New American Standard Bible 1995

New Living Translation

1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

2We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

3Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.

4You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;

4After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

5and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;

5And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you.

6FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."

6For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”

7It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

7As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?

8But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

8If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.

9Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?

9Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?

10For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.

10For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.

11All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

11No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

12Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble,

12So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.

13and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

13Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. A Call to Listen to God

14Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

14Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.

15See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;

15Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.

16that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.

16Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal.

17For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

17You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.

18For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind,

18You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai.

19and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them.

19For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking.

20For they could not bear the command, "IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED."

20They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”

21And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, "I AM FULL OF FEAR and trembling."

21Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.”

22But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,

22No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering.

23to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,

23You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect.

24and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

24You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.

25See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.

25Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!

26And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN."

26When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.”

27This expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

27This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.

28Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;

28Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.

29for our God is a consuming fire.

29For our God is a devouring fire.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.