Hebrews 11

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Faith and Assurance

¹Ἔστιν δὲ πίστις ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων

¹Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.

²ἐν ταύτῃ γὰρ ἐμαρτυρήθησαν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι

²This is why the ancients were commended.

³Πίστει νοοῦμεν κατηρτίσθαι τοὺς αἰῶνας ῥήματι Θεοῦ εἰς τὸ μὴ ἐκ φαινομένων τὸ βλεπόμενον γεγονέναι

³By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

The Faith of Abel, Enoch, Noah

⁴Πίστει πλείονα θυσίαν Ἅβελ παρὰ Κάϊν προσήνεγκεν τῷ Θεῷ δι’ ἧς ἐμαρτυρήθη εἶναι δίκαιος μαρτυροῦντος ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ δι’ αὐτῆς ἀποθανὼν ἔτι λαλεῖ

⁴By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God gave approval to his gifts. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

⁵Πίστει Ἑνὼχ μετετέθη τοῦ μὴ ἰδεῖν θάνατον καὶ οὐχ ηὑρίσκετο διότι μετέθηκεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεός πρὸ γὰρ τῆς μεταθέσεως μεμαρτύρηται εὐαρεστηκέναι τῷ Θεῷ

⁵By faith Enoch was taken up^a so that he did not see death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”^b For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.

⁶χωρὶς δὲ πίστεως ἀδύνατον εὐαρεστῆσαι πιστεῦσαι γὰρ δεῖ τὸν προσερχόμενον τῷ Θεῷ ὅτι ἔστιν καὶ τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν αὐτὸν μισθαποδότης γίνεται

⁶And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

⁷Πίστει χρηματισθεὶς Νῶε περὶ τῶν μηδέπω βλεπομένων εὐλαβηθεὶς κατεσκεύασεν κιβωτὸν εἰς σωτηρίαν τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ δι’ ἧς κατέκρινεν τὸν κόσμον καὶ τῆς κατὰ πίστιν δικαιοσύνης ἐγένετο κληρονόμος

⁷By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

The Faith of Abraham and Sarah

⁸Πίστει καλούμενος Ἀβραὰμ ὑπήκουσεν ἐξελθεῖν εἰς τόπον ὃν ἤμελλεν λαμβάνειν εἰς κληρονομίαν καὶ ἐξῆλθεν μὴ ἐπιστάμενος ποῦ ἔρχεται

⁸By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going.

⁹Πίστει παρῴκησεν εἰς γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ὡς ἀλλοτρίαν ἐν σκηναῖς κατοικήσας μετὰ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ τῶν συνκληρονόμων τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῆς αὐτῆς

⁹By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.

¹⁰ἐξεδέχετο γὰρ τὴν τοὺς θεμελίους ἔχουσαν πόλιν ἧς τεχνίτης καὶ δημιουργὸς ὁ Θεός

¹⁰For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

¹¹Πίστει καὶ αὐτῇ Σάρρᾳ στεῖρα δύναμιν εἰς καταβολὴν σπέρματος ἔλαβεν καὶ παρὰ καιρὸν ἡλικίας ἐπεὶ πιστὸν ἡγήσατο τὸν ἐπαγγειλάμενον

¹¹By faith Sarah, even though she was barren and beyond the proper age, was enabled to conceive a child, because she considered Him faithful who had promised.

¹²διὸ καὶ ἀφ’ ἑνὸς ἐγεννήθησαν καὶ ταῦτα νενεκρωμένου καθὼς τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῷ πλήθει καὶ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος ἡ παρὰ τὸ χεῖλος τῆς θαλάσσης ἡ ἀναρίθμητος

¹²And so from one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

¹³Κατὰ πίστιν ἀπέθανον οὗτοι πάντες μὴ λαμβάνω τὰς ἐπαγγελίας ἀλλὰ πόρρωθεν αὐτὰς ἰδόντες καὶ ἀσπασάμενοι καὶ ὁμολογήσαντες ὅτι ξένοι καὶ παρεπίδημοί εἰσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

¹³All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

¹⁴οἱ γὰρ τοιαῦτα λέγοντες ἐμφανίζουσιν ὅτι πατρίδα ἐπιζητοῦσιν

¹⁴Now those who say such things show that they are seeking a country of their own.

¹⁵καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐκείνης ἐμνημόνευον ἀφ’ ἧς ἐξέβησαν εἶχον ἂν καιρὸν ἀνακάμψαι

¹⁵If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.

¹⁶νῦν δὲ κρείττονος ὀρέγονται τοῦτ’ ἔστιν ἐπουρανίου διὸ οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεται αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς Θεὸς ἐπικαλεῖσθαι αὐτῶν ἡτοίμασεν γὰρ αὐτοῖς πόλιν

¹⁶Instead, they were longing for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

¹⁷Πίστει προσενήνοχεν Ἀβραὰμ τὸν Ἰσαὰκ πειραζόμενος καὶ τὸν μονογενῆ προσέφερεν ὁ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας ἀναδεξάμενος

¹⁷By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac on the altar. He who had received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son,^a

¹⁸πρὸς ὃν ἐλαλήθη ὅτι Ἐν Ἰσαὰκ κληθήσεταί σοι σπέρμα

¹⁸even though God had said to him, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”^a

¹⁹λογισάμενος ὅτι καὶ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγείρειν δυνατὸς ὁ Θεός ὅθεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐν παραβολῇ ἐκομίσατο

¹⁹Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and in a sense, he did receive Isaac back from death.

The Faith of Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph

²⁰Πίστει καὶ περὶ μελλόντων εὐλόγησεν Ἰσαὰκ τὸν Ἰακὼβ καὶ τὸν Ἠσαῦ

²⁰By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future.

²¹Πίστει Ἰακὼβ ἀποθνῄσκων ἕκαστον τῶν υἱῶν Ἰωσὴφ εὐλόγησεν καὶ προσεκύνησεν ἐπὶ τὸ ἄκρον τῆς ῥάβδου αὐτοῦ

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

²²Πίστει Ἰωσὴφ τελευτῶν περὶ τῆς ἐξόδου τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἐμνημόνευσεν καὶ περὶ τῶν ὀστέων αὐτοῦ ἐνετείλατο

²²By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones.

The Faith of Moses

²³Πίστει Μωϋσῆς γεννηθεὶς ἐκρύβη τρίμηνον ὑπὸ τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ διότι εἶδον ἀστεῖον τὸ παιδίον καὶ οὐκ ἐφοβήθησαν τὸ διάταγμα τοῦ βασιλέως

²³By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were unafraid of the king’s edict.

²⁴Πίστει Μωϋσῆς μέγας γενόμενος ἠρνήσατο λέγεσθαι υἱὸς θυγατρὸς Φαραώ

²⁴By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.

²⁵μᾶλλον ἑλόμενος συνκακουχεῖσθαι τῷ λαῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἢ πρόσκαιρον ἔχειν ἁμαρτίας ἀπόλαυσιν

²⁵He chose to suffer oppression with God’s people rather than to experience the fleeting enjoyment of sin.

²⁶μείζονα πλοῦτον ἡγησάμενος τῶν Αἰγύπτου θησαυρῶν τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀπέβλεπεν γὰρ εἰς τὴν μισθαποδοσίαν

²⁶He valued disgrace for Christ above the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his reward.

²⁷Πίστει κατέλιπεν Αἴγυπτον μὴ φοβηθεὶς τὸν θυμὸν τοῦ βασιλέως τὸν γὰρ ἀόρατον ὡς ὁρῶν ἐκαρτέρησεν

²⁷By faith Moses left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.

²⁸Πίστει πεποίηκεν τὸ πάσχα καὶ τὴν πρόσχυσιν τοῦ αἵματος ἵνα μὴ ὁ ὀλοθρεύων τὰ πρωτότοκα θίγῃ αὐτῶν

²⁸By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch Israel’s own firstborn.

²⁹Πίστει διέβησαν τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν Θάλασσαν ὡς διὰ ξηρᾶς γῆς ἧς πεῖραν λαβόντες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι κατεπόθησαν

²⁹By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to follow,^a they were drowned.

The Faith of Many

³⁰Πίστει τὰ τείχη Ἰεριχὼ ἔπεσαν κυκλωθέντα ἐπὶ ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας

³⁰By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.

³¹Πίστει Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη οὐ συναπώλετο τοῖς ἀπειθήσασιν δεξαμένη τοὺς κατασκόπους μετ’ εἰρήνης

³¹By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies in peace, did not perish with those who were disobedient.

³²Καὶ τί ἔτι λέγω ἐπιλείψει με γὰρ διηγούμενον ὁ χρόνος περὶ Γεδεών Βαράκ Σαμψών Ἰεφθάε Δαυίδ τε καὶ Σαμουὴλ καὶ τῶν προφητῶν

³²And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,

³³οἳ διὰ πίστεως κατηγωνίσαντο βασιλείας εἰργάσαντο δικαιοσύνην ἐπέτυχον ἐπαγγελιῶν ἔφραξαν στόματα λεόντων

³³who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,

³⁴ἔσβεσαν δύναμιν πυρός ἔφυγον στόματα μαχαίρης ἐδυναμώθησαν ἀπὸ ἀσθενείας ἐγενήθησαν ἰσχυροὶ ἐν πολέμῳ παρεμβολὰς ἔκλιναν ἀλλοτρίων

³⁴quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.

³⁵Ἔλαβον γυναῖκες ἐξ ἀναστάσεως τοὺς νεκροὺς αὐτῶν ἄλλοι δὲ ἐτυμπανίσθησαν οὐ προσδεξάμενοι τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν ἵνα κρείττονος ἀναστάσεως τύχωσιν

³⁵Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused their release, so that they might gain a better resurrection.

³⁶ἕτεροι δὲ ἐμπαιγμῶν καὶ μαστίγων πεῖραν ἔλαβον ἔτι δὲ δεσμῶν καὶ φυλακῆς

³⁶Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.

³⁷Ἐλιθάσθησαν ἐπρίσθησαν ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρης ἀπέθανον περιῆλθον ἐν μηλωταῖς ἐν αἰγείοις δέρμασιν ὑστερούμενοι θλιβόμενοι κακουχούμενοι

³⁷They were stoned, they were sawed in two,^a they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated.

³⁸ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος ἐπὶ ἐρημίαις πλανώμενοι καὶ ὄρεσιν καὶ σπηλαίοις καὶ ταῖς ὀπαῖς τῆς γῆς

³⁸The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground.

³⁹Καὶ οὗτοι πάντες μαρτυρηθέντες διὰ τῆς πίστεως οὐκ ἐκομίσαντο τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν

³⁹These were all commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised.

⁴⁰τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ ἡμῶν κρεῖττόν τι προβλεψαμένου ἵνα μὴ χωρὶς ἡμῶν τελειωθῶσιν

⁴⁰God had planned something better for us, so that together with us they would be made perfect.