Hebrews 11:4-40

New International Version

⁴ By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended^(A) as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.^(B) And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.^(C)

⁵ By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”^[a](D) For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him^(E) must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

⁷ By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen,^(F) in holy fear built an ark^(G) to save his family.^(H) By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.^(I)

⁸ By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance,^(J) obeyed and went,^(K) even though he did not know where he was going. ⁹ By faith he made his home in the promised land^(L) like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents,^(M) as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.^{(N) 10} For he was looking forward to the city^(O) with foundations,^(P) whose architect and builder is God.^{(Q) 11} And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age,^(R) was enabled to bear children^(S) because she^[b] considered him faithful^(T) who had made the promise. ¹² And so from this one man, and he as good as dead,^(U) came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.^(V)

¹³ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;^(W) they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,^(X) admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.^{(Y) 14} People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.^{(Z) 16} Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.^(AA) Therefore God is not ashamed^(AB) to be called their God,^(AC) for he has prepared a city^(AD) for them.

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.^(AE) He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, ¹⁸ even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”^{[c](AF) 19} Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead,^(AG) and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

²⁰ By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.^(AH)

²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons,^(AI) and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

²² By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.^(AJ)

²³ By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born,^(AK) because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.^(AL)

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.^{(AM) 25} He chose to be mistreated^(AN) along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He regarded disgrace^(AO) for the sake of Christ^(AP) as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.^{(AQ) 27} By faith he left Egypt,^(AR) not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. ²⁸ By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer^(AS) of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.^(AT)

²⁹ By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.^(AU)

³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.^(AV)

³¹ By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.^[d](AW)

³² And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon,^(AX) Barak,^(AY) Samson^(AZ) and Jephthah,^(BA) about David^(BB) and Samuel^(BC) and the prophets, ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms,^(BD) administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,^{(BE) 34} quenched the fury of the flames,^(BF) and escaped the edge of the sword;^(BG) whose weakness was turned to strength;^(BH) and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.^{(BI) 35} Women received back their dead, raised to life again.^(BJ) There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. ³⁶ Some faced jeers and flogging,^(BK) and even chains and imprisonment.^{(BL) 37} They were put to death by stoning;^[e](BM) they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword.^(BN) They went about in sheepskins and goatskins,^(BO) destitute, persecuted and mistreated— ³⁸ the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves^(BP) and in holes in the ground.

³⁹ These were all commended^(BQ) for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,^{(BR) 40} since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us^(BS) would they be made perfect.^(BT)