1 T herefore 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,

All these many people who have had faith in God are around us like a cloud. Let us put every thing out of our lives that keeps us from doing what we should. Let us keep running in the race that God has planned for us.

2 l ooking 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.

Let us keep looking to Jesus. Our faith comes from Him and He is the One Who makes it perfect. He did not give up when He had to suffer shame and die on a cross. He knew of the joy that would be His later. Now He is sitting at the right side of God.

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

Sinful men spoke words of hate against Christ. He was willing to take such shame from sinners. Think of this so you will not get tired and give up.

4 Y ou have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin;

In your fight against sin, you have not yet had to stand against sin with your blood.

5 a nd 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;

Do you remember what God said to you when He called you His sons? “My son, listen when the Lord punishes you. Do not give up when He tells you what you must do.

6 F or whom the Lord loves, he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives.”

The Lord punishes everyone He loves. He whips every son He receives.”

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

Do not give up when you are punished by God. Be willing to take it, knowing that God is teaching you as a son. Is there a father who does not punish his son sometimes?

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

If you are not punished as all sons are, it means that you are not a true son of God. You are not a part of His family and He is not your Father.

9 F urthermore, 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?

Remember that our fathers on earth punished us. We had respect for them. How much more should we obey our Father in heaven and live?

10 F or 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.

For a little while our fathers on earth punished us when they thought they should. But God punishes us for our good so we will be holy as He is holy.

11 A ll 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.

There is no joy while we are being punished. It is hard to take, but later we can see that good came from it. And it gives us the peace of being right with God.

12 T herefore lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees,

So lift up your hands that have been weak. Stand up on your weak legs.

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

Walk straight ahead so the weak leg will not be turned aside, but will be healed.

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

Be at peace with all men. Live a holy life. No one will see the Lord without having that kind of life.

15 l ooking 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;

See that no one misses God’s loving-favor. Do not let wrong thoughts about others get started among you. If you do, many people will be turned to a life of sin.

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

None of you should fall into sex sins or forget God like Esau did. He had a right to get all Isaac had because he was the oldest son. But for one plate of food he sold this right to his brother.

17 F or 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.

You know that later he would have received everything. But he did not get it even when he asked for it with tears. It was too late to make right the wrong he had done.

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

For you have not come close to a mountain that you can touch. You have not come to worship where there is burning fire and darkness and storm and wind.

19 t he 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,

The sound of a horn was heard and God’s voice spoke. The people cried out to Moses to have God stop speaking to them.

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

They could not stand to listen to His strong words, “Even if an animal comes to the mountain, it must be killed.”

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

What Moses saw was so hard to look at that he said, “I am full of fear and am shaking.”

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

But instead, you have come to the mountain of Jerusalem. It is the city of the living God. It is the Jerusalem of heaven with its thousands of angels.

23 t o 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,

You have gathered there with God’s children who were born long ago. They are citizens of heaven. God is there. He will judge all men. The spirits of all those right with God are there. They have been made perfect.

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

Jesus is there. He has made a way for man to go to God. He gave His blood that men might worship God the New Way. The blood of Jesus tells of better things than that which Abel used.

25 S ee 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,

Be sure you listen to the One Who is speaking to you. The Jews did not obey when God’s Law was given to them on earth. They did not go free. They were punished. We will be punished more if we do not listen to God as He speaks from heaven.

26 w hose 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.”

On Mount Sinai, God’s voice shook the earth. But now He has promised, saying, “Once more I will shake the earth and the heavens.”

27 T his 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.

When God says, “Once more,” He means He will take away everything of this world that can be shaken so the things that cannot be shaken will be left.

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

Since we have received a holy nation that cannot be moved, let us be thankful. Let us please God and worship Him with honor and fear.

29 f or our God is a consuming fire.

For our God is a fire that destroys everything.