Hebrews 12

Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and ^asin which clings so closely, and ^blet us run ^cwith endurance the race that is ^dset before us, 2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, ^ewho for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising ^fthe shame, and ^gis seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do Not Grow Weary

3 ^hConsider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or ⁱfainthearted. 4In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

^j“My son, ^kdo not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
6For ^lthe Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
7It is for discipline that you have to endure. ^mGod is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8If you are left without discipline, ⁿin which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to ^othe Father of spirits ^pand live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, ^qthat we may share his holiness. 11 ^rFor the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields ^sthe peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

12Therefore ^tlift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13and ^umake straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint ^vbut rather be healed. 14 ^wStrive for peace with everyone, and for the ^xholiness ^ywithout which no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one ^zfails to obtain the grace of God; that no ^aa“root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16that no one is ^absexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17For you know that ^acafterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken

18For you have not come to ^adwhat may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19and ^aethe sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words ^afmade the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. 20For they could not endure the order that was given, ^ag“If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” 21Indeed, ^ahso terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” 22But you have come to ^aiMount Zion and to the city of the living God, ^ajthe heavenly Jerusalem, and to ^akinnumerable angels in festal gathering, 23and to ^althe assembly ▼

▼Or church

of the firstborn who are ^anenrolled in heaven, and to ^aoGod, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24and to Jesus, ^apthe mediator of a new covenant, and to ^aqthe sprinkled blood ^arthat speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

25See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For ^asif they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. 26At that time ^athis voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ^au“Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates ^avthe removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 28Therefore let us be grateful for receiving ^awa kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus ^axlet us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29for our ^ayGod is a consuming fire.