Hebrews 12

So then, because all those people who trusted God are watching us, we need to persevere in trusting God too. To do that, we need to stop sinning and avoid anything else that could hinder us.

We need to focus on Jesus, the one who enables us to trust God at first and then to do so until we die. He himself persevered when he died on the cross, and he did not care that he died shamefully. {He acted in those ways} because he knew that God would make him joyful afterward. Now, he is with God {the Father}, where he sits on the throne and rules.

You need to think about Jesus, who persevered when sinners quarreled with him, {although} they {only} hurt themselves. That way, you can be strong on the inside and persevere. \*

So far, you have not died while you oppose {what is evil} and work hard not to sin.

Further, you have failed to remember what {Solomon} encouraged his children to do, which also applies to you. {Here is what Solomon wrote}: “My child, learn carefully when the Lord trains you. Indeed, persevere when he corrects you. 6 {You should do that,} because the Lord {God} trains everyone he loves. Indeed, he severely corrects every child he calls his own.” \*

You need to persevere so that God can train you. God acts in these ways toward you because you are his children. {You can tell that this is true,} because parents always train their own children.

Suppose God did not train you, even though he trained everybody else. In that case, you would not actually be {God’s} children. \*

Moreover, our human parents trained us when we were children, and we respected them. So, we should accept it even more when our spiritual Father{, God, trains us}. That way, we will live {forever}.

Further, our human parents trained us for a short time in the ways that they thought were right. However, God our Father {trains us} in the ways that are best {for us}. That way, we become those whom he has set apart, just as he sets himself apart.

Whenever God trains us, we hurt rather than rejoice while it is happening. However, once we learn from how God is training us, we are able peacefully to do what is right. \*

Because of all that, you need to prepare yourselves to persevere in trusting God, just like runners prepare their tired bodies to continue running.

You need to focus on trusting and obeying God, just like a runner focuses on running the straightest path. That way, anyone who is spiritually weak will not stop trusting God but will instead trust him more. \*

You should seek to live peacefully with everybody. Also, {you should seek} to set yourselves apart for God. Only if you do that will you eventually be with the Lord.

Make sure that your fellow believers fully receive what God has given you. {Be alert for} anyone who begins to behave resentfully and disturbs {fellow believers}. That may lead many {other believers} to behave that way as well.

{Be alert for} people who have improper sex or do not set themselves apart for God. {These people are} like Esau, who allowed {his younger brother Jacob} to act as the firstborn child in order to get some food {from him}.

{You should avoid being like Esau,} because you realize what happened to him later. He wanted his father to bless him, but his father refused to do so. As you can see, Esau could not change what he had done, even when he cried while he tried {to change it}. \*

We have not gone closer to {what the Israelites went closer to when they arrived at Mount Sinai}. {They went closer to a mountain} that they could feel {with their hands}. They saw flames burning, dark clouds, shadows, and a thunderstorm.

They heard someone playing a trumpet and God speaking a message. When they heard God speaking, they pleaded for him not to say any more to them.

{They did that,} because they were afraid when God commanded them, “You must kill all people and animals that touch this mountain. {You must kill them} by throwing rocks at them.”

Further, when Moses saw how frightening everything was, he said, “I am shaking because I am afraid!” \*

In contrast to that, you have gone closer to a heavenly place, Mount Zion. {On this mountain is} the city Jerusalem in heaven that belongs to the only real God. {In the city are} very many spiritual beings who celebrate together.

Also {in the city are} those whose {names} God has recorded in heaven. {They are} God’s people, his special children. {There} also {is} God, the one who decides whether all {people} are guilty or innocent. {There} too {are} those who obeyed God. They died, but God has now made them what he wants them to be.

Also {in the city is} Jesus, through whom God has made a new agreement. {There} also {is} Jesus’ blood, which purifies us. His blood is more effective than Abel’s blood. \*

Make sure that you obey God, who is speaking to you. Consider how some of the Israelites did not obey what God revealed to them from Mount Sinai. God certainly punished them. Now consider how much more {God will punish any of} us who do not obey what he {reveals to us} from Mount Zion.

When God spoke from Mount Sinai, it made the earth quake. However, at this time he promises, “One more time, I will make the earth and also heaven quake.” \*

The words “one more time” mean that God will transform everything that he shakes. {He will do that} just as he created all those things. That way, everything that he does not shake will last forever.

So, we will live in a kingdom that God will not quake. {Because of that,} we should thank God. By doing that, we respectfully worship God in a way that pleases him.

{We should do so respectfully,} because the God we {worship} is {as powerful and dangerous as} a raging fire. \*