Hebrews 12

1 Therefore, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding âhaving thrown off every encumbrance and the easily besetting sinâlet us run with patience the race lying before us; 2 looking away to the Author and Perfecter of faith, Jesus; Who, in consideration of the joy lying before Him, endured cross, despising shame, and hath taken a seat at right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him Who hath endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye become weary, fainting in your souls. 4 Not yet did ye resist unto blood, contending against sin; 5 and ye have forgotten the exhortation which, indeed, reasons with you as with sons: “My son, do not lightly regard the chastening of the Lord; neither faint, when reproved by Him; 6 for whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He acknowledgeth." 7 For chastening endure ye: God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father chastens not? 8 But, if ye are without chastisement, of which all have become partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we used to have the fathers of our flesh as chasteners, and we reverenced them: shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they, indeed, for a few days were chastening , according to what seemed good to them; but He for our profit, that may partake of His holiness. 11 All chastening, indeed, for the present seems not to be joyous, but grievous; but afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained thereby. 12 Wherefore, lift up the relaxed hands and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, that the lame be not turned out of , but rather be healed. 14 Pursue peace with all, and the holiness without which no one shall see the Lord; 15 looking carefully, lest there any one falling short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness, springing up, trouble , and through it many be defiled; 16 lest there be any fornicator or profane person, as Esau, who, for one meal, yielded up his own birth-right. 17 For ye know that even after that, wishing to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place for repentance, although he earnestly sought it with tears. 18 For ye have not come to a that is touched and burning with fire, and to blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19 and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice those who heard entreated that no word more should be added to them; 20 for they could not bear that which was being commanded: “And, if a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned”; 21 and so terrible was the appearance, Moses said, “I am exceedingly frightened and in fear!" 22 But ye have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the Living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, 23 to the general festal throng, and assembly of the first-born who are enrolled in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous ones made perfect; 24 and to Jesus, the Mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, speaking better than Abel. 25 See that ye refuse not Him Who speaketh; for, if those escaped not, refusing him who warned them on earth, much more we , who turn away from Him Who from Heaven; 26 Whose voice then shook the earth, but now hath He promised, saying, “Yet once I shake, not only the earth, but also the heaven." 27 But the , “Yet once more,” signifies the removal of the things shaken, as of things have been made, that the things that not shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear; 29 for, verily, our God is a consuming fire.