So Run Your Race With Endurance, Looking To Jesus
12 So-therefore we also[a], having so large a cloud of witnesses[b] surrounding us, having laid-aside every weight[c] and the easily-entangling[d] sin, let us be running the race being set-before us with endurance 2 while looking-away toward the author and perfecter[e] of the faith[f]— Jesus— Who endured a cross for[g] the joy being set-before Him, having disregarded[h] the shame[i], and has sat-down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider His Endurance
3 For consider[j] the One having endured such opposition[k] by sinners against Himself, in order that you may not be weary in your souls, losing-heart— 4 you did not yet resist to the point of blood while struggling against sin!
And Have You Forgotten That God Disciplines Those He Loves?
5 And have[l] you completely-forgotten[m] the exhortation which speaks[n] to you as sons?: “My son, do not be thinking-lightly[o] of the discipline[p] of the Lord, nor losing-heart while being rebuked by Him. 6 For the one whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He whips[q] every son whom He accepts” [Prov 3:11-12].
God Is Dealing With You As Sons
7 You are enduring[r] [your trials] for discipline; God is dealing 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[s], then you are illegitimate[t] children and not sons.
And God Is Disciplining You For Your Benefit
9 Furthermore, we had fathers of our flesh[u] as discipliners and were respecting them— but shall we not much more be subject to the Father of [our] spirits and live? 10 For the ones were disciplining us for a few days according to the thing seeming good to them; but the One does so for our benefit[v], so that we may share-in His holiness.
And His Discipline Will Yield The Fruit of Righteousness
11 And all discipline for the present does not seem to be a thing of joy, but of grief— but later it yields[w] the peaceful fruit of righteousness to the ones having been trained by it.
Therefore Straighten Up And Walk Straight Paths
12 Therefore straighten-up[x] the hands having been slackened[y] and the knees having been made-feeble[z], 13 and be making straight paths for your feet, in order that the lame part may not be dislocated[aa] but rather may be healed.
Pursue Peace And Holiness
14 Be pursuing peace with[ab] all people, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord, 15 while exercising-oversight that someone may not be coming-short of the grace of God; that some root of [ac] bitterness growing[ad] up may not be causing-trouble and many be defiled[ae] by it; 16 that someone may not be sexually-immoral or[af] profane like Esau, who sold his own firstborn-rights[ag] for one meal[ah]. 17 For you know that indeed afterward, while wanting to inherit the blessing, he was rejected— for he did not find a place of [ai] repentance— even-though having sought-for it[aj] with tears.
For You Have Come To The City of God, The Heavenly Jerusalem
18 For you have not come-to a mountain being touched[ak], and a fire having been burning, and darkness and gloom and a storm, 19 and a blast of a trumpet, and a sound of words— of which, the ones having heard begged that a word not be added to them. 20 For they were not bearing the thing being commanded: “If even a wild-animal should touch the mountain, it shall be stoned” [Ex 19:12-13]. 21 And so fearful was the thing appearing[al], Moses said “I am terrified and trembling”. 22 But you have come to Mount Zion; and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem; and the myriads of angels, a festive-gathering[am]; 23 and the church[an] of the firstborn ones having been registered[ao] in the heavens; and the Judge, God of all; and the spirits of righteous ones having been perfected; 24 and the mediator of the new covenant, Jesus; and the blood of sprinkling speaking better than Abel.
Do Not Refuse The One Warning From Heaven, But Worship Him With Gratitude
25 Be watching-out that you not refuse[ap] the One speaking. For if those did not escape, having refused the One warning on earth, much more we will not escape: the ones turning-away-from the One warning from the heavens— 26 Whose voice shook the earth at that time, but now He has promised, saying [in Hag 2:6] “I will shake once more not only the earth, but also the heaven”. 27 And the phrase “once more” indicates the removal of the things being shaken— as of things having been made— so that the things not being shaken may continue. 28 Therefore while receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us have gratitude, through which we may worship[aq] God pleasingly[ar], with reverence and awe. 29 For indeed our God is a consuming fire.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 12:1 The writer now applies the lesson from chapter 11, returning to the exhortation of 10:36-39.
- Hebrews 12:1 That is, witnesses of endurance by faith while awaiting the promises, such as those just mentioned.
- Hebrews 12:1 That is, such as would impede a runner.
- Hebrews 12:1 Or, easily-ensnaring, besetting, clinging.
- Hebrews 12:2 Or, finisher, consummator, completer.
- Hebrews 12:2 Or, of faith, of our faith.
- Hebrews 12:2 That is, to obtain; or, instead-of (the joy He had or could have had).
- Hebrews 12:2 Or, cared-nothing-for.
- Hebrews 12:2 Or, humiliation, disgrace.
- Hebrews 12:3 Or, compare, calculate in comparison.
- Hebrews 12:3 Or, dispute, hostility, rebellion.
- Hebrews 12:5 Or, And you have.
- Hebrews 12:5 If the readers thought they should be exempt from suffering for their faith, they must have utterly-forgotten Prov 3:11-12, and they must have failed to consider the Son, v 3.
- Hebrews 12:5 Or, reasons with.
- Hebrews 12:5 Or, making-little-of.
- Hebrews 12:5 Or, training, correction, corporal punishment.
- Hebrews 12:6 Or, scourges.
- Hebrews 12:7 Or, Be enduring.
- Hebrews 12:8 Or, sharers.
- Hebrews 12:8 Or, born-out-of-wedlock. That is, children not part of the father’s family, not having a father to train them, not heirs.
- Hebrews 12:9 That is, human fathers.
- Hebrews 12:10 Lit, for the thing being beneficial (from our Father’s viewpoint).
- Hebrews 12:11 Or, pays back.
- Hebrews 12:12 Or, set straight.
- Hebrews 12:12 Or, relaxed, weakened.
- Hebrews 12:12 Or, lame, paralyzed.
- Hebrews 12:13 Or, turned-out of joint.
- Hebrews 12:14 Or, together-with.
- Hebrews 12:15 That is, characterized by. Some bitter root, referring to a person.
- Hebrews 12:15 Or, springing.
- Hebrews 12:15 Or, polluted, stained.
- Hebrews 12:16 Or, sexually-immoral, or profane like Esau (so that only ‘profane’ applies to Esau).
- Hebrews 12:16 That is, the status and inheritance rights of the firstborn son.
- Hebrews 12:16 Or, eating; one act of eating.
- Hebrews 12:17 That is, for.
- Hebrews 12:17 That is, the blessing. Or, repentance.
- Hebrews 12:18 That is, a physical mountain.
- Hebrews 12:21 That is, the sight Moses saw.
- Hebrews 12:22 Or, public festival, general assembly.
- Hebrews 12:23 That is, assembly.
- Hebrews 12:23 Or, enrolled, listed.
- Hebrews 12:25 Or, decline, shun, beg-off.
- Hebrews 12:28 Or, let us worship.
- Hebrews 12:28 Or, acceptably (to God).