Hebrews 11

Faith and Assurance

(Genesis 1:1–2; John 1:1–5)

1NowG1161 faithG4102 isG1510 the assuranceG5287 of what we hope forG1679 and the certaintyG1650 of whatG4229 we do not seeG3756G991. 2This is whyG1063G1722G3778 theG3588 ancientsG4245 were commendedG3140.

3By faithG4102 we understand thatG3539 theG3588 universeG165 was formedG2675 at God’s commandG4487G2316, so thatG1519 whatG3588 is seenG991 was not madeG3361G1096 out ofG1537 whatG3588 was visibleG5316.

The Faith of Abel, Enoch, Noah

(Genesis 4–9)

4By faithG4102 AbelG6 offeredG4374 GodG2316 a betterG4119 sacrificeG2378 thanG3844 CainG2535 did. ByG1223 faith he was commendedG3140 asG1510 righteousG1342 when GodG2316 gave approvalG3140 toG1909 hisG846 giftsG1435. AndG2532 byG1223 faith he still speaksG2089G2980, even though he is deadG599.

5By faithG4102 EnochG1802 was taken upG33461 so that he did not seeG3361G3708 deathG2288: “He could not be foundG3756G2147, becauseG1360 GodG2316 had taken him awayG3346G846.”2 ForG1063 beforeG4253 he was takenG3331, he was commended asG3140 one who pleasedG2100 GodG2316.

6AndG1161 withoutG5565 faithG4102 it is impossibleG102 to pleaseG2100 God. ForG1063 anyone whoG3588 approachesG4334 Him mustG1163 believeG4100 thatG3754 He existsG1510 andG2532 that He rewardsG1096G3406 those whoG3588 earnestly seekG1567 HimG846.

7By faithG4102 NoahG3575, when warnedG5537 aboutG4012 thingsG3588 not yetG3369 seenG991, in godly fearG2125 builtG2680 an arkG2787 toG1519 saveG4991 hisG846 familyG3624. ByG1223 faith he condemnedG2632 theG3588 worldG2889 andG2532 becameG1096 heirG2818 of theG3588 righteousnessG1343 that comes byG2596 faithG4102.

The Faith of Abraham and Sarah

(Genesis 15–22; Romans 4:1–12)

8By faithG4102 AbrahamG11, when calledG2564 to goG1831 toG1519 a placeG5117 he would laterG3195 receiveG2983 asG1519 his inheritanceG2817, obeyedG5219 andG2532 wentG1831, withoutG3361 knowingG1987 whereG4226 he was goingG2064. 9By faithG4102 he dweltG3939 inG1519 theG3588 promisedG1860 landG1093 as a strangerG5613 in a foreignG245 country. He livedG2730 inG1722 tentsG4633, as didG3326 IsaacG2464 andG2532 JacobG2384, whoG3588 were heirs with himG4789 of theG3588 sameG846 promiseG1860. 10ForG1063 he was looking forward toG1551 theG3588 cityG4172 withG2192 foundationsG2310, whoseG3739 architectG5079 andG2532 builderG1217 is GodG2316.

11By faithG4102 SarahG4564, even thoughG2532 sheG846 was barrenG4723 andG2532 beyondG3844 the properG2540 ageG2244, was enabledG2983G1411 toG1519 conceiveG2602 a childG4690, becauseG1893 she consideredG2233 HimG3588 faithfulG4103 who had promisedG1861. 12AndG2532 soG1352 fromG575 one manG1520, andG2532 heG3778 as good as deadG3499, came descendantsG1080 asG2531 numerousG4128 as theG3588 starsG798 in theG3588 skyG3772 andG2532 as countlessG382 asG5613 theG3588 sandG285 onG3844 theG3588 seashoreG5491G3588G2281.

13AllG3956 theseG3778 people diedG599 inG2596 faithG4102, withoutG3361 having receivedG2983 the thingsG3588 they were promisedG1860. HoweverG235, they sawG3708 them andG2532 welcomedG782 themG846 from afarG4207. AndG2532 they acknowledgedG3670 thatG3754 they wereG1510 strangersG3581 andG2532 exilesG3927 onG1909 theG3588 earthG1093.

14NowG1063 those whoG3588 sayG3004 such thingsG5108 showG1718 thatG3754 they are seekingG1934 a country of their ownG3968. 15IfG1487 they had been thinking ofG3421 the country they had leftG1545, they would have hadG302G2192 opportunityG2540 to returnG344. 16InsteadG1161G3568, they were longing forG3713 a betterG2909 country, a heavenlyG2032 one. ThereforeG1352 GodG2316 is not ashamedG3756G1870 to be calledG1941 theirG846 GodG2316, forG1063 He has preparedG2090 a cityG4172 for themG846.

17By faithG4102 AbrahamG11, when he was testedG3985, offered upG4374 IsaacG2464 on the altar. He whoG3588 had receivedG324 theG3588 promisesG1860 was ready to offerG4374 his one and only sonG3439,3 18even thoughG4314 God had saidG2980 to himG3739, “ThroughG1722 IsaacG2464 yourG4771 offspringG4690 will be reckonedG2564.”4 19Abraham reasonedG3049 thatG3754 GodG2316 couldG1415 raiseG1453 the deadG3498, and inG1722 a senseG3850, he did receiveG2865 Isaac backG2532 fromG3606 death.

The Faith of Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph

(Genesis 27–50)

20By faithG4102 IsaacG2464 blessedG2127 JacobG2384 andG2532 EsauG2269 concerningG4012 the futureG3195.

21By faithG4102 JacobG2384, when he was dyingG599, blessedG2127 eachG1538 ofG3588 Joseph’sG2501 sonsG5207 andG2532 worshipedG4352 as he leaned onG1909 theG3588 topG206 ofG3588 hisG846 staffG4464.

22By faithG4102 JosephG2501, when his end was nearG5053, spoke aboutG3421G4012 theG3588 exodusG1841 of theG3588 IsraelitesG5207G2474 andG2532 gave instructionsG1781 aboutG4012 hisG846 bonesG3747.

The Faith of Moses

(Exodus 2–15; Acts 7:20–22)

23By faithG4102 Moses’ parentsG3962 hid himG2928 for three monthsG5150 after his birthG1080, becauseG1360 they sawG3708 that he was a beautifulG791 childG3813, andG2532 they were unafraidG3756G5399 of theG3588 king’sG3588G935 edictG1297.

24By faithG4102 MosesG3475, when he wasG1096 grownG3173, refusedG720 to be calledG3004 the sonG5207 of Pharaoh’sG5328 daughterG2364. 25He choseG138 to suffer oppression withG4778 God’sG2316 peopleG2992 ratherG3123 thanG2228 to experienceG2192 the fleetingG4340 enjoymentG619 of sinG266. 26He valuedG3173G4149G2233 disgraceG3680 for ChristG5547 above theG3588 treasuresG2344 of EgyptG125, forG1063 he was lookingG578 aheadG1519 toG3588 his rewardG3405.

27By faithG4102 Moses leftG2641 EgyptG125, notG3361 fearingG5399 theG3588 king’sG935 angerG2372; he perseveredG2594 becauseG5613 he sawG3708 Him who is invisibleG517. 28By faithG4102 he keptG4160 theG3588 PassoverG3957 andG2532 theG3588 sprinklingG4378 of bloodG129, so thatG2443 theG3588 destroyerG3645 of theG3588 firstbornG4416 would not touchG3361G2345 Israel’s own firstborn.

29By faithG4102 the people passed throughG1224 theG3588 RedG2063 SeaG2281 asG5613 onG1223 dryG3584 landG1093; but when theG3588 EgyptiansG124 triedG3984 to followG2983,5 they were drownedG2666.

The Faith of Many

(Joshua–Malachi)

30By faithG4102 theG3588 wallsG5038 of JerichoG2410 fellG4098, after the people had marched around themG2944 forG1909 sevenG2033 daysG2250.

31By faithG4102 theG3588 prostituteG4204 RahabG4460, because she welcomedG1209 theG3588 spiesG2685 inG3326 peaceG1515, did not perish withG3756G4881 those whoG3588 were disobedientG544.

32AndG2532 whatG5101 moreG2089 shall I sayG3004? TimeG5550 will not allowG1952 meG1473 to tellG1334 ofG4012 GideonG1066, BarakG913, SamsonG4546, JephthahG2422, DavidG1138, SamuelG4545, andG2532 theG3588 prophetsG4396, 33whoG3739 throughG1223 faithG4102 conqueredG2610 kingdomsG932, administeredG2038 justiceG1343, and gainedG2013 what was promisedG1860; who shutG5420 the mouthsG4750 of lionsG3023, 34quenchedG4570 the ragingG1411 fireG4442, and escapedG5343 the edgeG4750 of the swordG3162; who gained strengthG1412 fromG575 weaknessG769, becameG1096 mightyG2478 inG1722 battleG4171, and putG2827 foreignG245 armies to flightG3925.

35WomenG1135 received backG2983 theirG846 deadG3498, raised to life againG1537G386. OthersG243 were torturedG5178 and refusedG3756G4327 their releaseG629, so thatG2443 they might gainG5177 a betterG2909 resurrectionG386. 36Still othersG2087 enduredG2983G3984 mockingG1701 andG2532 floggingG3148, andG1161 evenG2089 chainsG1199 andG2532 imprisonmentG5438.

37They were stonedG3034, they were sawed in twoG4249,6 they were put to deathG599 byG1722 the swordG3162. They went aroundG4022 inG1722 sheepskinsG3374 and goatskinsG122G1192, destituteG5302, oppressedG2346, and mistreatedG2558. 38TheG3588 worldG2889 wasG1510 notG3756 worthyG514 ofG3739 them. They wanderedG4105 inG1909 desertsG2047 andG2532 mountainsG3735, andG2532 hid in cavesG4693 andG2532 holesG3692 in theG3588 groundG1093.

39

TheseG3778 were allG3956 commendedG3140 forG1223 their faithG4102, yet they did not receiveG3756G2865 whatG3588 was promisedG1860. 40GodG2316 had plannedG4265 somethingG5100 betterG2909 forG4012 usG1473, so thatG2443 together withG3361G5565 usG1473 they would be made perfectG5048.