American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
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.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with {Greek: his holy myriads.}ten thousands of his holy ones,
But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are fallen asleep {Greek: through. Or, will God through Jesus}in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the {Or, presence}coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first;
then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore {Or, exhort chapter 5:11.}comfort one another with these words.
Behold, I tell you a mystery: {Or, We shall not all &c.}We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed,
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
But when {Many ancient authorities omit this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and.}this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, {Isaiah 25:8.}Death is swallowed up {Or, victoriously}in victory.
What then shall we say {Some ancient authorities read of Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?}that Abraham, {Or, our forefather according to the flesh found?}our forefather, hath found according to the flesh?
For if Abraham was justified {Greek: out of Galatians 3:8.}by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God.
For what saith the scripture? {Genesis 15:6.}And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.
Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.
Even as David also pronounceth blessing upon the man, unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works,
saying, {Psalm 32:1 f.}Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven,And whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin.
Is this blessing then pronounced upon the circumcision, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say, To Abraham his faith was reckoned for righteousness.
How then was it reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision:
and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them;
and the father of circumcision to them who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he had in uncircumcision.
For not {Or, through law}through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith.
For if they that are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect:
for the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.
For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace; to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
(as it is written, {Genesis 17:5}A father of many nations have I made thee) before him whom he believed, even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were.
Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, {Genesis 15:5}So shall thy seed be.
And without being weakened in faith he considered his own body {Many ancient authorities omit now.}now as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's {Or, womb: yea &c.}womb;
yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God,
and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Wherefore also it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.
Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was reckoned unto him;
but for our sake also, unto whom it shall be reckoned, who believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.