A Large Crowd of Witnesses
1 Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us! So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won't let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us. 2 We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side of God's throne! 3 So keep your mind on Jesus, who put up with many insults from sinners. Then you won't get discouraged and give up.
4 None of you have yet been hurt in your battle against sin. 5 But you have forgotten that the Scriptures say to God's children,
“When the Lord punishes you,
don't make light of it,
and when he corrects you,
don't be discouraged.
6 The Lord corrects the people
he loves
and disciplines those
he calls his own.”
7 Be patient when you are being corrected! This is how God treats his children. Don't all parents correct their children? 8 God corrects all his children, and if he doesn't correct you, then you don't really belong to him. 9 Our earthly fathers correct us, and we still respect them. Isn't it even better to be given true life by letting our spiritual Father correct us?
10 Our human fathers correct us for a short time, and they do it as they think best. But God corrects us for our own good, because he wants us to be holy, as he is. 11 It is never fun to be corrected. In fact, at the time it is always painful. But if we learn to obey by being corrected, we will do right and live at peace.
12 Now stand up straight! Stop your knees from shaking 13 and walk a straight path. Then lame people will be healed, instead of getting worse.
Warning against Turning from God
14 Try to live at peace with everyone! Live a clean life. If you don't, you will never see the Lord. 15 Make sure no one misses out on God's wonderful kindness. Don't let anyone become bitter and cause trouble for the rest of you. 16 Watch out for immoral and ungodly people like Esau, who sold his future blessing for only one meal. 17 You know how he later wanted it back. But there was nothing he could do to change things, even though he begged his father and cried.
18 You have not come to a place like Mount Sinai that can be seen and touched. There is no flaming fire or dark cloud or storm 19 or trumpet sound. The people of Israel heard a voice speak. But they begged it to stop, 20 because they could not obey its commands. They were even told to kill any animal that touched the mountain. 21 The sight was so frightening that Moses said he shook with fear.
22 You have now come to Mount Zion and to the heavenly Jerusalem. This is the city of the living God, where thousands and thousands of angels have come to celebrate. 23 Here you will find all of God's dearest children, whose names are written in heaven. And you will find God himself, who judges everyone. Here also are the spirits of those good people who have been made perfect. 24 And Jesus is here! He is the one who makes God's new agreement with us, and his sprinkled blood says much better things than the blood of Abel.
25 Make sure you obey the one who speaks to you. The people did not escape, when they refused to obey the one who spoke to them at Mount Sinai. Do you think you can possibly escape, if you refuse to obey the one who speaks to you from heaven? 26 When God spoke the first time, his voice shook only the earth. This time he has promised to shake the earth once again, and heaven too.
27 The words “once again” mean that these created things will someday be shaken and removed. Then what cannot be shaken will last. 28 We should be grateful we were given a kingdom that cannot be shaken. And in this kingdom we please God by worshiping him and by showing him great honor and respect. 29 Our God is like a destructive fire!
1 Wherefore, let vs also, seeing that we are compassed with so great a cloude of witnesses, cast away euery thing that presseth downe, and the sinne that hangeth so fast on: let vs runne with patience the race that is set before vs, 2 Looking vnto Iesus the authour and finisher of our faith, who for the ioy that was set before him, endured the crosse, and despised the shame, and is set at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider therefore him that endured such speaking against of sinners, lest ye should be wearied and faint in your mindes. 4 Ye haue not yet resisted vnto blood, striuing against sinne. 5 And ye haue forgotten the consolation, which speaketh vnto you as vnto children, My sonne, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither faint when thou art rebuked of him. 6 For whom the Lord loueth, he chasteneth: and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth: 7 If ye endure chastening, God offereth him selfe vnto you as vnto sonnes: for what sonne is it whom the father chasteneth not? 8 If therefore ye be without correction, whereof al are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sonnes. 9 Moreouer we haue had the fathers of our bodies which corrected vs, and we gaue them reuerence: should we not much rather be in subiection vnto the father of spirites, that we might liue? 10 For they verely for a few dayes chastened vs after their owne pleasure: but he chasteneth vs for our profite, that we might be partakers of his holinesse. 11 Now no chastising for the present seemeth to be ioyous, but, grieuous: but afterwarde, it bringeth the quiet fruite of righteousnesse, vnto them which are thereby exercised. 12 Wherfore lift vp your hands which hang downe, and your weake knees, 13 And make straight steppes vnto your feete, lest that which is halting, be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed. 14 Followe peace with all men, and holinesse, without the which no man shall see ye Lord. 15 Take heede, that no man fall away from the grace of God: let no roote of bitternes spring vp and trouble you, lest thereby many be defiled. 16 Let there be no fornicator, or prophane person as Esau, which for one portion of meate solde his birthright. 17 For ye knowe howe that afterwarde also when he woulde haue inherited the blessing, he was reiected: for he founde no place to repentance, though he sought that blessing with teares. 18 For ye are not come vnto the mount that might be touched, nor vnto burning fire, nor to blacknes and darkenes, and tempest, 19 Neither vnto the sounde of a trumpet, and the voyce of wordes, which they that heard it, excused themselues, that the word should not be spoken to them any more, 20 (For they were not able to abide that which was commanded, yea, though a beast touche the mountaine, it shalbe stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 21 And so terrible was the sight which appeared, that Moses said, I feare and quake.) 22 But ye are come vnto the mount Sion, and to the citie of the liuing God, the celestiall Hierusalem, and to ye company of innumerable Angels, 23 And to the assemblie and congregation of the first borne, which are written in heauen, and to God the iudge of all, and to the spirits of iust and perfite men, 24 And to Iesus the Mediatour of the new Testament, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel. 25 See that ye despise not him that speaketh: for if they escaped not which refused him, that spake on earth: much more shall we not escape, if we turne away from him, that speaketh from heauen. 26 Whose voyce then shooke the earth and nowe hath declared, saying, Yet once more will I shake, not the earth onely, but also heauen. 27 And this worde, Yet once more, signifieth the remouing of those things which are shaken, as of things which are made with hands, that the things which are not shaken, may remaine. 28 Wherefore seeing we receiue a kingdome, which cannot be shaken, let vs haue grace whereby we may so serue God, that we may please him with reuerence and feare. 29 For euen our God is a consuming fire.