1 T herefore, 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,

Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

2 f ixing 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.

looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 F or consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. A Father’s Discipline

For consider him who has endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, that you don’t grow weary, fainting in your souls.

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

You have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin;

5 a nd 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;

and you have forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with children, “My son, don’t take lightly the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by him;

6 F or those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.”

For whom the Lord loves, he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives.”

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

It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with children, for what son is there whom his father doesn’t discipline?

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

But if you are without discipline, of which all have been made partakers, then are you illegitimate, and not children.

9 F urthermore, 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?

Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live?

10 F or 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.

For they indeed, for a few days, punished us as seemed good to them; but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness.

11 A ll 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.

All chastening seems for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been exercised thereby.

12 T herefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble,

Therefore lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees,

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

and make straight paths for your feet, so that which is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

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

Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord,

15 S ee 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;

looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it;

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

lest there be any sexually immoral person, or profane person, like Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal.

17 F or 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. Contrast of Sinai and Zion

For you know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for a change of mind though he sought it diligently with tears.

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

For you have not come to a mountain that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and to blackness, darkness, storm,

19 a nd 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.

the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which those who heard it begged that not one more word should be spoken to them,

20 F or they could not bear the command, “ If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned.”

for they could not stand that which was commanded, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned”;

21 A nd so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “ I am full of fear and trembling.”

and so fearful was the appearance that Moses said, “I am terrified and trembling.”

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

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

23 t o 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,

to the general assembly and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

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

to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better than that of Abel.

25 S ee 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.

See that you don’t refuse him who speaks. For if they didn’t escape when they refused him who warned on the earth, how much more will we not escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven,

26 A nd 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.”

whose voice shook the earth then, but now he has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.”

27 T his 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.

This phrase, “Yet once more”, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain.

28 T herefore, 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;

Therefore, receiving a Kingdom that can’t be shaken, let us have grace, through which we serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe,

29 f or our God is a consuming fire.

for our God is a consuming fire.