Hebrews 11 - New International Version (NIV)

Faith in Action

11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for^(A) and assurance about what we do not see.^{(B) 2} This is what the ancients were commended for.^(C)

³ By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command,^(D) 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^(E) as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.^(F) And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.^(G)

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.”^[a](H) 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^(I) 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,^(J) in holy fear built an ark^(K) to save his family.^(L) By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.^(M)

⁸ By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance,^(N) obeyed and went,^(O) even though he did not know where he was going. ⁹ By faith he made his home in the promised land^(P) like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents,^(Q) as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.^{(R) 10} For he was looking forward to the city^(S) with foundations,^(T) whose architect and builder is God.^{(U) 11} And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age,^(V) was enabled to bear children^(W) because she^[b] considered him faithful^(X) who had made the promise. ¹² And so from this one man, and he as good as dead,^(Y) came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.^(Z)

¹³ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;^(AA) they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,^(AB) admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.^{(AC) 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.^{(AD) 16} Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.^(AE) Therefore God is not ashamed^(AF) to be called their God,^(AG) for he has prepared a city^(AH) for them.

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.^(AI) 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.”^{[c](AJ) 19} Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead,^(AK) 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.^(AL)

²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons,^(AM) 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.^(AN)

²³ By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born,^(AO) because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.^(AP)

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.^{(AQ) 25} He chose to be mistreated^(AR) along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He regarded disgrace^(AS) for the sake of Christ^(AT) as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.^{(AU) 27} By faith he left Egypt,^(AV) 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^(AW) of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.^(AX)

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.^(AY)

³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.^(AZ)

³¹ By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.^[d](BA)

³² And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon,^(BB) Barak,^(BC) Samson^(BD) and Jephthah,^(BE) about David^(BF) and Samuel^(BG) and the prophets, ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms,^(BH) administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,^{(BI) 34} quenched the fury of the flames,^(BJ) and escaped the edge of the sword;^(BK) whose weakness was turned to strength;^(BL) and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.^{(BM) 35} Women received back their dead, raised to life again.^(BN) 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,^(BO) and even chains and imprisonment.^{(BP) 37} They were put to death by stoning;^[e](BQ) they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword.^(BR) They went about in sheepskins and goatskins,^(BS) destitute, persecuted and mistreated— ³⁸ the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves^(BT) and in holes in the ground.

³⁹ These were all commended^(BU) for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,^{(BV) 40} since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us^(BW) would they be made perfect.^(BX)

Footnotes

1. Hebrews 11:5 Gen. 5:24
2. Hebrews 11:11 Or By faith Abraham, even though he was too old to have children—and Sarah herself was not able to conceive—was enabled to become a father because he
3. Hebrews 11:18 Gen. 21:12
4. Hebrews 11:31 Or unbelieving
5. Hebrews 11:37 Some early manuscripts stoning; they were put to the test;

Cross references

1. Hebrews 11:1 : S Heb 3:6
2. Hebrews 11:1 : S 2Co 4:18
3. Hebrews 11:2 : ver 4, 39
4. Hebrews 11:3 : Ge 1; Jn 1:3; Heb 1:2; 2Pe 3:5
5. Hebrews 11:4 : ver 2, 39
6. Hebrews 11:4 : Ge 4:4; 1Jn 3:12
7. Hebrews 11:4 : Heb 12:24
8. Hebrews 11:5 : Ge 5:21-24
9. Hebrews 11:6 : Heb 7:19
10. Hebrews 11:7 : S ver 1
11. Hebrews 11:7 : Ge 6:13-22
12. Hebrews 11:7 : 1Pe 3:20
13. Hebrews 11:7 : Ge 6:9; Eze 14:14, 20; S Ro 9:30
14. Hebrews 11:8 : Ge 12:7
15. Hebrews 11:8 : Ge 12:1-4; Ac 7:2-4
16. Hebrews 11:9 : Ac 7:5
17. Hebrews 11:9 : Ge 12:8; 18:1, 9
18. Hebrews 11:9 : Heb 6:17
19. Hebrews 11:10 : Heb 12:22; 13:14
20. Hebrews 11:10 : Rev 21:2, 14
21. Hebrews 11:10 : ver 16
22. Hebrews 11:11 : Ge 17:17-19; 18:11-14
23. Hebrews 11:11 : Ge 21:2
24. Hebrews 11:11 : S 1Co 1:9
25. Hebrews 11:12 : Ro 4:19
26. Hebrews 11:12 : Ge 22:17
27. Hebrews 11:13 : ver 39
28. Hebrews 11:13 : S Mt 13:17
29. Hebrews 11:13 : Ge 23:4; Lev 25:23; Php 3:20; 1Pe 1:17; 2:11
30. Hebrews 11:15 : Ge 24:6-8
31. Hebrews 11:16 : 2Ti 4:18
32. Hebrews 11:16 : Mk 8:38
33. Hebrews 11:16 : Ge 26:24; 28:13; Ex 3:6, 15
34. Hebrews 11:16 : ver 10; Heb 13:14
35. Hebrews 11:17 : Ge 22:1-10; Jas 2:21
36. Hebrews 11:18 : Ge 21:12; Ro 9:7
37. Hebrews 11:19 : Ro 4:21; S Jn 5:21
38. Hebrews 11:20 : Ge 27:27-29, 39, 40
39. Hebrews 11:21 : Ge 48:1, 8-22
40. Hebrews 11:22 : Ge 50:24, 25; Ex 13:19; Jos 24:32
41. Hebrews 11:23 : Ex 2:2
42. Hebrews 11:23 : Ex 1:16, 22
43. Hebrews 11:24 : Ex 2:10, 11
44. Hebrews 11:25 : ver 37
45. Hebrews 11:26 : Heb 13:13
46. Hebrews 11:26 : Lk 14:33
47. Hebrews 11:26 : Heb 10:35
48. Hebrews 11:27 : Ex 12:50, 51
49. Hebrews 11:28 : 1Co 10:10
50. Hebrews 11:28 : Ex 12:21-23
51. Hebrews 11:29 : Ex 14:21-31
52. Hebrews 11:30 : Jos 6:12-20
53. Hebrews 11:31 : Jos 2:1, 9-14; 6:22-25; Jas 2:25
54. Hebrews 11:32 : Jdg 6-8
55. Hebrews 11:32 : Jdg 4-5
56. Hebrews 11:32 : Jdg 13-16
57. Hebrews 11:32 : Jdg 11-12
58. Hebrews 11:32 : 1Sa 16:1, 13
59. Hebrews 11:32 : 1Sa 1:20
60. Hebrews 11:33 : 2Sa 8:1-3
61. Hebrews 11:33 : Da 6:22
62. Hebrews 11:34 : Da 3:19-27
63. Hebrews 11:34 : Ex 18:4
64. Hebrews 11:34 : 2Ki 20:7
65. Hebrews 11:34 : Jdg 15:8
66. Hebrews 11:35 : 1Ki 17:22, 23; 2Ki 4:36, 37
67. Hebrews 11:36 : Jer 20:2; 37:15
68. Hebrews 11:36 : Ge 39:20
69. Hebrews 11:37 : 2Ch 24:21
70. Hebrews 11:37 : 1Ki 19:10; Jer 26:23
71. Hebrews 11:37 : 2Ki 1:8
72. Hebrews 11:38 : 1Ki 18:4; 19:9
73. Hebrews 11:39 : ver 2, 4
74. Hebrews 11:39 : ver 13; Heb 10:36
75. Hebrews 11:40 : Rev 6:11
76. Hebrews 11:40 : S Heb 2:10