1 A great cloud of witnesses surround us. Therefore let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that easily entangles us. Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
2 Look to consider without distractions Jesus, the Leader Predecessor and Finisher Perfecter of our faith. He despised the shame. He endured the stake for the joy that was set before him. Then he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Consider him who endured such contrary talk by sinners against him. You should not get tired and give up in your mind heart.
4 You have not yet resisted by shedding blood in your striving against sin.
5 You have forgotten the exhortation that reasons with you as to sons: »My son, do not despise regard lightly discipline from Jehovah and do not lose heart when he corrects you. (Proverbs 3:11, 12)
6 »Jehovah disciplines those he loves. In fact he scourges every son child he receives.«
7 God deals with you like children. Endure discipline instructiontraining. Who is the child whom a father does not discipline?
8 If you are without discipline, you are illegitimate children, and not sons.
9 Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh that corrected us, and we gave them respect. Shall we not much more be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
10 They disciplined us for a few days for their own pleasure. He disciplines for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11 Now no discipline for the present seems to be joyous. In fact it seems grievous! Nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained.
12 Lift up the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees.
13 Make straight paths for your feet. Let that which is lame be turned out of the way, but rather let it be healed.
14 Pursue peace and holiness with all people, for no man will see the Lord without it.
15 See that no one misses the grace of God; that no bitter root spring up to cause trouble and defile many.
16 Let no one become immoral or unspiritual like Esau. He sold his birthright for a single meal!
17 Afterward, you know, he wanted to receive inherit his fathers blessing. He was turned back, because he could not find any way to change what he had done. He was in tears when he looked for it.
18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched, to Mount Sinai with its blazing fire, the darkness and the gloom, the storm.
19 You have not come to the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of a voice. When the people heard the voice, they begged not to hear another word.
20 They could not bear the order: »If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned.«
21 The sight was so terrible formidablefearful that Moses said: »I am full of fear and trembling.«
22 You have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads thousands of thousands of angels,
23 to the general assembly and congregation of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just righteousholy men made perfect maturehaving all needed qualities.
24 You have come to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks in a better way than the blood of Abel.
25 Be careful, then, and do not refuse to hear him who speaks. Those who refused to hear the one who gave the divine message on earth did not escape. How much less shall we escape then, if we turn away from the one who speaks from heaven!
26 His voice shook the earth then, but now he has promised: »I will once more shake not only the earth but also heaven.«
27 The words »once more« plainly show that the created things will be shaken and removed, so that the things that cannot be shaken will remain.
28 Let us be thankful, because we will receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let us be grateful and worship serveintensely adore God in a way that will please him, with reverence and awe.
29 Our God is a destroying consuming fire.