| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, | 1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. |
| 2keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. | 2We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. |
| 3Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up. | 3Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. |
| 4You have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed in your struggle against sin. | 4After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. |
| 5And have you forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons? "My son, do not scorn the Lord's discipline or give up when he corrects you. | 5And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. |
| 6"For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts." | 6For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” |
| 7Endure your suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? | 7As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? |
| 8But if you do not experience discipline, something all sons have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons. | 8If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. |
| 9Besides, we have experienced discipline from our earthly fathers and we respected them; shall we not submit ourselves all the more to the Father of spirits and receive life? | 9Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? |
| 10For they disciplined us for a little while as seemed good to them, but he does so for our benefit, that we may share his holiness. | 10For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. |
| 11Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful. But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness for those trained by it. | 11No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. |
| 12Therefore, strengthen your listless hands and your weak knees, | 12So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. |
| 13and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but be healed. | 13Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. A Call to Listen to God |
| 14Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, for without it no one will see the Lord. | 14Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. |
| 15See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God, that no one be like a bitter root springing up and causing trouble, and through him many become defiled. | 15Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. |
| 16And see to it that no one becomes an immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. | 16Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. |
| 17For you know that later when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance, although he sought the blessing with tears. | 17You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears. |
| 18For you have not come to something that can be touched, to a burning fire and darkness and gloom and a whirlwind | 18You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. |
| 19and the blast of a trumpet and a voice uttering words such that those who heard begged to hear no more. | 19For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. |
| 20For they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned." | 20They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” |
| 21In fact, the scene was so terrifying that Moses said, "I shudder with fear." | 21Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.” |
| 22But you have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the assembly | 22No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. |
| 23and congregation of the firstborn, who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous, who have been made perfect, | 23You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. |
| 24and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks of something better than Abel's does. | 24You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel. |
| 25Take care not to refuse the one who is speaking! For if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less shall we, if we reject the one who warns from heaven? | 25Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! |
| 26Then his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "I will once more shake not only the earth but heaven too." | 26When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” |
| 27Now this phrase "once more" indicates the removal of what is shaken, that is, of created things, so that what is unshaken may remain. | 27This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain. |
| 28So since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us give thanks, and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe. | 28Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. |
| 29For our God is indeed a devouring fire. | 29For our God is a devouring fire. |
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