1 T herefore, 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,

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

2 l ooking 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;

looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. The Discipline of God

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

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

4 N ot yet unto blood did ye resist -- with the sin striving;

You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

5 a nd 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,

And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;

6 f or whom the Lord doth love He doth chasten, and He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth;'

For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”

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

If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?

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

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

9 T hen, 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?

Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

10 f or 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;

For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.

11 a nd 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.

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Renew Your Spiritual Vitality

12 W herefore, the hanging-down hands and the loosened knees set ye up;

Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,

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

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

14 p eace pursue with all, and the separation, apart from which no one shall see the Lord,

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

15 l ooking 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;

looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

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

lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.

17 f or 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.

For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears. The Glorious Company

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

For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest,

19 a nd 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,

and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.

20 f or 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,'

(For they could not endure what was commanded: “And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.”

21 a nd, (so terrible was the sight,) Moses said, `I am fearful exceedingly, and trembling.'

And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.” )

22 B ut, ye came to Mount Zion, and to a city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of messengers,

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

23 t o 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,

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

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

to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. Hear the Heavenly Voice

25 S ee, 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,

See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,

26 w hose voice the earth shook then, and now hath he promised, saying, `Yet once -- I shake not only the earth, but also the heaven;'

whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”

27 a nd 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;

Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

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

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

29 f or also our God a consuming fire.

For our God is a consuming fire.