Hebrejom 12

1 Preto aj my, obklopení takým oblakom svedkov, zhoďme všetku príťaž a hriech, ktorý nás opantáva, a vytrvalo bežme v závode, ktorý máme pred sebou,2 s očami upretými na Ježiša, pôvodcu a zavŕšiteľa viery. On namiesto radosti, ktorá sa mu núkala, vzal na seba kríž, pohrdol potupou a sedí po pravici Božieho trónu.3 Myslite na toho, ktorý zniesol také protirečenie hriešnikov, aby ste neochabovali a neklesali na duchu.4 V boji proti hriechu ste ešte neodporovali až do krvi.5 A zabudli ste na povzbudenie, ktoré sa vám prihovára ako synom: „Syn môj, nepohŕdaj Pánovou výchovou, ani neklesaj, keď ťa on karhá.6 Lebo koho Pán miluje, toho tresce, a šľahá každého, koho prijíma za syna.“7 Je na vašu nápravu, čo znášate. Boh s vami zaobchádza ako so synmi. A ktorého syna by otec nekarhal?8 Ak ste mimo výchovy, na ktorej dostali účasť všetci, potom ste nemanželské deti, a nie synovia!9 A potom aj naši telesní otcovia nás vychovávali a vážili sme si ich. Nepodriadime sa tým viac Otcovi duchov a budeme žiť?!10 A oni nás karhali na krátky čas a tak, ako sa im videlo, on však kvôli tomu, čo je užitočné, aby sme mali účasť na jeho svätosti.11 Pravda, každá výchova v prítomnosti sa nezdá radostná, ale krušná; neskôr však prináša upokojujúce ovocie spravodlivosti tým, ktorých ona vycvičila.12 Preto vzpružte ochabnuté ruky a podlomené kolená!13 A vaše nohy nech kráčajú rovno, aby sa to, čo je chromé, nevykĺbilo, ale skôr aby sa uzdravilo.14 Usilujte sa o pokoj so všetkými a o svätosť, bez ktorej nik neuvidí Pána.15 Dbajte na to, aby nik nepremeškal Božiu milosť; aby nevyrazil nejaký koreň horkosti a nevyvolal zmätok a nenakazil mnohých.16 Nech nik nie je smilník alebo sveták ako Ezau, ktorý za jediný pokrm predal svoje prvorodenstvo.17 Veď viete, že aj keď neskôr túžil zdediť požehnanie, bol odvrhnutý a nenašiel možnosť nápravy, hoci ju so slzami hľadal.18 Nepriblížili ste sa k hmatateľnému a plápolajúcemu ohňu ani k čierňave, temnote a búrke19 ani k zvuku poľnice a hrmotu slov. Tí, čo ho počuli, prosili, aby sa im už tak nehovorilo;20 nemohli totiž uniesť príkaz: „Ak sa čo i len zviera dotkne vrchu, bude ukameňované.“21 A také strašné bolo to, čo videli, že Mojžiš povedal: „Zľakol som sa a trasiem sa.“22 No vy ste sa priblížili k vrchu Sion a k mestu živého Boha, k nebeskému Jeruzalemu, k myriadám anjelov, k slávnostnému zhromaždeniu23 a k spoločenstvu prvorodených, ktorí sú zapísaní v nebi, k Bohu, sudcovi všetkých, k duchom spravodlivých, ktorí už dosiahli dokonalosť,24 k Ježišovi, prostredníkovi novej zmluvy, a k pokropeniu krvou, ktorá volá hlasnejšie ako Ábelova.25 Dajte si pozor, aby ste neodmietli toho, ktorý hovorí. Lebo ak neunikli tamtí, čo odmietali toho, ktorý hovoril na zemi, o čo menej my, keď sa odvrátime od toho, ktorý hovorí z neba.26 Jeho hlas vtedy otriasol zemou, teraz však sľubuje: „Ešte raz zatrasiem nielen zemou, ale aj nebom.“27 A to „ešte raz“ naznačuje premenu toho, čo je otrasiteľné ako stvorené, aby ostalo to, čo je neotrasiteľné.28 A tak keďže prijímame neotrasiteľné kráľovstvo, zachovajme si milosť a pomocou nej slúžme Bohu tak, aby sme sa mu páčili, s úctou a bázňou.29 Veď náš Boh je stravujúci oheň.

HEBREWS 12

A Large Crowd of Witnesses

1  t 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 t 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 sidet 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 hurtt in your battle against sin.

5 t 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  t Now stand up straight! Stop your knees from shaking

13 t and walk a straight path. Then lame people will be healed, instead of getting worse.

Warning against Turning from God

17 t 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  t You have not come to a place like Mount Sinait 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 t 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, t 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 t 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.t
25  t 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 t 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 t Our God is like a destructive fire!