Chronological Plan

¹Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.

²For by it the people of old gained approval.

³By faith we understand that the world has been created by the word of God so that what is seen has not been made out of things that are visible.

⁴By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was attested to be righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.

⁵By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for before he was taken up, he was attested to have been pleasing to God.

⁶And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.

⁷By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

⁸By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he left, not knowing where he was going.

⁹By faith he lived as a stranger in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;

¹⁰for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

¹¹By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.

¹²Therefore even from one man, and one who was as good as dead at that, there were born descendants who were just as the stars of heaven in number, and as the innumerable grains of sand along the seashore.

¹³All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen and welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

¹⁴For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.

¹⁵And indeed if they had been thinking of that country which they left, they would have had opportunity to return.

¹⁶But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

¹⁷By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and the one who had received the promises was offering up his only son;

¹⁸it was he to whom it was said, “THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE NAMED.”

¹⁹He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.

²⁰By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.

²¹By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

²²By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.

²³By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

²⁴By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,

²⁵choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin,

²⁶considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.

²⁷By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he persevered, as though seeing Him who is unseen.

²⁸By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch them.

²⁹By faith they passed through the Red Sea as through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.

³⁰By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after the Israelites had marched around them for seven days.

³¹By faith the prostitute Rahab did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.

³²And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,

³³who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,

³⁴quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

³⁵Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;

³⁶and others experienced mocking and flogging, and further, chains and imprisonment.

³⁷They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented

³⁸(people of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, on mountains, and sheltering in caves and holes in the ground.

³⁹And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,

⁴⁰because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.

¹Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us,

²looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

³For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

⁴You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;

⁵and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE PUNISHED BY HIM;

⁶FOR WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE PUNISHES EVERY SON WHOM HE ACCEPTS.”

⁷It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

⁸But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

⁹Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?

¹⁰For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.

¹¹For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

¹²Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble,

¹³and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is impaired may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

¹⁴Pursue peace with all people, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

¹⁵See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;

¹⁶that there be no sexually immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.

¹⁷For you know that even afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

¹⁸For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind,

¹⁹and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words, which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them.

²⁰For they could not cope with the command, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.”

²¹And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I am terrified and trembling.”

²²But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,

²³to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,

²⁴and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

²⁵See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns us from heaven.

²⁶And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.”

²⁷This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

²⁸Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let’s show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;

²⁹for our God is a consuming fire.

¹Let love of the brothers and sisters continue.

²Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

³Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are badly treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.

⁴Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

⁵Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER ABANDON YOU,”

⁶so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?”

⁷Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their way of life, imitate their faith.

⁸Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever.

⁹Do not be misled by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.

¹⁰We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.

¹¹For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the Holy Place by the high priest as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp.

¹²Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the gate, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood.

¹³So then, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.

¹⁴For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.

¹⁵Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips praising His name.

¹⁶And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

¹⁷Obey your leaders and submit to them—for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account—so that they may do this with joy, not groaning; for this would be unhelpful for you.

¹⁸Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.

¹⁹And I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you more quickly.

²⁰Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, that is, Jesus our Lord,

²¹equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

²²But I urge you, brothers and sisters, listen patiently to this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.

²³Know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you.

²⁴Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.

²⁵Grace be with you all.