HebrewsChapter 12

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¹So many witnesses are all around us like a great cloud. So let's throw off everything that slows us down. Let's throw off the sin that so easily trips us up. And let's run with endurance the race God has marked out for us. ²Let's keep our eyes on Jesus. He is the one who starts our faith and makes it complete. He thought about the joy that was waiting for him. So he put up with the cross and paid no attention to its shame. Then he sat down at the right hand of God's throne. ³Think about Jesus. He put up with so much hatred from sinners. Then you won't get tired and give up. ⁴You are fighting against sin. But you haven't yet fought so hard that your blood was spilled. ⁵And you have forgotten the words that encourage you as sons. They say, "My son, don't take the Lord's discipline lightly. Don't give up when he corrects you. ⁶The Lord disciplines the one he loves. He corrects every son he accepts as his own." ⁷Put up with hard times as discipline. God is treating you as his sons. What son is not disciplined by his father? ⁸Everyone is disciplined. If you are not disciplined, then you are not true sons. You are children born outside of marriage. ⁹Besides, we all had human fathers who disciplined us. And we respected them for it. So shouldn't we obey the Father of our spirits even more, and live? ¹⁰Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought was best. But God disciplines us for our good. He does it so we can share in his holiness. ¹¹No discipline seems fun at the time. It hurts. But later, it brings a harvest of what is right and of peace. That harvest comes to those who have been trained by it. ¹²So make your tired hands strong again. Make your weak knees strong too. ¹³Make straight paths for your feet. Then those who are lame won't get worse. Instead, they will be healed. ¹⁴Try hard to live in peace with everyone. And try hard to be holy. Without holiness, no one will see the Lord. ¹⁵Make sure no one misses out on God's grace. Make sure no bitter root grows up among you. It would cause trouble and make many people unclean. ¹⁶Make sure no one is sexually immoral. And make sure no one is godless like Esau. He sold his rights as the oldest son for just one meal. ¹⁷You know that later he wanted to receive his father's blessing. But he was turned away. He could find no way to change what had happened, even though he begged for the blessing with tears.a ¹⁸You have not come to a mountain you can touch, one that is burning with fire. You have not come to darkness, gloom, and storm. ¹⁹You have not come to the blast of a trumpet. You have not come to a voice that made the people who heard it beg not to hear another word. ²⁰They couldn't stand to hear what God commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be killed with stones." ²¹What they saw was so scary that even Moses said, "I am shaking with fear." ²²Instead, you have come to Mount Zion. You have come to the city of the living God, the Jerusalem in heaven. You have come to thousands and thousands of angels. ²³They have gathered to celebrate with joy. You have come to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all people. You have come to the spirits of righteous people who have been made perfect. ²⁴You have come to Jesus, who brings the new covenant between God and people. You have come to the sprinkled blood. It speaks a better message than the blood of Abel. ²⁵Be sure you don't refuse to listen to the one who speaks. The people refused to listen to the one who warned them on earth, and they did not escape. So we will escape even less if we turn away from the one who warns us from heaven! ²⁶Back then, God's voice shook the earth. But now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but heaven too." ²⁷The words "once more" show that what can be shaken will be taken away. That means created things. Then only what cannot be shaken will be left. ²⁸We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. So let's be thankful. Then we can worship God in a way that pleases him, with deep respect and awe. ²⁹"Our God is a fire that burns everything up."