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,

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 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.

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 contradiction of sinners against himself, that you don’t grow weary, fainting in your souls.

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 blood, striving against sin;

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

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;

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 whom the Lord loves, he chastens, and 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 children, for what son is there whom his father doesn’t 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 been made partakers, then are you illegitimate, and not children.

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 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?

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 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 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 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.

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

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

13 a nd make straight paths for your feet, so that which is lame may not be dislocated, 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 F ollow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord,

peace pursue with all, and the separation, apart from which no one shall see the Lord,

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;

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

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 might be touched, and that burned with fire, and to blackness, darkness, storm,

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

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,

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 stand that which was commanded, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall 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 fearful was the appearance that Moses said, “I am terrified 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 innumerable multitudes 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 assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men 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 t o Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better than that of Abel.

and to a mediator of a new covenant -- Jesus, and to blood of sprinkling, speaking better things than that of Abel!

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,

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 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.”

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 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.

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, receiving a Kingdom that can’t be shaken, let us have grace, through which we serve God acceptably, 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.