waiting from that time onward until his enemies are made a footstool for His feet.

we should draw close [to God] with a sincere heart and a fully assured faith, having had our hearts sprinkled from a guilty conscience [See 9:13-14] and having had our bodies washed with clean water [i.e., in our immersion].

[So], we should hold on firmly to the profession of our hope [in God], without wavering from it, for God is faithful to His promises.

And we should consider how we can stir up one another to love [more] and to perform good deeds.

We should not neglect our assembling together [as a church], as some people are in the habit of doing, but we should encourage one another [spiritually], and [do it] all the more [diligently] as you see the day [of judgment] coming closer.

for it is necessary you should persevere, that after having perform'd what God has commanded, you may receive what he has promised.

But the righteous man will live from faith, and if he should withdraw, my soul is not pleased with him.

By faith we apprehend that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that that which is seen should not take its origin from things which appear.

By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country; wherefore God is not ashamed of them, that he should be called their God: for he has prepared for them a city.

Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets.

God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a large crowd of spectators [Note: Christians are pictured here as being in a crowded arena, performing in the games], we should lay aside every [excessive] weight and sin that so easily entangle us, and with perseverance, we should run the race [of life] that lies before us.

We should fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and completer of the [or, "our"] faith. [Note: Jesus is here pictured as the one who completely fulfills the life of faith, or who provides us with the ability to live such a life]. [And] because He could look forward to joy, He endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right side of God's throne.

Consider therefore how that he endured such speaking against him of sinners, lest ye should be wearied and faint in your minds.

Furthermore, we had natural fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live?

clear the way for your feet, lest that which is lame should be quite out of joint, instead of being redress'd."

looking to it, least there be any one falling short of the grace of God, least any root of bitterness springing up should be troublesome, and by it many be defiled:

No one should be immoral or godless like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.

And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:

(for they were not able to bear what was enjoined: And if a beast should touch the mountain, it shall be stoned;

Therefore, we should be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken [i.e., the church. See Col. 1:13; Rev. 1:6, 9]. So, with reverence and awe, we should serve God in a way that pleases Him,

Marriage should be considered honorable among all people and its sexual responsibilities should be faithfully kept. For God will judge [and condemn] those people who are sexually immoral and who are sexually unfaithful to their mates.

Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.

With teachings, manifold and strange, be not carried aside; for it is, noble, that, with gratitude, should, the heart, be getting confirmed, - not with matters of food, in which, they who are walking, have not been profited.

So, we should go out to Him, outside of the camp [Note: This probably signifies separating from the whole system of Judaism, as well as full commitment to Christ], bearing the abuse that He suffered.

[So], through Jesus then, we should continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the expression of our lips as we confess His name [to be our Lord].

[You should] obey your leaders [Note: This probably refers to church elders] and submit to their oversight, for they look out for [the welfare of] your souls as men who will give an accounting [for your spiritual progress]. [Be obedient], so that they will be able to do this joyfully and not with sorrow, for that would be unprofitable to you.

Know that our brother Timotheus is set at liberty; with whom, if he should come soon, I will see you.

because you [should] know that when your faith is tested, it produces perseverance.

And you [should] allow your perseverance to complete its work, so that you will be perfect and complete, [and] not lacking in anything.

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.

But he should ask in faith, without doubting, because the person who doubts [that he will receive wisdom] is like an ocean wave that is driven and tossed by the wind.

That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

The brother of humble circumstances should boast in his exaltation,

but the one who is rich should boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field.

No one who is being tempted should say, "I am being tempted by God," for God {cannot be tempted} by evil, and he himself tempts no one.

Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

You must understand this, my dear brothers. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

Therefore, you should put away [from you] all moral filth and overflowing wickedness and humbly receive the word [of God], planted within you [by the Holy Spirit. See John 16:8], which is capable of saving your souls.

But you should not deceive yourselves by just listening [to God's word] instead of doing what the word teaches.

My brothers, ye should not have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory, in favoritism.

Suppose a man should enter your Synagogue, with gold rings and in grand clothes, and suppose a poor man should come in also, in shabby clothes,

if you should respectfully say to the suit of fine cloths, sit you there, that's for quality; and to the poor man, stand thou there, or place your self at my feet:

However, you are doing well if you fulfill [i.e., obey] the royal law found in the Scriptures [Lev. 19:18], "You should love your neighbor the same way that you love yourself."

he that said, "do not commit adultery," said too, "do not kill." though you should not commit adultery, yet if you kill, you are a transgressor of the law.

Speak and act [consistently] as people who are going to be judged by the law of liberty [that moral law that frees obedient Christians from the bondage of sin].

What profit, my brethren, - if one should be saying he hath, faith, but hath not, works; can his faith save him?

If, a brother or sister, should be naked, and coming short of the daily food,

and one of you should say to them, "Go in peace, keep warm and {eat well}," but does not give them what is necessary for the body, what [is] the benefit?

Not many [of you] should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] will be judged by a higher standard [because we have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach incorrectly].

Behold, we put bits into the horses' mouths that they should obey us, and we turn about all the body.

Behold also ships, being so great, and driven by hard winds, are led by the smallest rudder, wherever the desire of him steering should will.

Out of the same mouth goes forth blessing and cursing. It is not right, my brethren, that these things should be thus.

Who is wise and has understanding among you? He should show his works by good conduct with wisdom’s gentleness.

So, you should submit yourselves to God, but oppose the devil, and he will flee from you.

Be distressed and grieve and cry [over your sins]; your laughter should turn into grieving and your joy [should turn] into sorrow.

instead of your saying, If the Lord should so will and we should live, we will also do this or that.

Therefore be longsuffering, brethren, even to the arrival of the Lord. Behold, the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the earth, being longsuffering for it, even till he should receive the early and late rain.

[So], you people should be patient also; strengthen your hearts because the Lord's coming is near [Note: This may refer to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, or to Christ's final coming and judgment].

don't repine, my brethren, against one another, for fear you should be condemn'd. behold, the judge is at the gate.

But above everything else, my brothers, do not take oaths, not "by the heaven," nor "by the earth," nor by any other oath. But your "yes" should be [simply] "yes," and your "no," [simply] "no," so you do not fall under condemnation.

Is anyone among you suffering? He must pray. Is anyone joyful? He is to sing praises [to God].

Is anyone among you sick? He must call for the elders (spiritual leaders) of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;

And the prayer of faith shall save him being sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he should have wrought sins, it shall be remitted to him.

Elias was a man of like passions to us, and he prayed with prayer that it should not rain; and it did not rain upon the earth three years and six months;

My brothers, if anyone among you should wander away from the truth and someone turns him back,

he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from the error of his way will save that person's soul from death, and will cover over a great number of sins.

In this you rejoice greatly, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,

Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

Unto which prophets it was declared, that not unto themselves, but unto us, they should minister the things which are now showed unto you, of them which, by the holy ghost sent down from heaven, have preached unto you the things which the angels desire to behold.

but according to the Holy One, who called you [i.e., God], you people also should become holy [i.e., separated for God's service] in all your conduct,

If you address as Father, the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in [reverent] fear [of Him] and with profound respect for Him throughout the time of your stay on earth.

You [should] know that you were bought back [from Satan], from your useless way of life, inherited from your forefathers, not with such perishable things as silver and gold,

who by him do believe on God, who has raised him from among the dead and given him glory, that your faith and hope should be in God.

[Since] you have purified your souls by [your] obedience to the truth [i.e., the Gospel message], which produces a genuine love for your brothers, [now] you should have this kind of fervent, heartfelt love for one another.

Therefore, you should put out of your lives all malice [i.e., bad attitudes], and all deceit and hypocrisy, and all envy and unwholesome talk.

like newborn babies [you should] long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may be nurtured and grow in respect to salvation [its ultimate fulfillment],

You should come to Him, who is a living stone, rejected by people, but chosen as precious in God's sight.

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

You should live such good lives before [unconverted] Gentiles, so that even though they accuse you of being evildoers, by seeing your good deeds, they will [be led to] honor God [for you] on the day He visits us again [i.e., to bring judgment].

Therefore because of the Lord, ye should submit to every human establishment, whether to a king as being supreme,

and to governors as deputed by him for the punishment of wrongdoers and the encouragement of honest people ??15 for it is the will of God that by your honest lives you should silence the ignorant charges of foolish persons.

For so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

As servants of God, you should live as free people, but do not use this freedom to cover up your wrongdoing.

Those of you who are domestic servants should always be submissive and respectful to their masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are arbitrary.

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

In the same way [that Jesus was submissive], you wives should submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even though they may not obey the [Gospel] message [they have heard] they may, without your talking [to them about it],

Your beauty should not consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold ornaments or fine clothes.

Instead, it should consist of what is inside the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very valuable in God’s eyes.

In the same way, you husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way [with great gentleness and tact, and with an intelligent regard for the marriage relationship], as with someone physically weaker, since she is a woman. Show her honor and respect as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered or ineffective.

Finally, all of you be like-minded [united in spirit], sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted [courteous and compassionate toward each other as members of one household], and humble in spirit;

Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

For [Psalm 39:12 says], "The person who loves [his] life and wants to have happy days, should avoid saying anything bad or deceptive.

He should turn away from wrong living and do what is good. He should desire peace and do whatever it takes to maintain it.

But even if ye should suffer for righteousness'sake, blessed are ye: and fear not their fear, neither be troubled;