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.

Hebreerne 12

Troens opphavsmann og fullender

1 Da vi har så stor en sky av vitner omkring oss, så la oss legge bort alt som tynger, og synden som så lett henger seg på oss, og holde ut i det løp som er lagt opp for oss, t 2 med blikket festet på ham som er troens opphavsmann og fullender, Jesus. For å få den glede han hadde i vente, tålte han korset uten å bry seg om vanæren, og nå har han satt seg på høyre side av Guds trone. t

3 Ja, tenk på ham som holdt ut en slik motstand fra syndere, så dere ikke blir trette og motløse.t

Gud oppdrar oss

5 Har dere glemt de manende ord som taler til dere som til sønner:t
Min sønn, ¬forakt ikke Herrens tukt,
mist ikke motet ¬når han refser deg.

6 For Herren tukter den ¬han elsker,
og refser hver sønn ¬han tar seg av. t
7 At dere må lide, det tjener til å oppdra dere; for Gud behandler dere som barn. Finnes det en sønn som ikke blir tuktet av sin far? 8 Hvis dere ikke får tukt som alle andre, er dere ikke sønner, men uekte barn. 9 Vi har hatt våre jordiske fedre som tuktet oss, og vi hadde respekt for dem. Har vi ikke mye større grunn til å bøye oss under ham som er åndenes Far, så vi kan vinne livet? 10 For fedrene tuktet oss bare en kort tid, slik de fant det for godt. Men han gjør det til vårt beste, for at vi skal få del i hans hellighet.

11 All tukt synes vel i øyeblikket å være mer til sorg enn til glede. Men siden gir den fred og rettferd som frukt hos dem som er blitt oppøvd ved den.t

12 Derfor, rett ut ¬de slappe hender
og styrk de vaklende knær! t

13 La føttene gå rett fram på veien, så det halte ikke går av ledd, men heller blir friskt igjen.t
14 Legg vinn på å leve i fred med alle og strev etter helliggjørelse, for uten helliggjørelse skal ingen se Herren. t 15 Se til at det ikke er noen som lar Guds nåde gå fra seg! La ingen bitter rot få vokse opp og volde skade, så mange blir smittet av den. t 16 Se til at ikke noen driver hor og lever ugudelig som Esau, han som solgte sin førstefødselsrett for et måltid mat. t

17 Dere vet jo at da han siden ville få sin fars velsignelse, ble han avvist, enda han gråtende bad om den. For han fant ikke vei til omvendelse.t

Sinai og Sion

24 til Jesus, mellommannen for en ny pakt, og til det rensende blod som taler sterkere enn Abels blod.t
25 Se til at dere ikke avviser ham som taler! De som avviste ham som talte sitt ord her på jorden, slapp ikke unna. Enda mindre skal vi gjøre det dersom vi vender oss bort fra ham som taler fra himmelen. t 26 Hans røst fikk den gang jorden til å skjelve. Men nå har han lovt: «Enda en gang vil jeg ryste, ikke bare jorden, men også himmelen.» t 27 Her står det: «enda en gang». Det viser at det som kan rokkes, fordi det hører til det skapte, det skal skiftes ut, for at det som ikke kan rokkes, skal bestå. t 28 Siden vi altså får et rike som ikke kan rokkes, så la oss være takknemlige og med takk gjøre vår tjeneste slik Gud vil, i ærbødighet og frykt. 29 For vår Gud er en fortærende ild.t