Sometimes you were publicly exposed to taunts and afflictions, and at other times you were companions of those who were treated that way.

For you sympathized with the prisoners and accepted with joy the confiscation of your possessions, knowing that you yourselves have a better and enduring possession.

For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised.

By faith we understand that the universe was created by God’s command, so that what is seen has been made from things that are not visible.

By faith Enoch was taken away so he did not experience death, and he was not to be found because God took him away. For prior to his removal he was approved, since he had pleased God.

Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.

By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family. By faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the One who had promised was faithful.

These all died in faith without having received the promises, but they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth.

Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.

If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return.

By faith, after Moses was born, he was hidden by his parents for three months, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they didn’t fear the king’s edict.

By faith he instituted the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch the Israelites.

Women received their dead—they were raised to life again. Some men were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection,

since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.

Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us,

keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, so that you won’t grow weary and lose heart.

And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons:

My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly
or faint when you are reproved by Him,

For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but He does it for our benefit, so that we can share His holiness.

and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed instead.

Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and by it, defiling many.

And make sure that there isn’t any immoral or irreverent person like Esau, who sold his birthright in exchange for one meal.

For you know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected because he didn’t find any opportunity for repentance, though he sought it with tears.

to the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of words. (Those who heard it begged that not another word be spoken to them,

The appearance was so terrifying that Moses said, I am terrified and trembling.)

Make sure that you do not reject the One who speaks. For if they did not escape when they rejected Him who warned them on earth, even less will we if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven.

His voice shook the earth at that time, but now He has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven.

This expression, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what is not shaken might remain.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe,

Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the gate, so that He might sanctify the people by His own blood.

Therefore, through Him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips that confess His name.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Pray for us; for we are convinced that we have a clear conscience, wanting to conduct ourselves honorably in everything.

And I especially urge you to pray that I may be restored to you very soon.

equip you with all that is good to do His will, working in us what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ. Glory belongs to Him forever and ever. Amen.

Be aware that our brother Timothy has been released. If he comes soon enough, he will be with me when I see you.

knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

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

A man who endures trials is blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures.

If you look with favor on the man wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor man, “Stand over there,” or, “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,”

Listen, my dear brothers: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that He has promised to those who love Him?

Yet you dishonored that poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?

Don’t they blaspheme the noble name that was pronounced over you at your baptism?

You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe—and they shudder.

Foolish man! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless?

You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was perfected.

So the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, and he was called God’s friend.

You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Not many should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment,

What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from the cravings that are at war within you?

You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your evil desires.

Adulteresses! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy.

Or do you think it’s without reason the Scripture says that the Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously?

You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes.

Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

Come now, you rich people! Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming on you.

Look! The pay that you withheld from the workers who reaped your fields cries out, and the outcry of the harvesters has reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.

Brothers, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!

Now above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. Your “yes” must be “yes,” and your “no” must be “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours; yet he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land.

let him know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his life from death and cover a multitude of sins.

and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.

You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

so that the genuineness of your faith—more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated.

They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the messianic sufferings and the glories that would follow.

It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Angels desire to look into these things.

For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold,

but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.

who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

but the word of the Lord endures forever.

And this is the word that was preached as the gospel to you.

Like newborn infants, desire the pure spiritual milk, so that you may grow by it for your salvation,

since you have tasted that the Lord is good.

So honor will come to you who believe, but for the unbelieving,

The stone that the builders rejected—
this One has become the cornerstone,

and

A stone to stumble over,
and a rock to trip over.

They stumble because they disobey the message; they were destined for this.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people for His possession,
so that you may proclaim the praises
of the One who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light.

Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires that war against you.

Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that in a case where they speak against you as those who do what is evil, they will, by observing your good works, glorify God on the day of visitation.

For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.

For you were called to this,
because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example,
so that you should follow in His steps.

He Himself bore our sins
in His body on the tree,
so that, having died to sins,
we might live for righteousness;
you have been healed by His wounds.

In the same way, wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the Christian message, they may be won over without a message by the way their wives live

Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives with an understanding of their weaker nature yet showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you can inherit a blessing.

but honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are accused, those who denounce your Christian life will be put to shame.

For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

For Christ also suffered for sins once for all,
the righteous for the unrighteous,
that He might bring you to God,
after being put to death in the fleshly realm
but made alive in the spiritual realm.

In that state He also went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison

who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah while an ark was being prepared. In it a few—that is, eight people—were saved through water.

Now that He has gone into heaven, He is at God’s right hand with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him.

So they are surprised that you don’t plunge with them into the same flood of wild living—and they slander you.

For this reason the gospel was also preached to those who are now dead, so that, although they might be judged by men in the fleshly realm, they might live by God in the spiritual realm.

If anyone speaks, it should be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, it should be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory.