HEBREËRS 12
Die oog moet op Jesus gevestig wees
1 Terwyl ons dan so 'n groot skare geloofsgetuies rondom ons het, laat ons elke las van ons afgooi, ook die sonde wat ons so maklik verstrik, en laat ons die wedloop wat vir ons voorlê, met volharding hardloop, 2 die oog gevestig op Jesus, die Begin en Voleinder van die geloof. Ter wille van die vreugde wat vir Hom in die vooruitsig was, het Hy die kruis verduur sonder om vir die skande daarvan terug te deins, en Hy sit nou aan die regterkant van die troon van God. 3 Hou Hom voor oë wat so 'n vyandige optrede van die sondaars teen Hom verdra het. Dan sal julle nie geestelik moeg word en uitsak nie.
Die Here tug dié wat Hy liefhet
4 Julle het nog nie so teen die sonde weerstand gebied dat dit vir julle 'n stryd om lewe of dood geword het nie. 5 Julle het ook vergeet van die aanmoediging wat tot julle as kinders van God gerig word: “My kind, moet dit nie gering ag as die Here jou tug nie en moenie mismoedig word as Hy jou teregwys nie,
6 want die Here tug hom wat Hy liefhet, Hy straf elkeen wat Hy as kind aanneem.”t
7 Verdra die tug as opvoeding, want God behandel julle as sy kinders. Is daar miskien 'n kind wat nie deur sy vader getug word nie? 8 As julle nie getug word soos al die ander nie, dan is julle nie werklik sy kinders nie. 9 Verder, ons het ons aardse vaders gehad wat ons getug het, en ons het vir hulle eerbied gehad. Sal ons ons nie nog des te meer aan die hemelse Vader onderwerp en lewe nie? 10 Ons vaders het ons wel 'n kort tydjie na hulle goeddunke getug, maar Hy tug ons tot ons beswil sodat ons in sy heiligheid mag deel. 11 Wanneer ons getug word, lyk die tug op daardie oomblik nie na iets om oor bly te wees nie, maar om oor te huil. Later lewer dit egter vir dié wat daardeur gevorm is, 'n goeie vrug: vrede omdat hulle gehoorsaam is aan die wil van God.
12 Versterk daarom die slap hande en die lam knieë 13 en loop die reguit pad. Dan sal wat lam is, nie uit lit raak nie, maar gesond word.
Moenie die genade van God verwerp nie
14 Beywer julle vir vrede met alle mense asook vir 'n heilige lewe, waarsonder niemand die Here sal sien nie. 15 Sorg dat niemand van die genade van God afvallig word nie. Sorg dat daar nie verbittering soos 'n wortel uitspruit, moeilikheid veroorsaak en baie besmet nie. 16 Sorg ook dat niemand sedeloos en goddeloos lewe nie, soos Esau wat vir een maaltyd sy eersgeboortereg verkoop het. 17 Julle weet dat hy verwerp is toe hy daarna die seën wou verkry. Daar was vir hom geen moontlikheid om die saak reg te stel nie, al het hy met trane daarna gesoek.
18 Julle het immers nie gekom by 'n tasbare berg met brandende vuur, donderwolke, duisternis, stormwind, 19 trompetgeskal en geklank van woorde nie. Hulle wat dit gehoor het, het gesmeek dat geen woord meer tot hulle gerig moes word nie. 20 Die bevel dat selfs 'n dier wat aan die berg raak, met klippe doodgegooi moet word,t was vir hulle ondraaglik. 21 So angswekkend was die verskynsel dat Moses uitgeroep het: “Ek sidder van angs!”t
22 Maar julle het wel gekom by Sionsberg en die stad van die lewende God, dit is die hemelse Jerusalem met sy miljoene engele, by die feestelike samekoms, 23 die vergadering van die eersgeborenes wie se name in die hemel opgeteken is. Julle het gekom by God wat Regter oor almal is, en by die geeste van dié wat vrygespreek en wat nou volmaak is, 24 by Jesus, die Middelaar van die nuwe verbond, en by die besprinkelingsbloed wat van iets beters getuig as die bloed van Abel.
25 Pas op, moet Hom wat met julle praat, nie afwys nie. Hulle wat Hom afgewys het toe Hy sy Goddelike woord op aarde laat hoor het, het nie ontkom nie. Hoeveel minder sal ons ontkom wanneer ons nie ag slaan op Hom wat van die hemel af met ons praat nie? 26 Destyds het sy stem die aarde laat wankel, maar nou het Hy aangekondig: “Nog een maal sal Ek nie alleen die aarde laat bewe nie, maar ook die hemel.”t 27 Die woorde “nog een maal” laat duidelik blyk dat die geskape dinge, wat reeds aan die wankel is, finaal weggeneem sal word, sodat die onwankelbare dinge kan bly.
28 Laat ons wat 'n onwankelbare koninkryk ontvang het, dan nou dankbaar wees. Laat ons God dankbaar dien met eerbied en ontsag, soos Hy dit wil, 29 want ons God is 'n verterende vuur.
Hebrews 12
1 THEREFORE THEN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,2 Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds.4 You have not yet struggled and fought agonizingly against sin, nor have you yet resisted and withstood to the point of pouring out your [own] blood.5 And have you [completely] forgotten the divine word of appeal and encouragement in which you are reasoned with and addressed as sons? My son, do not think lightly or scorn to submit to the correction and discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage and give up and faint when you are reproved or corrected by Him;6 For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes.7 You must submit to and endure [correction] for discipline; God is dealing with you as with sons. For what son is there whom his father does not [thus] train and correct and discipline?8 Now if you are exempt from correction and left without discipline in which all [of God’s children] share, then you are illegitimate offspring and not true sons [at all]. 9 Moreover, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we yielded [to them] and respected [them for training us]. Shall we not much more cheerfully submit to the Father of spirits and so [truly] live?10 For [our earthly fathers] disciplined us for only a short period of time and chastised us as seemed proper and good to them; but He disciplines us for our certain good, that we may become sharers in His own holiness.11 For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it [a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness--in conformity to God’s will in purpose, thought, and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God].12 So then, brace up and reinvigorate and set right your slackened and weakened and drooping hands and strengthen your feeble and palsied and tottering knees, 13 And cut through and make firm and plain and smooth, straight paths for your feet [yes, make them safe and upright and happy paths that go in the right direction], so that the lame and halting [limbs] may not be put out of joint, but rather may be cured.14 Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.15 Exercise foresight and be on the watch to look [after one another], to see that no one falls back from and fails to secure God’s grace (His unmerited favor and spiritual blessing), in order that no root of resentment (rancor, bitterness, or hatred) shoots forth and causes trouble and bitter torment, and the many become contaminated and defiled by it--16 That no one may become guilty of sexual vice, or become a profane (godless and sacrilegious) person as Esau did, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you understand that later on, when he wanted [to regain title to] his inheritance of the blessing, he was rejected (disqualified and set aside), for he could find no opportunity to repair by repentance [what he had done, no chance to recall the choice he had made], although he sought for it carefully with [bitter] tears. 18 For you have not come [as did the Israelites in the wilderness] to a [material] mountain that can be touched, [a mountain] that is ablaze with fire, and to gloom and darkness and a raging storm,19 And to the blast of a trumpet and a voice whose words make the listeners beg that nothing more be said to them. 20 For they could not bear the command that was given: If even a wild animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death. 21 In fact, so awful and terrifying was the [phenomenal] sight that Moses said, I am terrified (aghast and trembling with fear). 22 But rather, you have come to Mount Zion, even to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless multitudes of angels in festal gathering,23 And to the church (assembly) of the Firstborn who are registered [as citizens] in heaven, and to the God Who is Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous (the redeemed in heaven) who have been made perfect,24 And to Jesus, the Mediator (Go-between, Agent) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance]. 25 So see to it that you do not reject Him or refuse to listen to and heed Him Who is speaking [to you now]. For if they [the Israelites] did not escape when they refused to listen and heed Him Who warned and divinely instructed them [here] on earth [revealing with heavenly warnings His will], how much less shall we escape if we reject and turn our backs on Him Who cautions and admonishes [us] from heaven?26 Then [at Mount Sinai] His voice shook the earth, but now He has given a promise: Yet once more I will shake and make tremble not only the earth but also the [starry] heavens. 27 Now this expression, Yet once more, indicates the final removal and transformation of all [that can be] shaken--that is, of that which has been created--in order that what cannot be shaken may remain and continue. 28 Let us therefore, receiving a kingdom that is firm and stable and cannot be shaken, offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship, with modesty and pious care and godly fear and awe;29 For our God [is indeed] a consuming fire.