Now faith is {Or, the giving substance to}assurance of things hoped for, a {Or, test}conviction of things not seen.
For therein the elders had witness borne to them.
By faith we understand that the {Greek: ages. Compare 1 Timothy 1:17 margin}worlds have been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen hath not been made out of things which appear.
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had witness borne to him that he was righteous, {The Greek text in this clause is somewhat uncertain.}God bearing witness {Or, over his gifts}in respect of his gifts: and through it he being dead yet speaketh.
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God translated him: {Or, for before his translation he hath had witness borne to him that he &c.} for he hath had witness borne to him that before his translation he had been well-pleasing unto God:
and without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him.
By faith Noah, being warned of God concerning things not seen as yet, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out unto a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
By faith he became a sojourner in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, {Or, having taken up his abode in tents}dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
for he looked for the city which hath the foundations, whose {Or, architect}builder and maker is God.
By faith even Sarah herself received power to conceive seed when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised:
wherefore also there sprang of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of heaven in multitude, and as the sand, which is by the sea-shore, innumerable.
These all died {Greek: according to.}in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
For they that say such things make it manifest that they are seeking after a country of their own.
And if indeed they had been mindful of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.
But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city.
By faith Abraham, being tried, {Greek: hath offered up.}offered up Isaac: yea, he that had gladly received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;
even he {Or, of}to whom it was said, {Genesis 21:12}In Isaac shall thy seed be called:
accounting that God is able to raise up, even from the dead; from whence he did also in a figure receive him back.
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come.
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
By faith Joseph, when his end was nigh, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw he was a goodly child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
choosing rather to share ill treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
accounting the reproach of {Or, the Christ Compare 1 Corinthians 10:4.}Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he looked unto the recompense of reward.
By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
By faith he {Or, instituted Greek: hath made.}kept the passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, that the destroyer of the firstborn should not touch them.
By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were swallowed up.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been compassed about for seven days.
By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them that were disobedient, having received the spies with peace.
And what shall I more say? for the time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah; of David and Samuel and the prophets:
who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, waxed mighty in war, turned to flight armies of aliens.
Women received their dead by a resurrection: and others were {Or, beaten to death}tortured, not accepting {Greek: the redemption.}their deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
and others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with the sword: they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated
(of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves, and the holes of the earth.
And these all, having had witness borne to them through their faith, received not the promise,
God having {Or, forseen}provided some better thing concerning us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
Querverweise zu Hebräer 11,25 Heb 11,25
But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were enlightened, ye endured a great conflict of sufferings;
There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest for the people of God.
That the triumphing of the wicked is short,And the joy of the godless but for a moment?
Take heed, regard not iniquity:For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.
The princes of the peoples are gathered together {Or, Unto the people}To be the people of the God of Abraham;For the shields of the earth belong unto God:He is greatly exalted.
They send forth their little ones like a flock,And their children dance.
They {Hebrew: lift up the voice.}sing to the timbrel and harp,And rejoice at the sound of the pipe.
They spend their days in prosperity,And in a moment they go down to Sheol.
For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand.I had rather {Or, stand at the threshold of &c.}be a doorkeeper in the house of my God,Than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Surely thou settest them in slippery places:Thou castest them down to {Hebrew: ruins.}destruction.
How are they become a desolation in a moment!They are utterly consumed with terrors.
As a dream when one awaketh,So, O Lord, {Or, in the city}when thou awakest, thou wilt despise their image.
Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.
My heart {Hebrew: wandereth.}fluttereth, horror hath affrighted me; the twilight that I desired hath been turned into trembling unto me.
yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway he stumbleth.
Now therefore hear this, thou that art given to pleasures, that {Or, dwellest}sittest securely, that sayest in thy heart, I am, and there is none else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:
And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, smiting the Egyptian:
but these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood; in their full measure shall they come upon thee, in the multitude of thy sorceries, and the great abundance of thine enchantments.
and he supposed that his brethren understood that God by his hand was giving them {Or, salvation}deliverance; but they understood not.
And I will say to my {Or, life}soul, {Or, life}Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry.
save that the Holy Spirit testifieth unto me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.
But God said unto him, Thou foolish one, this night {Greek: they require thy soul.}is thy {Or, life}soul required of thee; and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be?
But I hold not my life of any account as dear unto myself, {Or, in comparison of accomplishing my course }so that I may accomplish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify the {Or, good tidings}gospel of the grace of God.
But Abraham said, {Greek: Child.}Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things: but now here he is comforted, and thou art in anguish.
And not only so, but {Or, let us also rejoice}we also {Greek: glory. Verse 11; Hebrew 3:6.}rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness;
Ye have lived delicately on the earth, and taken your pleasure; ye have nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter.
and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him.
How much soever she glorified herself, and waxed {Or, luxurious}wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall in no wise see mourning.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward.
Who shall separate us from the love {Some ancient authorities read of God.}of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Even as it is written, {Psalms 44:22}For thy sake we are killed all the day long;We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other {Or, creation}creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Wherefore if any man is in Christ, {Or, there is a new creation}he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new.
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church;
We are bound to give thanks to God always to you, brethren, even as it is meet, for that your faith growth exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all toward one another aboundeth;
so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your {Or, stedfastness}patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which ye endure;
which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God; to the end that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
if so be that it is a righteous thing with God to recompense affliction to them that afflict you,
Be not ashamed therefore of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but suffer hardship with the {Greek: good tidings; and so elsewhere. See marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel according to the power of God;
{Or, Take thy part in suffering hardship, as &c.}Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
No soldier on service entangleth himself in the affairs of this life; that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier.
And if also a man contend in the games, he is not crowned, except he have contended lawfully.
The husbandman that laboreth must be the first to partake of the fruits.
Consider what I say; for the Lord shall give thee understanding in all things.
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my {See marginal note on chapter 1:8.}gospel:
wherein I suffer hardship unto bonds, as a malefactor; but the word of God is not bound.
Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
persecutions, sufferings; what things befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: and out of them all the Lord delivered me.
Yea, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, ye have been put to grief in manifold {Or, temptations}trials,
that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold that perisheth though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ:
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you:
but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy.
If ye are reproached {Greek: in.}for the name of Christ, blessed are ye; because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you.
For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a meddler in other men's matters:
but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name.