EPISTLE of PAUL the APOSTLE,
TO
PHILEMON.
PAUL, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy a brother, to Philemon the beloved, and our fellow-labourer,2and to Apphia the beloved, and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the church at thy house:3grace be to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4I thank my God always, making mention of thee in my prayers,5hearing of thy love and faith which thou hast towards the Lord Jesus, and unto all the saints;6that there may be an operative communication of thy faith made known by every good thing, which is in you towards Jesus Christ.7For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints have been refreshed by thee, brother.8Wherefore, though I have in Christ great liberty to enjoin thee what is becoming,9I rather for love’s sake entreat, being such as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner for Jesus Christ.10I entreat thee for my son, whom I have begotten during my bonds, Onesimus:11who in time past hath been an unprofitable servant to thee, but now very profitable to thee and to me:12whom I have sent back; thou therefore receive him, even as my own bowels:13whom I wished to detain about myself, that in thy stead he might have waited upon me during my bonds for the gospel:14but without thy consent would I do nothing; that this good deed of thine might not be as of necessity, but from thy own choice.15For to this end perhaps was he separated from thee for a season, that thou mightest receive him for ever;16no longer as a slave, but above a slave, as a brother beloved, especially by me, but how much more by thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?17If therefore thou holdest me a sharer with thee, receive him as myself.18If he hath injured thee or oweth thee ought, put that to my account;19I Paul have given it under my own hand, I will repay it, not to say to thee, that thou owest even thine own self unto me.20Yea, brother, I wish to have joy in thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.21Having confidence in thy obedience, I have written unto thee, knowing that thou wilt do more than I say.22But at the same time prepare me also a lodging: for I hope that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.
23There salute thee Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus;24Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow-labourers.
25The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Amen.
Written to Philemon from Rome, by Onesimus one of his household.
TO THE
HEBREWS.
GOD, who spake to the fathers of old at various times, and in different manners by the prophets,2in these last days hath spoken to us by a Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;3who being the splendour of his glory, and the very impress of his substance, and upholding all things with his powerful word, by himself having effected the cleansing of our sins, he sat down at the right hand of Majesty on high;4made as much superior to the angels, as he hath inherited a more distinguished name than they.5For to which of the angels ever said he, “My Son art thou, I have to-day begotten thee120?” And again, “I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son121?”6And again, when he introduces the first-begotten into the world, he saith, “Let all the angels of God also worship him122.”7And concerning the angels indeed he thus speaks: “Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministering servants a flame of fire123.”8But to the Son, “Thy throne, O God, is unto eternity; a sceptre of rectitude is the sceptre of thy kingdom.9Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of exultation above those who partake with thee124.”10“And thou from the beginning, O Lord, hast founded the earth, and the heavens are the works of thine hands.11They will be destroyed, but thou remainest; and they all will grow old as a garment,12and as a cloak thou wilt wrap them up, and they will undergo a change: but thou art the same, and thy years will never end125.”13Unto which indeed of the angels said he ever, “Sit at my right hand until I put thine enemies for a footstool of thy feet126?”14Are they not all ministerial spirits, sent to perform service on account of those who are about to inherit salvation?
FOR this reason we ought to attend more diligently to the things which have been heard, lest by any means we let them flow by us.2For if the discourse spoken by angels was confirmed, and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment as its due,3how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which, commencing at the beginning to be spoken by the Lord, was confirmed unto us by those who had heard him;4God superadding his testimony with them, by signs, and wonders, and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
5For he hath not subjected the future world, of which we are speaking, to the angels.6But one in a certain passage testifieth, saying, “What is man, that thou rememberest him, or a son of man, that thou regardest him?”7“Thou hast made him for a little while lower than angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honour, and hast placed him over the works of thy hands:8thou hast subjected all things under his feet127.” Now in subjecting all things to him, he left nothing unsubjected to him; but at present we see not yet all things subjected to him.9But we see Jesus for a little while made lower than angels, by the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour, that, by the grace of God, he might taste of death for every one.
10For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to perfect the Author of their salvation by sufferings.11For both he that sanctifies, and they who are sanctified, are all of one. For which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,12saying, “I will declare thy name to my brethren, in the midst of the church I will sing hymns to thee128.”13And again, “I will place my confidence in him129.” And again, “Behold! Here am I, and the children which God hath given me130.”
14Seeing therefore that the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he also himself, in exact resemblance, partook of the same, that by death he might destroy him who held the power of death, that is, the devil;15and deliver those, even as many as through their whole life were subjects of bondage to the fear of death.16For he verily took not on him the angelic nature, but assumed that of the seed of Abraham.17Wherefore he ought in all things to be made like to his brethren, in order to become a merciful and faithful high-priest in those things which relate to God, to make a propitiation for the sins of the people:18for inasmuch as he hath himself suffered, having been tempted, he is able to succour those who are tempted.
WHEREFORE, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, contemplate the apostle and high-priest whom ye confess, Jesus Christ;2who was faithful to him who appointed him, as Moses also was in all his house.3For this personage hath been counted worthy of higher glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who built it, hath greater honour than the house.4For every house is built by some person; but he who is the architect of all things is God.5And Moses indeed was faithful in all that house of his as a servant, to bear testimony of the things which should be after spoken;6but Christ as a son over his own house: whose house are we, if we hold firmly the confidence and glorying of hope stedfast unto the end.7Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith131, To day if ye will hear his voice,8harden not your hearts, as in that bitter provocation, at the day of the temptation in the wilderness;9when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works during forty years.10Wherefore I was provoked against that generation, and said, They are always deluded in heart, and they have not known my ways:11so I swore in my wrath that they shall not enter into my rest.12Take heed, brethren, that there be not in any one of you a wicked heart of infidelity,evidentin departure from the living God:13but exhort one another daily, whilst to-day remains, that no one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.14For we are partakers with Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end;15while it is said, To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation.16For some, though they had heard, provoked him; yet not all who came out of Egypt by Moses.17But against whom was he incensed forty years? Was it not against those who had sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?18And to whom did he swear that they should not enter into his rest, but to those who did not believe?19So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
LET us fear then lest, though a promise be left of entering into his rest, any one of you should appear to fail of obtaining it.2For we are hearing the same gospel preached as they did; but the word heard did not profit them, not being incorporated by faith with those who heard it.3For we who have believed, have entered into the rest, even as he said, “So, I sware in my wrath, that they shall not enter into my rest;” and that notwithstanding the works were done from the foundation of the world.4For he said in a certain passage concerning the seventh day to this purport, “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works132.”5And in this passage again, “They shall not enter into my rest.”6Forasmuch therefore as it remaineth for some to enter into it, and they who first had the gospel preached to them entered not in because of unbelief;7again he limiteth a certain day, saying by David, To-day, after so long a time; as it is said, “To-day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts.”8For if Joshua had given them the rest, he would not afterwards have spoken of another day.9A sabbatical rest then still remaineth for the people of God.10For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath rested from his works, as God did from his own.11Let us then earnestly endeavour to enter into that rest, lest any person fall after the same example of unbelief.12For the word of God is quickening, and energetic, and sharper than every two-edged sword, and piercing through and through, so as to divide both soul and spirit, both joints and spinal marrow, and critically judges the thoughts and intents of the heart.13Even creation is not invisible before him, but all things are naked, and fully displayed before his eyes, to whom we must give our account.
14Having then a great high-priest passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast the confession.15For we have not an high-priest incapable of a fellow-feeling with our infirmities, but one tempted in all points, in exact resemblance with ourselves, sin excepted.16Let us therefore approach with boldness the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and find grace for seasonable help.
FOR, every high-priest taken from among men, is constituted on behalf of men for those services which relate to God, that he should offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:2being able to feel tenderly for the ignorant and erroneous; forasmuch as he is himself encompassed with infirmity.3And on this account he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifice for sins.4And no man assumes to himself this honour, but he who is called of God, even as Aaron was.5So Christ also did not himself assume the glory to become high-priest, buthegave itwho spake to him, “Thou art my Son; I have this day begotten thee.”6As he saith also in another passage, “Thou art priest forever after the order of Melchisedec133;”7who in the days of his flesh, with strong crying and tears, having offered up prayers and supplications to him who was able to save him from death, and being heard for his reverential awe,8though he was a son, he learned obedience from the things which he suffered:9and complete himself, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him;10publicly proclaimed of God high-priest after the order of Melchisedec.
11Concerning whom we have much to discourse, and of difficult interpretation to explain, seeing ye are dull of hearing.12For though ye ought for the time to be teachers of others, ye have again need that some one teach you the leading principles of the oracles of God; and are become as those who need milk, and not solid food.13For every one who useth milk is inexperienced in the word of righteousness: for he is an infant.14But solid nourishment is proper for grown men, even as many as by habit have their organs of perception exercised for the discernment both of good and evil.
WHEREFORE, desisting from initiatory discourse respecting Christ, let us advance towards perfection; not again laying a foundation of repentance from dead works, and faith in God,2of the doctrine of ablutions, and of imposition of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.3And so we will do, if God permit.4For it is not possible to renew again unto repentance those who have been once illuminated, and have tasted the celestial gift, and have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost,5and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,6and yet have fallen away: for they crucify again to themselves the Son of God, and expose him to public infamy.7For the earth which imbibes the rain which often falls upon it, and bringeth forth herbage suitable for those by whom it is cultured, receiveth a blessing from God;8but if it produceth thorns and thistles, it is abandoned, and near the curseof barrenness, whose end will be for burning.
9But, beloved, we are persuaded concerning you that things are better, and connected with salvation, though we thus speak.10For God is not unjust, to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have demonstrated in his name, having ministered assistance to the saints, and still ministering.11But we earnestly desire that every one of you do manifest the same diligence, in order to obtain the full assurance of hope unto the end:12that ye be not slothful, but imitators of those who, by faith and long suffering, are inheriting the promises.13For God when he gave the promise to Abraham forasmuch as he had nothing greater to swear by, sware by himself,14saying, “Verily, blessing, I will bless thee, and multiplying, I will multiply thee134.”15And so after long patient waiting he obtained the promise.16For men indeed swear by something greater than themselves; and an oath for confirmation is with them conclusive in all disputes.17And thus God, designing more abundantly to demonstrate to the heirs of promise the immutability of his will, pledged himself by oath,18that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us;19which, as an anchor for our soul, we hold both sure and stedfast, and entering into the sanctuary within the vail,20into which the forerunner for us is entered, even Jesus, made after the order of Melchisedec an high-priest for ever.
FOR this Melchisedec, king of Salem, a priest of God most high, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;2to whom also Abraham gave a tenth share of all the spoil: being, as the interpretation of his name imports, first, King of righteousness, and then also King of Salem, that is, King of peace:3without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but in exact resemblance with the Son of God, abideth a priest for ever.4Now observe how great is thisMelchisedec, to whom even Abraham the patriarch gave the tenth of the spoils.5For they indeed of the sons of Levi, who are admitted to priesthood, have an order to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though also sprung from the loins of Abraham.6But he who derived not his genealogy from them, received tithes from Abraham, and blessed him who had the promises;7but without all dispute the inferior receives benediction from the superior.8And here indeed dying men receive the tithes, but there he hath a testimony borne to him that he liveth.9And, if I may so say, through Abraham even Levi, who receiveth tithes, paid tithes.10For he was as yet in the loins of his father when Melchisedec met him.11If therefore there was perfection by the Levitical priesthood (for under that the people had the law given to them), what farther need was there that another priest should arise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?12For the priesthood being transferred, there is of necessity an abrogation of the law also.13For he to whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, in which no man approached the altar.14For it is evident that our Lord sprang from Judah; to which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning the priesthood;15and it is yet more abundantly evident, that there should arise another priest after the likeness of Melchisedec,16who was not made such by the law of a carnal commandment, but by the power of a life indissoluble.17For the testimony is, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.18For there is indeed an abrogation of the preceding command, because of its weakness and inutility.19For the law led to no perfection, but was an introduction to a better hope, by which we draw nigh unto God.
20Moreover, forasmuch as he was notmade priestwithout an oath,21(for they indeed were made priests without an oath; but he with an oath, by him who said unto him, “The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:”)22by so much is Jesus become the surety of a better testament.
23And they indeed are many who were made priests, because by death they were prevented from abidingin their office:24but this person, because he abideth for ever, hath a priesthood that passeth not over to another.25Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost those who come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.26For such an high-priest was suitable to us, holy, inoffensive, spotless, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens:27who hath not daily need, as the high-priests, first, to offer sacrifice for their own sins, afterwards, for those of the people: for this he did once for all, when he offered up himself.28For the law constitutes men high-priests, though they have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which is since the law, constitutes the Son, unto eternity completely perfect.
NOW the summary of the things spoken is this: we have such an high-priest, who hath taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of Majesty in the heavens;2a minister of the holies, and of the true tabernacle which the Lord hath pitched, and not man.3For every high-priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is necessary that this person also have somewhat to offer.4For if he were on earth, he would not be a priest, there being priests who offer gifts according to the law;5who perform the service after the figure and shadow of things in the heavens, as Moses was divinely instructed, when he was about to finish the tabernacle. “For see,” saith God, “that thou make all things according to the model shewed thee on the mount135.”6But now hath Christ obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as he is the mediator of a better covenant, which hath been established on better promises.
7For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no place sought for a second.8For finding fault with them, he saith, “Behold, the days are coming, saith the Lord; and I will accomplish for the house of Israel and for the house of Judah a new covenant:9not according to that covenant which I made with their fathers, in the day when I laid hold upon their hand to lead them up out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I took no longer care of them, saith the Lord.10For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; giving my laws to their understanding, even on their hearts will I inscribe them: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.11And they shall no more teach every man his neighbour, and every one his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me from the mean man of them unto the great among them.12For I will be placable to their unrighteousnesses and their sins, and their iniquities I will never more remember136.”13In calling it a new covenant, he hath made the first antiquated. Now what is antiquated and grown aged, is near evanescence.
THEN also the first tabernacle had indeed regulations for the divine service, and a sanctuary furnished.2For the tabernacle was prepared; the first part, in which was both the candlestick, and the table, and the shew-bread, which is calledthe holy.3But behind the second vail was the tabernacle, calledthe holy of holies:4having the golden censer, and the coffer of the covenant, overlaid with gold within and without, in which were the golden urn containing the manna, and Aaron’s rod which had budded, and the stone tables of the covenant;5and above, over it the cherubim of glory, overshadowing the propitiatory.6Now when these things were thus disposed, the priests entered continually into the first tabernacle indeed, performing the divine services:7but into the second once in every year entered the high-priest alone, not without blood, which he offered for his own inadvertencies, and for those of the people:8the Holy Ghost thus signifying, that the way intothe holieswas not yet made manifest, whilst the first tabernacle held its station;9which figurative representationcontinuesunto the present time, according to which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which cannot, with respect to conscience, make him perfect who performs the services,10as they consist only of meats, and drinks, and different ablutions, and corporal services, until the appointed time of perfect reformation.
11But Christ becoming the high-priest of future good things, through a better and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is, not of this creation;12nor by the blood of goats and of calves, but by his own blood, he entered once for all intothe holies, having obtained eternal redemption.
13For if the blood of bulls, and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the defiled sanctifieth to corporal purification,14how much more shall the blood of Christ, who, by the eternal Spirit, offered up himself in sacrifice without blemish to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works, that we may perform divine service to the living God?
15And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that, death being suffered for the redemption of transgressions committed against the first testament, they who are called might receive the promise of an eternal inheritance.16For where a testament is, of necessity the death of the testator is implied.17For a testament is valid when men are dead; for else it is of no efficacy whilst the testator is alive.18Wherefore also that first testament was not consecrated without blood.19For when every command according to the law had been spoken by Moses to all the people, taking the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, he sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,20saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.21And the tabernacle also, and all the vessels employed in the divine service, he in like manner sprinkled with blood.22And almost all things are purified by blood according to the law, and without effusion of blood there is no remission of sin.23There was a necessity therefore that the representations of the things in heaven should be purified by these; but the celestial things themselves with better sacrifices than these.24For Christ is not entered intothe holiesmade with hands, the antitypes of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear before the presence of God for us:25and not that he should often offer up himself in sacrifice, as the high-priest enters every year intothe holieswith blood not his own,26(for in that case he must have suffered often since the foundation of the world:) but now once for all at the consummation of the ages hath he been manifested for the abolishing sin by the sacrifice of himself.27And forasmuch as it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment,28so Christ having been once offered in sacrifice to bear the sins of men, will appear the second time without sin, to those who expect him, for their salvation.
NOW the law, having a shadow of the good things which were to come, not the very substance of the things, cannot possibly, by the same sacrifices which they offer year by year continually, make those perfect who approachGod;2else they would have discontinued to make the offering, because they who performed the service being once made clean, would have had no more sense of sins on their conscience.3But in thesesacrificesthere is a commemoration of sins every year.4For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin.5Wherefore, coming into the world, he saith, “Sacrifice and oblation thou hast not chosen, but thou hast exactly fashioned a body for me:6thou hast had no delight in whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin:7then I said, Here am I; (in the volume of the book it is written of me) I come to do thy will, O God137.”8Having said before that sacrifice, and oblation, and whole burnt-offerings and sin-offerings thou hast not chosen, nor takest pleasure in, (which are offered according to the law,)9he then added, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He abolishes the first that he may establish the second.10By the which will we are sanctified through the oblation of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all.
11And every priest standeth indeed daily performing the divine service, and frequently offering the same sacrifices, which cannot possibly take away sins:12but this person, having offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever hath seated himself at the right hand of God;13henceforth waiting till his enemies be put as a footstool for his feet.14For by one oblation he hath made those perfect for ever who are sanctified.
15Now the Holy Ghost also beareth this testimony to us: for after declaring before,16“This is the testament which I will appoint to them after those days, saith the Lord; giving my laws to their hearts, even on their minds will I inscribe them;”17he adds,“and their sins and their iniquities I will in no wise remember any more.”18Now where there is remission of these, no more offering for sinis needed.
19Having therefore, brethren, entire liberty of entrance intothe holiesby the blood of Jesus—20a way, which he hath consecrated for us, newly opened, and giving life, through the vail, that is, his flesh;21and having a great priest over the house of God,22let us come to him with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and the body washed with pure water:23let us hold fast the profession of hope unwavering, (for he who promises is faithful.)24and let us attentively observe one another, to excite an ardour of love and of good works:25not deserting the assembling of ourselves together, as is the custom with some, but exhorting to it; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
26For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no more sacrifice for sins remaineth;27but a certain terrible expectation of judgment, and a burning indignation, ready to devour these enemies.
28Any man who treated the law of Moses with neglect, was put to death, without mercy, on the deposition of two or three witnesses:29by how much, think ye, shall he be counted worthy of more condign punishment who hath trampled on the Son of God, and regarded the blood of his testament, by which he was sanctified, as an unclean thing, and hath treated the gracious Spirit contumeliously?30For we know him who declares, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord138.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32But remember the past days in which, after ye had been illuminated, ye endured a great conflict of sufferings;33partly while publicly exposed to revilings and tribulations, partly as being in communion with those who were treated in this manner.34For ye have been fellow-sufferers with my bonds, and received with joy the plundering of your properties, knowing in yourselves that you have in the heavens a better substance, and permanent.
35Recede not therefore from your boldness of profession, which brings a great recompence of reward.36For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye may receive the promise.37For yet a little, very little while, and he that is coming will come, and will not delay.38“The just man then will live by faith139;” and if he draw back, my soul shall have no delight in him.39But we are not of those who turn back unto perdition; but of those who believe to the salvation of the soul.
NOW faith is the realizing confidence of the things hoped for, and the demonstration of things unseen:2for thereby the ancients obtained a testimony of approbation.
3By faith we understand that the worlds were exactly formed by the word of God, so that the visible objects were not made out of things which now appear.
4By faith Abel offered unto God a sacrifice of more excellence than Cain, by which he received a testimony that he was a righteous man, God bearing witness upon his gifts: and by this, though dead, he still speaketh.
5By faith Enoch was translated, so as not to see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he was recorded to have been acceptable to God.6But without faith it is impossible to be acceptable; for he must believe, who cometh unto God, that he exists, and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.
7By faith Noah, being divinely warned respecting things not yet seen, filled with reverential awe, prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
8By faith Abraham, called to go forth unto a place which he should in future obtain as an heritage, obeyed; and he went forth, not knowing whither he was going.9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the co-heirs of the same promise.10For he expected a city having foundations, of which God is the planner and architect.
11By faith also that very Sarah, who was barren, received ability for the conception of seed, and past the usual time of life brought forth a child, because she accounted that he who promised it, would be true to his promise.12Wherefore even from one person, and he become dead in respect to these matters, there sprang a race, as the stars of heaven for multitude, and as the sand, which is on the shore of the sea, innumerable.13All these died in faith, not having received the promises, but beholding them at a great distance, though believing and embracing them, and confessing that they were strangers and sojourners in the land.14Now they who speak thus, shew evidently that they are in earnest search of their native country.15And if indeed they had fixed their minds on that from whence they had gone forth, they might have had opportunity to go back to it again.16But now their longing desires are after a better country, that is, the heavenly one: wherefore God is not ashamed of them to be called their God: for he hath prepared a city for them.
17By faith Abraham, when tried, offered up Isaac; and he who had received the promise, presented in sacrifice his only begotten son,18unto whom it had been said, “That by Isaac shall there be a seed bearing thy name140:”19reasoning that God was able to raise him up again, even from the dead; from whence also figuratively he had received him.
20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau with regard to future things.
21By faith, dying Jacob blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and bowed down in adoration upon the top of his staff.
22By faith Joseph, approaching his end, made mention of the children of Israel’s departure thence; and gave a charge respecting his bones.
23By faith Moses, after he was born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw the child singularly beautiful; and they were not intimidated by the command of the king.
24By faith Moses, when he became a grown man, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;25choosing rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God, than to have a temporary fruition of sin;26esteeming the reproach of Christ riches greater than the treasures of Egypt: for he looked earnestly to the recompence of reward.27By faith he forsook Egypt, not intimidated by the wrath of the king: for he boldly persisted, as seeing the invisibleJehovah.28By faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, that the destroyer of the first-born might not touch them.
29By faith they passed through the Red sea, as on dry ground; which the Egyptians attempting to do were swallowed up.
30By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after being circled round seven days.
31By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with those who were infidels, having received the spies in peace.
32And what more shall I say: for the time would fail me if I should make a narration concerning Gideon, and Barac, and Sampson, and Jephtha, and David, and Samuel, and the prophets:33who by faith vanquished kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,34extinguished the force of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, they were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in battle, routed the armies of aliens.35Women received by a resurrection their dead: but others were tortured, not accepting a release; that they might obtain a better resurrection:36and others had trials of mockeries and whippings, yea and farther of chains and imprisonment:37they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they experienced the severest trials, they were slain by the edge of the sword: they went about wrapped in skins of sheep and goats, destitute of all things, pressed down with afflictions, suffering all kind of misery;38of whom the world was not worthy: they wandered up and down in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens, and caverns of the earth.39And these all though having obtained a testimony by faith, received not the promise:40God having provided for us something better, that without us they should not attain to perfection.
THEREFORE also seeing we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight, and that most easily besetting sin, let us run with patience the race lying before us,2earnestly looking up to Jesus the author and the finisher of faith; who, for the joy set before him, endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.3Consider then attentively him that endured from sinners such opposition against himself, that ye be not wearied out, fainting in your souls.4As yet ye have not resisted unto blood, struggling against sin.5And have you forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you, as children, “My son, count not lightly of the Lord’s childlike correction, nor faint when under his rebuke:6for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth141.”7If ye patiently endure correction, God carries himself towards you as his children: for who is the son whom the father doth not correct?8If then ye are without correction, of which all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not children.
9If then we have had the fathers of our flesh for correctors, and reverenced them; shall we not much more be under subjection to the Father of spirits, and live?10For they indeed for a few days as seemed proper to themselves corrected us; but he for our own advantage, that we might be partakers of his holiness.11Now all correction at the moment seemeth not to be cause for joy, but for sorrow; but after a while it produceth peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have thereby been disciplined.
12Wherefore stretch out again the hands that hang down, and the paralytic knees;13and make strait paths for your feet, that what is halting may not be turned out of the way; but that it may rather be healed.
14Earnestly seek peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:15carefully observing lest any of you fail of attaining the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and by it many be defiled;16lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of bread parted with his birthrights.17For ye know, that when afterwards he wished to inherit the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place for a change ofhis father’smind, though he sought it earnestly with tears.18For ye have not approached the mountain that could only be groped for, and that burned with fire, and the thick cloud, and the darkness, and the tempest,19and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words, which they who heard, earnestly begged that the discourse might not be directed to them:20for they could not bear the charge given, and “If but a beast touch the mountain he shall be stoned, or shot through with a dart142:”21and so terrible was the appearance, that Moses said, I am exceedingly afraid and trembling:22but ye are come unto mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,23and to the general assembly and church of the first-born registered in the heavens, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men perfected,24and to Jesus the mediator of the new testament, and to the blood of sprinkling, which speaketh better things than that of Abel.
25Beware that ye reject not him that speaketh: for if they escaped not, who rejected him, that upon earth spake by divine influence, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him who speaks from heaven:26whose voice then shook the earth, but now he hath promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also the heaven143.”27Now this word yet once more manifests the removal of the things shaken, as of things formed, that the things not shaken may endure.
28Wherefore receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, may we hold fast the grace, by which we can offer to God acceptably divine service, with reverence and pious awe:29for our God is a devouring fire.
LET brotherly love continue.2Forget not to exercise hospitality: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
3Remember those who are in chains, as in chains with them; and those who are suffering afflictions, as being yourselves also in the body.
4Marriage is honourable for all persons, and the marriage bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
5Let the tenor of your life be divested of the love of money; content with your present possessions: for he hath said, “I will in no wise leave thee, neither will I in any case forsake thee144.”6So that we may with confidence say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
7Remember your presidents, who have spoken to you the word of God: the ultimate issue of whose conduct attentively observing, be imitators of their fidelity.
8Jesus Christisthe same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.9Be not tossed about by various and strange doctrines: for it is good to have the heart firmly established by grace, not by meats, in which observances they who have walked have found no manner of advantage.10We have an altar, of which they have no right to eat, who perform the service in the tabernacle.11For the bodies of those beasts are burnt without the camp, whose blood for a sin offering is brought into the holy of holies by the high-priest.12Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
13Therefore let us go forth to him without the camp, bearing his reproach.14For we have not here an abiding city, but we earnestly seek that which is to come.15By him therefore let us offer a sacrifice of praise perpetually to God, that is the fruit of our lips confessing his name.16But of beneficence, and liberal distribution, be not unmindful: for such sacrifices God accepts with delight.
17Obey your presidents, and be subject to them: for they are vigilant for your souls, as being to render an account, that they may do it with joy, and not groaning: for that would be disadvantageous for you.
18Pray for us: for we have confidence that we maintain a good conscience, in all things desirous to conduct ourselves with propriety.—19But I entreat you the rather to do this, that I may the more speedily be restored to you.
20Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great pastor of the sheep, by the blood of the everlasting testament,21make you fit for every good work to do his will, producing in you that which is acceptable in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory unto the everlasting ages. Amen.
22But I entreat you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation; for I have written to you in few words.
23Know that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you.
24Salute all your presiding ministers, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.
25Grace be with you all.—Amen.
Written to the Hebrews from Italy by Timothy.