Hebrews 11:32-12:13

New King James Version

³² And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of ^(A)Gideon and ^(B)Barak and ^(C)Samson and ^(D)Jephthah, also of ^(E)David and ^(F)Samuel and the prophets: ³³ who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, ^(G)stopped the mouths of lions, ^34 (H)quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. ^35 (I)Women received their dead raised to life again.

Others were ^(J)tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. ³⁶ Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and ^(K)of chains and imprisonment. ^37 (L)They were stoned, they were sawn in two, ^[a]were tempted, were slain with the sword. ^(M)They wandered about ^(N)in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— ³⁸ of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, ^(O)in dens and caves of the earth.

³⁹ And all these, ^(P)having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, ⁴⁰ God having provided something better for us, that they should not be ^(Q)made perfect apart from us.

The Race of Faith

12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, ^(R)let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and ^(S)let us run ^(T)with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the ^[b]author and ^[c]finisher of our faith, ^(U)who for the joy that was set before Him ^(V)endured the cross, despising the shame, and ^(W)has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Discipline of God^(X)

^3 (Y)For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, ^(Z)lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. ^4 (AA)You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. ⁵ And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:

^7 (AD)If^[e] you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what ^(AE)son is there whom a father does not chasten? ⁸ But if you are without chastening, ^(AF)of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. ⁹ Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to ^(AG)the Father of spirits and live? ¹⁰ For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, ^(AH)that we may be partakers of His holiness. ¹¹ Now no ^[f]chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields ^(AI)the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Renew Your Spiritual Vitality^(AJ)

¹² Therefore ^(AK)strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, ¹³ and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.