of whom it was told him, that in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

concluding that God was able to raise him even from the dead; from whence indeed he had in a manner received him.

By faith he observed the passover and sprinkling of the blood, that he, who destroyed the first-born of the Egyptians, might not touch them.

Women received their dead raised to life again; and others were tortured to death, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.

God having provided something better concerning us, that without us they might not be made perfect.

Having therefore so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every incumbrance, and the sin that easily besets us, and run with patience the race that is set before us,

looking unto Jesus the leader and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Wherefore consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, that ye may not give out, fainting in your minds:

For they indeed corrected us for a while, as seemed good to them; but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness.

Now no chastening seems for the present to be matter of joy but of grief: and yet afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those that are exercised thereby.

Lift up therefore the hands that hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.

And make strait paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be turned out of the way, but rather be healed.

For ye know that, when he would afterwards have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no room for repentance, though he sought it earnestly even with tears.

and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words, which they that heard, intreated that the word might not any more be thus delivered to them:

and so terrible was the appearance that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and tremble:)

and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than Abel.

See that ye reject not Him that speaketh; for if they escaped not, who rejected him that gave forth divine oracles on earth, much less shall we, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven:

Now this expression "yet once more" signifieth the removing of the things that are shaken, as of things which had been appointed only for a season, that those which cannot be shaken may remain.

Wherefore since we receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and holy fear:

Remember those that are in bonds, as if bound with them: and those that suffer evil as being yourselves also in the body.

So that we may say with courage, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

be not then carried about by various and strange doctrines; for it is good that the heart be established by grace, and not in meats, in which those that have been most exact, have not profited by them.

Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people by his own blood, suffered without the gate.

but are seeking that which is to come.

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

Be ruled by those that are your guides, and submit to them: for they watch for your souls; (as those that must give an account) that they may do it with joy and not with uneasiness: for this were unprofitable for you.

Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, desiring in all things to behave well.

And I the more earnestly intreat you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

make you perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Know that our brother Timothy is set at liberty, with whom (if he come soon) I will see you.

Salute all that preside over you, yea and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.

knowing this, that the trial of your faith worketh patience;

but let patience have it's perfect work, that ye may be entirely perfect, failing in nothing.

But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting; for he that doubteth is like a wave of the sea blown about and tossed by the wind.

Let not that man think that he shall receive any thing from the Lord.

Let the brother that is low rejoice in his exaltation: but the rich in his humiliation,

Happy is the man who sustaineth temptation; for being approved he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.

Let no one that is tempted say, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted by evils, and He tempteth no one.

who hath of his own will begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.

But he that looketh well into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

and ye turn your eyes toward him that weareth the fine clothes, and say to him, Sit thou here in an honorable place; and say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

do ye not make a partial difference within yourselves, and become judges that reason wickedly?

Hear, my beloved brethren; hath not God chosen the poor of this world who are rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which He hath promised to them that love Him? but ye have slighted the poor.

for He that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou do not commit adultery, but committest murder, thou art a transgressor of the law.

For he shall have judgement without mercy, that hath not shewn mercy: but mercy triumpheth over judgement.

What is the advantage, my brethren, if any one say that he has faith, and he hath not works, can faith alone save him?

Thou believest that there is one God; thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble.

But desirest thou to know, O vain man, that faith without works, is dead?

Thou seest that faith co-operated with his works, and that by his works his faith was perfected.

Ye see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

My brethren, be not many teachers, knowing that we who are such shall pass a stricter trial than others: for in many things we all offend;

Behold we put bridles into the mouths of horses, that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body as we please.

this is not the wisdom, that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and diabolical:

But the wisdom that is from above first is pure, then peaceable, mild, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those that promote peace.

Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask wickedly; that ye may spend it in your pleasures.

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity to God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

Do ye think the scripture speaks in vain? or does the Spirit that dwelleth in us, excite to envy?

Speak not against one another, my brethren; he that speaketh against his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law; but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

Now there is but one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou then that judgest another?

Come now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go to such a city, and spend a year there, and trade and get gain;

If the Lord will, and we should live, and do this or that:

To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is sin.

Behold the hire of the laborers, that reaped your fields, of which they are defrauded by you, crieth out against you: and the complaints of the reapers are come into the ears of the Lord of hosts.

Repine not, my brethren, against each other, that ye be not condemned: behold, the judge is at the door.

Behold, we account those happy, that are patient. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

But above all, my brethren, swear not; neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor any other oath: but let your yea be yea, and your nay nay; that ye may not fall under condemnation.

Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed: the fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Elias was a man of like passions with us, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not upon the land for three years and six months:

let him know that he, who turneth back a sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins.

That the proof of your faith, which is much more precious than of gold, (that perisheth, though tried by fire) may be found unto praise, and honor, and glory, when Jesus Christ shall be revealed:

searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ in them did declare in testifying beforehand the sufferings that were to come upon Christ, and the glories following them:

to whom it was revealed, that it was not to themselves, but to us they ministered these things, which are now declared unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you, through the holy Spirit sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

knowing that ye were redeemed from your vain conversation learned by tradition from your fathers, not with corruptible things, as silver and gold;

who through Him trust in God that raised Him from the dead, and gave Him glory, that your faith and hope might be fixed in God.

and envies, and all evil-speakings, as new-born babes desire that rational milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby:

for ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious;

Whence also it is said in scripture, Behold I lay in Sion a chief corner-stone, choice and precious: and he that confideth on it shall not be ashamed.

To you therefore who believe it is precious: but to them that are disobedient, the stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner,

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should declare the glories of Him, who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

having a good conversation among the Gentiles; that whereas they speak against you as evil-doers, they may glorify God in the day of their visitation, on account of the good works which they behold in you.

or to governors as persons sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers, and the praise of them that do well.

For so is the will of God, that by your good behaviour ye may silence the ignorance of foolish men:

For unto this are ye called; because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye might follow his steps.

who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously.

Who Himself bare our sins in his own body on the cross, that we being dead to sins, might live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye are healed.

Ye women likewise, be subject to your own husbands, that if any believe not the word, they may yet without the word be gained over by the deportment of the wives,

Whose adorning, let it not be that without, of plaiting the hair, and putting on of gold, or wearing fine clothes;

Ye husbands likewise, dwell with them according to knowledge, yielding due respect to the wife as the weaker vessel, and as joint-heirs of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

not returning evil for evil, or reproach for reproach: but on the contrary blessing even those that curse you: knowing ye are called unto this, that ye may obtain a blessing.

"For he that would desire life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile;

let him seek peace, and pursue it: for the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil."

And who will hurt you, if ye be imitators of Him that is good?

and be always ready to answer every one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and reverence:

having a good conscience, that whereas they speak against you as evil-doers, they may be ashamed who calumniate your good conversation in Christ.

As Christ also once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust (that He might introduce us to God) being indeed put to death in the flesh, but raised to life by the Spirit:

who of old were disobedient, when the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was preparing; wherein a few, that is eight souls, were saved by water.

Seeing therefore Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same thought, that he, who hath mortified the flesh, hath ceased from sin;

that he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh according to the lusts of men, but after the will of God.

in which they think it strange that ye run not with them into the same excess of riot, and therefore speak evil of you: