Hebrews 11

Now faith is assurance of things being hoped {for}, proof of things not being seen.

For by this the ancients were commended.

By faith we understand the ages to have been prepared by the word of God—so that {what} is seen was not made from what is visible. \*

By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was testified to be righteous, God testifying because of his gifts, and through {faith}, having died, he still speaks. \*

By faith Enoch was transferred, so that he did not see death, and “He was not found, because God transferred him.” For before his transfer, he was reported to have been well-pleasing to God.

Now without faith {it is} impossible to be well-pleasing, for it is necessary for the one coming to God to believe that he exists and is a rewarder of the ones seeking him. \*

By faith Noah, having been warned about the things not yet being seen, having become reverent, built an ark for salvation of his household, through which he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness {which is} according to faith. \*

By faith, Abraham, being called, obeyed to go out to a place that he was going to receive for an inheritance and went out, not fully knowing where he is going.

By faith he lived as a foreigner in the land of the promise, having lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the fellow heirs of the same promise,

for he was waiting for the city having foundations, whose architect and builder {is} God. \*

By faith, even Sarah herself received ability for the conception of an offspring, even beyond the time of full age, since she considered {to be} faithful the one having promised.

Therefore, also from one {man}—and he having become dead—these {children} were born, just as the stars of the sky in their great number and countless as the sand along the shore of the sea. \*

According to their faith all these died without receiving the promises, but seeing and greeting them from far off, and having confessed that they are strangers and foreigners on the earth.

For those saying such things are making it clear that they seek a homeland. \*

And if indeed they had been thinking of that {land} from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.

But now they reach for a better {land}, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he prepared a city for them. \*

By faith Abraham, being tested, had offered Isaac; even the one having welcomed the promises offered up his one and only {son},

to whom it was said, “Through Isaac your offspring will be named,”

having reasoned that God is able to raise up even from the dead, and in a parable, he received him back from there. \*

By faith also, concerning coming things, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.

By faith Jacob, {when} dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped on the end of his staff.

By faith Joseph, coming to an end, mentioned about the exodus of the sons of Israel and commanded {them} about his bones. \*

By faith Moses, having been born, was hidden for three months by his parents because they saw that the little child {was} beautiful, and they were not afraid of the decree of the king.

By faith Moses, having become great, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.

Rather, he chose to suffer evil together with the people of God than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin.

He considered the reproach of the Christ greater riches {than} the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking away toward his reward. \*

By faith he left Egypt behind, not having feared the wrath of the king, for he endured as if he were seeing the unseen one.

By faith he has performed the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer {of} the firstborn would not touch them. \*

By faith they passed through the Red Sea as if through dry land, which the Egyptians, having taken an attempt, were swallowed up.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, having been encircled for seven days.

By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish together with the ones having disobeyed, having welcomed the spies with peace. \*

And what more might I say? For the time will fail me, fully relating about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, and also Samuel and the prophets,

who through faith conquered kingdoms, worked justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,

extinguished the power of fire, escaped the mouth of the sword, were empowered out of weakness, became strong in battle, {and} routed foreign armies. \*

Women received back their dead by resurrection, but others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;

and others received a trial of mockings and of whippings, and even more of chains and of imprisonment.

They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tried, they died with slaughter of a sword, they went about in sheepskins {and} in goatskins, destitute, oppressed, mistreated;

(of which {people} the world was not worthy), being caused to wander about in deserts and mountains and caves and the holes in the ground. \*

And all these {people}, having been commended because of their faith, did not receive the promise,

God having provided something better concerning us, so that without us, they would not be made perfect. \*