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, we also having so great a cloud of witnesses set around us, every weight having put off, and the closely besetting sin, through endurance may we run the contest 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 the author and perfecter of faith -- Jesus, who, over-against the joy set before him -- did endure a cross, shame having despised, on the right hand also of the throne of God did sit down;

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 again him who endured such gainsaying from the sinners to himself, that ye may not be wearied in your souls -- being faint.

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

Not yet unto blood did ye resist -- with the sin striving;

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 ye have forgotten the exhortation that doth speak fully with you as with sons, `My son, be not despising chastening of the Lord, nor be faint, being 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 doth love He doth chasten, and He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth;'

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?

if chastening ye endure, as to sons God beareth Himself to you, for who is a son whom a father doth not chasten?

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

and if ye are apart from chastening, of which all have become partakers, then bastards are ye, and not sons.

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?

Then, indeed, fathers of our flesh we have had, chastising, and we were reverencing; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of the 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, according to what seemed good to them, were chastening, but He for profit, to be partakers of His separation;

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.

and all chastening for the present, indeed, doth not seem to be of joy, but of sorrow, yet afterward the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those exercised through it -- it doth yield.

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

Wherefore, the hanging-down hands and the loosened knees set ye up;

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 straight paths make for your feet, that that which is lame may not be turned aside, but rather be healed;

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

peace pursue with all, and the separation, apart from which no one shall 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 diligently over lest any one be failing of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up may give trouble, and through this many may be defiled;

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

lest any one be a fornicator, or a profane person, as Esau, who in exchange for one morsel of food did sell his birthright,

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 ye know that also afterwards, wishing to inherit the blessing, he was disapproved of, for a place of reformation he found not, though with tears having sought it.

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 ye came not near to the mount touched and scorched with fire, and to blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

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.

and a sound of a trumpet, and a voice of sayings, which those having heard did entreat that a word might not be added to them,

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

for they were not bearing that which is commanded, `And if a beast may touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or with an arrow shot through,'

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

and, (so terrible was the sight,) Moses said, `I am fearful exceedingly, 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, ye came to Mount Zion, and to a city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of messengers,

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 company and assembly of the first-born in heaven enrolled, and to God the judge of all, and to spirits of righteous 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

and to a mediator of a new covenant -- Jesus, and to blood of sprinkling, speaking better things 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, may ye not refuse him who is speaking, for if those did not escape who refused him who upon earth was divinely speaking -- much less we who do turn away from him who 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 the earth shook then, and now hath he promised, saying, `Yet once -- I shake not only the earth, but also the heaven;'

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.

and this -- `Yet once' -- doth make evident the removal of the things shaken, as of things having been made, that the things 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;

wherefore, a kingdom that cannot be shaken receiving, may we have grace, through which we may serve God well-pleasingly, with reverence and religious fear;

29 f or our God is a consuming fire.

for also our God a consuming fire.