CHAPTER IV.
THE CONTEMPLATION OF CHRIST, FAITH AND ITS MARTYRS.
1 10:19HAVING therefore, brothers, confidence in respect to the entrance into the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 10:20which [entrance] he consecrated for us a new and living way through the vail, that is his flesh, 10:21and [having] a great priest over the house of God, 10:22let us approach with a true heart in a full assurance of faith, sprinkled in heart from an evil conscience, and washed in body with pure water, 10:23let us hold firmly the profession of the faith, without declining; for he is faithful that promised; 10:24and let us observe one another for a provocation of love and of good works, 10:25not forsaking our own congregation as some are in the habit of [doing], but exhorting [others], and so much the more as you see the day approaching.
2 10:26For if we sin willingly after having received the knowledge of the truth, there is no longer a sacrifice left for sins, 10:27but a fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation, which is about to consume the adversaries. 10:28Any one who despised the law of Moses died without mercy by two or three witnesses; 10:29of how much greater punishment do you suppose he will be thought worthy, who has trodden down the Son of God, and accounted defiled the blood of the covenant with which he was purified, and treated injuriously the Spirit of grace. 10:30For we know him that said, Judgment belongs to me, I will repay. And again, The Lord will judge his people. 10:31It is fearful to fall into the hands of the living God.
3 10:32But remember the former days, in which having been enlightened you endured a great conflict with sufferings, 10:33partly in being made a spectacle by reproaches and afflictions, and partly being companions of those so treated. 10:34For you sympathized with those in bonds, and received with joy the plunder of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession, and one that endures. 10:35Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has a great reward. 10:36For you have need of patience, that having done the will of God you may receive the promise. 10:37For yet a very little while, and he that is to come will come and will not delay; 10:38but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he draws back my soul takes no pleasure in him. 10:39But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of faith to the saving of the soul.
4 11:1But faith is a confidence in respect to things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen. 11:2For by it the ancients obtained a good repute. 11:3We know by faith that the worlds were made by the word of God, that the seen was not made from the apparent. 11:4By faith Abel offered to God a greater sacrifice than Cain, through which he was declared to be righteous, God testifying to his gifts, and through the same, having died, he speaks still. 11:5By faith Enoch was translated without seeing death, and was not found because God translated him. For before the translation he was said to have pleased God; 11:6but without faith it is impossible to please; for he that comes to God, must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those that seek him.
5 11:7By faith Noah having been divinely instructed concerning things not yet seen, fearing built the ark for the salvation of his house, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness by faith.
6 11:8By faith Abraham being called obeyed and went out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance, and went out not knowing where he was going. 11:9By faith he resided temporarily in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, co-heirs of the same promise; 11:10for he looked for the city which has foundations [fixed abodes] whose designer and builder is God. 11:11By faith also Sarah herself received power to become a mother, even beyond the usual age, because she regarded him faithful that promised. 11:12Wherefore also there were born of one, and those of one dead, 7 11:13All these died in faith not having received the promises, but having seen and saluted them from a distance, and having professed that they were foreigners and strangers on the earth. 11:14For those who say such things show that they seek a native country. 11:15And if they had remembered that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return; 11:16but now they seek a better, that is a heavenly [country]. Wherefore God is not ashamed of them to be called their God; for he has prepared for them a city. 8 11:17By faith Abraham when tried offered Isaac, and he that received the promises offered his only son, 11:18of whom it was said, In Isaac shall your posterity be called, 11:19judging that God was able to raise even from the dead; whence also in a figure he received him. 11:20By faith also Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in respect to things to come. 11:21By faith Jacob dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshipped leaning on the top of his staff. 11:22By faith Joseph at the close of life made mention of the exodus of the children of Israel and gave charge concerning his bones. 9 11:23By faith Moses when he was born was hid three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they feared not the command of the king. 11:24By faith Moses when he became a man refused to be called a son of Pharaoh's daughter, 11:25choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to have an enjoyment of sin for a time, 11:26judging the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he had respect to the reward. 11:27By faith he left Egypt, not having feared the displeasure of the king; for he endured as seeing him that is invisible. 11:28By faith he observed the passover and the pouring out of blood, that the destroyer of the first-born might not touch them. 11:29By faith they passed through the Red Sea as through dry land, which the Egyptians attempting were swallowed up. 11:30By faith the walls of Jericho fell down when they had been surrounded seven days. 11:31By faith Rahab the harlot escaped destruction with the disobedient, having received the spies in peace. 10 11:32And why should I say more? For time would fail me to relate of Gideon and Barak, and Sampson and Jepthah, and David and Samuel and the prophets, 11:33who by faith subdued kingdoms, performed righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 11:34extinguished the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put to flight encampments of foreigners; 11:35women received their dead from a resurrection, others were tortured having not accepted redemption, that they might obtain a better resurrection; 11:36and others had trial of mockings and scourges, and besides of bonds and imprisonment; 11:37they were stoned, they were cut to pieces with saws, they were tried, they died with the death of the sword, they wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, destitute, afflicted, injuriously treated, 11:38of whom the world was not worthy, wandering in deserts and mountains, and in caves and openings of the earth. 11:39And none of these who became martyrs through faith received the promise, 11:40God having provided something better for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. 11 12:1Therefore also we, having so great a cloud of witnesses lying around us, laying aside every impediment and sin which entirely surrounds us, let us run with patience the race set before us, 12:2looking to the chief guide and perfecter of the faith, Jesus, who for the joy set before him despised the shame and endured the cross, and sat down on the right hand of God. 12:3For consider him that has endured such a contradiction from sinners, that you may not become faint and weary in your minds.