Hebrews 12:1–29

¹So, then, because we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also put off every weight and the sin that easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,²as we look intently at the Chief Agent and Perfecter of our faith, Jesus. For the joy that was set before him he endured a torture stake, despising shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.³Indeed, consider closely the one who has endured such contrary talk by sinners against their own interests, that ​YOU​ may not get tired and give out in ​YOUR​ souls.

⁴In carrying on ​YOUR​ contest against that sin ​YOU​ have never yet resisted as far as blood,⁵but ​YOU​ have entirely forgotten the exhortation which addresses ​YOU​ as sons: “My son, do not belittle [the] discipline from Jehovah, neither give out when you are corrected by him;⁶for whom Jehovah loves he disciplines; in fact, he scourges every one whom he receives as a son.”

⁷It is for discipline ​YOU​ are enduring. God is dealing with ​YOU​ as with sons. For what son is he that a father does not discipline?⁸But if ​YOU​ are without the discipline of which all have become partakers, ​YOU​ are really illegitimate children, and not sons.⁹Furthermore, we used to have fathers who were of our flesh to discipline us, and we used to give them respect. Shall we not much more subject ourselves to the Father of our spiritual life and live?¹⁰For they for a few days used to discipline us according to what seemed good to them, but he does so for our profit that we may partake of his holiness.¹¹True, no discipline seems for the present to be joyous, but grievous; yet afterward to those who have been trained by it it yields peaceable fruit, namely, righteousness.

¹²Hence straighten up the hands that hang down and the enfeebled knees,¹³and keep making straight paths for ​YOUR​ feet, that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather that it may be healed.¹⁴Pursue peace with all people, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord,¹⁵carefully watching that no one may be deprived of the undeserved kindness of God; that no poisonous root may spring up and cause trouble and that many may not be defiled by it;¹⁶that there may be no fornicator nor anyone not appreciating sacred things, like E′sau, who in exchange for one meal gave away his rights as firstborn.¹⁷For ​YOU​ know that afterward also when he wanted to inherit the blessing he was rejected, for, although he earnestly sought a change of mind with tears, he found no place for it.

¹⁸For ​YOU​ have not approached that which can be felt and which has been set aflame with fire, and a dark cloud and thick darkness and a tempest,¹⁹and the blare of a trumpet and the voice of words; on hearing which voice the people implored that no word should be added to them.²⁰For the command was not bearable to them: “And if a beast touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”²¹Also, the display was so fearsome that Moses said: “I am fearful and trembling.”²²But ​YOU​ have approached a Mount Zion and a city of [the] living God, heavenly Jerusalem, and myriads of angels,²³in general assembly, and the congregation of the firstborn who have been enrolled in the heavens, and God the Judge of all, and the spiritual lives of righteous ones who have been made perfect,²⁴and Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and the blood of sprinkling, which speaks in a better way than Abel’s [blood].

²⁵See that ​YOU​ do not beg off from him who is speaking. For if they did not escape who begged off from him who was giving divine warning upon earth, much more shall we not if we turn away from him who speaks from the heavens.²⁶At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, saying: “Yet once more I will set in commotion not only the earth but also the heaven.”²⁷Now the expression “Yet once more” signifies the removal of the things being shaken as things that have been made, in order that the things not being shaken may remain.²⁸Wherefore, seeing that we are to receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us continue to have undeserved kindness, through which we may acceptably render God sacred service with godly fear and awe.²⁹For our God is also a consuming fire.