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.

HEBREOS 12

Jesús, modelo de constancia

1 Estamos, pues, rodeados de una ingente muchedumbre de testigost. Así que desembaracémonos de todo impedimento, liberémonos del pecado que nos cerca y participemos con perseverancia en la carrera que se nos brinda.t 2 Hagámoslo con los ojos puestos en Jesús, origen y plenitud de nuestra fe. Jesús, que, renunciando a una vida placentera*, afrontó sin acobardarse la ignominia de la cruz y ahora está sentado junto al trono de Diost.t

3 Tengan, por tanto, en cuenta a quien soportó una oposición tan fuerte de parte de los pecadores. Si lo hacen así, el desaliento no se apoderará de ustedes.

Pedagogía paternal de Dios

8 Pero si quedan privados de la corrección que todos reciben, es que son bastardos y no hijos legítimos.
9 Además, si en la tierra hemos tenido unos padres que nos han corregido y, sin embargo, los hemos respetado, ¿no deberemos, con mucha más razón, someternos al Padre sobrenaturalt si queremos tener vida? 10 Aquellos, en efecto, nos educaban según sus criterios para una vida corta; este, en cambio, nos educa para algo provechoso, a saber, para que participemos de su propia santidad. 11 Ninguna corrección resulta placentera cuando se recibe; al contrario, es desagradable. Mas a la postre, a quienes se sirven de ella para ejercitarse, les reporta frutos de paz y rectitudt.t 12 Así pues, ármense de valor y no se dejen vencer por el cansanciot,t

13 y encaminen sus pasos por senderos llanos para que el pie cojo no sufra una nueva torcedura, sino que pueda, más bien, sanar.t

V.— JESUCRISTO, FUENTE Y MODELO DE VIDA CRISTIANA (12,14—13,19)

Fidelidad a la vocación cristiana

17 Más tarde, como saben, quiso recibir en herencia la bendición, pero en vano; aunque lo suplicó entre lágrimas, ya no pudo cambiar lo que había hecho.t
18 Ustedes no se han acercado a una montaña de esta tierrat. No han tenido que enfrentarse a un fuego ardiente, a las oscuras tinieblas o al fragor de la tormenta;t 19 tampoco al clamor de la trompeta o al sonido de aquellas palabras que, al oírlo, hizo suplicar a los israelitas que no les hablara Diost. 20 Y es que les resultaba intolerable lo que se les había prescrito: Cualquiera que ponga el pie en la montaña, aunque se trate de un animal, morirá apedreado.t

21 Era tan estremecedor el espectáculo, que el mismo Moisés exclamó: Estoy aterrorizado y lleno de miedo.t

No rechazar al Señor

24 a Jesús, en fin, mediador de una alianza nueva, cuya sangre, rociada sobre nosotros, clama con más elocuenciat que la de Abel.t
25 Estén, pues, atentos a no rechazar la voz de Dios. Porque si los que rechazaron a quien hablaba desde la tierra no consiguieron escapar, ¿qué sucederá con nosotros si volvemos la espalda a quien nos habla desde el cielo? 26 Entonces su voz hizo temblar la tierra; ahora mantiene lo que prometió cuando dijo: Haré temblar una vez más no sólo la tierra, sino también el cielo.t 27 Con las palabras “una vez más” indica que lo inestable, por ser criatura, va a ser transformadot y sólo permanecerá lo inconmovible.t 28 Y puesto que somos nosotros los que recibimos ese reino inconmovible, seamos agradecidost, tributemos a Dios un culto agradable con reverencia y respeto.t 29 Que no en vano nuestro Dios es un fuego devorador.t