should be faithful to each other. Theos will judge those who commit sexual sins, especially those who commit adultery.

5Don’t love money. Be happy with what you have because Theos has said, “I will never abandon you or leave you.” 6So we can confidently say,

 

“The Lord is my helper.
I will not be afraid.
What can mortals do to me?”

 

7Remember your leaders who have spoken Theos’s word to you. Think about how their lives turned out, and imitate their faith.

8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

9Don’t get carried away by all kinds of unfamiliar teachings. Gaining inner strength from Theos’s kindness  (Or “grace.”) is good for us. This strength does not come from following rules about food, rules that don’t help those who follow them. 10Those who serve at the tent have no right to eat what is sacrificed at our altar.

11The chief priest brings the blood of animals into the holy place as an offering for sin. But the bodies of those animals were burned outside the Israelite camp. 12That is why Jesus suffered outside the gates of Jerusalem. He suffered to make the people holy with his own blood. 13So we must go to him outside the camp and endure the insults he endured. 14We don’t have a permanent city here on earth, but we are looking for the city that we will have in the future. 15Through Jesus we should always bring Theos a sacrifice of praise, that is, words that acknowledge him. 16Don’t forget to do good things for others and to share what you have with them. These are the kinds of sacrifices that please Theos.

17Obey your leaders, and accept their authority. They take care of you because they are responsible for you. Obey them so that they may do this work joyfully and not complain about you. (Causing them to complain would not be to your advantage.)

18Pray for us. We are sure that our consciences are clear because we want to live honorably in every way. 19I especially ask for your prayers so that I may come back to you soon.

20The Theos of peace brought the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, back to life through the blood of an eternal promise. (Or “covenant.”) 21May this Theos of peace prepare you to do every good thing he wants. May he work in us through Jesus Christ to do what is pleasing to him. Glory belongs to Jesus Christ forever. Amen.

Farewell

22I urge you, brothers and sisters, to listen patiently to my encouraging words. I have written you a short letter. 23You know that Timothy, our brother, has been freed. If he comes here soon, both of us will visit you.

24Greet all your leaders and all Theos’s holy people. Those who are with us from Italy greet you.

25May Theos’s good will  (Or “grace.”) be with all of you!

New Testament

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