Hebrews
Chapter 11
1 Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
2 By it, the older people earned praise.
3 By believing, we know that God made the worlds with His command, so that what we see was not made from what we can see.
4 By trusting, Abel gave God a better offering than Cain, and it showed he was good, with God confirming his gifts; even after his death, he still speaks through it.
5 Through faith, Enoch was taken up so he wouldn’t experience death; and he was not found, because God had taken him up. Before he was taken up, it was known that he pleased God.
6 Without faith, you cannot please God: whoever approaches God must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who earnestly search for him.
7 Trusting in God, Noah, who was warned about things still unseen, built an ark out of fear to save his family; by doing this, he showed the world was wrong and became the rightful owner of the goodness that comes from faith.
8 Abraham trusted God, and when he was told to go to a land he would later get as his own, he obeyed and left, even though he didn’t know where he was going.
9 Through trust, he lived as a foreigner in the promised land, staying in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were also promised the same inheritance.
10 He was looking for a city with solid foundations, built by God.
11 Sarah’s faith gave her the power to have a child, even when she was too old, because she believed God who promised it.
12 From just one man, almost dead, came as many descendants as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand by the sea—too many to count.
13 All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were just visitors and travelers on earth.
14 People who say these things make it clear that they are looking for a homeland.
15 Truly, if they had thought of the country they left, they could have found a chance to go back.
16 But now they want a better place, that is, a heavenly one. So, God is not ashamed to be called their God because he has made a city for them.
17 Abraham, because of his faith, when tested, was willing to sacrifice Isaac. And this man, who was given God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son.
18 God said your descendants will be named through Isaac.
19 Believing that God could bring him back to life, even from death; which is also how he figuratively got him back.
20 With trust, Isaac gave blessings to Jacob and Esau for their future.
21 In faith, when Jacob was near death, he gave a blessing to both of Joseph’s sons and worshiped God, resting on his staff.
22 Joseph, trusting in God, talked about the Israelites leaving Egypt before he died, and gave instructions about what should be done with his bones.
23 Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born because they saw he was a special child and they were not scared of the king’s order.
24 By faith, when Moses grew up, he chose not to be called Pharaoh’s daughter’s son.
25 Choosing to endure hardship with God’s people instead of enjoying short-lived sinful pleasures.
26 Valuing the shame of following Christ as greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, because he looked forward to the reward.
27 Through trust, he left Egypt, not scared of the king’s anger; because he stayed strong, as if seeing God who can’t be seen.
28 By believing, he held the passover and put blood on the doorposts so the destroyer of the first children would not touch them.
29 Through faith, they crossed the Red Sea on dry ground, but when the Egyptians tried to do the same, they drowned.
30 By believing, the walls of Jericho fell after people marched around them for seven days.
31 By trusting, Rahab the prostitute did not die with those who did not believe, when she welcomed the spies peacefully.
32 What more can I say? I don’t have enough time to talk about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets.
33 People with faith overcame kingdoms, did what is right, received what was promised, and shut lions’ mouths.
34 Put out fires, avoided being killed by swords, became strong from being weak, grew brave in battle, and made foreign armies run away.
35 Women got back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and did not accept rescue, so they could have a better resurrection.
36 Others faced mean teasing and whippings, and were also put in chains and jail.
37 They were hit with stones, cut into pieces, tested, and killed with swords. They moved around in sheep and goat skins, poor, suffering, and in pain.
38 The world did not deserve them: they roamed through deserts, in mountains, and in holes and caves of the ground.
39 Even though they were praised for their faith, they did not receive what God promised.
40 God has prepared something better for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.