Hebrews 11

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of realities that areunseen.	1 Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.
2 It is for their faith that our ancestors are acknowledged.	2 Because of it the ancients were well attested.
3 It is by faith that we understand that the ages were created by a word from God, so that from theinvisible the visible world came to be.	3 By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, so that what is visible came into being through the invisible.
4 It was because of his faith that Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain, and for that he wasacknowledged as upright when God himself made acknowledgement of his offerings. Though he is dead, he stillspeaks by faith.	4 By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain's. Through this he was attested to be righteous, God bearing witness to his gifts, and through this, though dead, he still speaks.
5 It was because of his faith that Enoch was taken up and did not experience death: he was no more,because God took him; because before his assumption he was acknowledged to have pleased God.	5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and "he was found no more because God had taken him." Before he was taken up, he was attested to have pleased God.
6 Now it is impossible to please God without faith, since anyone who comes to him must believe that heexists and rewards those who seek him.	6 But without faith it is impossible to please him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
7 It was through his faith that Noah, when he had been warned by God of something that had neverbeen seen before, took care to build an ark to save his family. His faith was a judgement on the world, and hewas able to claim the uprightness which comes from faith.	7 By faith Noah, warned about what was not yet seen, with reverence built an ark for the salvation of his household. Through this he condemned the world and inherited the righteousness that comes through faith.
8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed the cal to set out for a country that was the inheritance given tohim and his descendants, and that he set out without knowing where he was going.	8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go.
9 By faith he sojourned in the Promised Land as though it were not his, living in tents with Isaac andJacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.	9 By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise;
10 He looked forward to the wel -founded city, designed and built by God.	10 for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God.
11 It was equal y by faith that Sarah, in spite of being past the age, was made able to conceive,because she believed that he who had made the promise was faithful to it.	11 By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age--and Sarah herself was sterile--for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy.
12 Because of this, there came from one man, and one who already had the mark of death on him,descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore which cannot becounted.	12 So it was that there came forth from one man, himself as good as dead, descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sands on the seashore.
13 Al these died in faith, before receiving any of the things that had been promised, but they saw themin the far distance and welcomed them, recognising that they were only strangers and nomads on earth.	13 All these died in faith. They did not receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth,
14 People who use such terms about themselves make it quite plain that they are in search of ahomeland.	14 for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland.
15 If they had meant the country they came from, they would have had the opportunity to return to it;	15 If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come, they would have had opportunity to return.
16 but in fact they were longing for a better homeland, their heavenly homeland. That is why God is notashamed to be cal ed their God, since he has founded the city for them.	16 But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
17 It was by faith that Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He offered to sacrifice his onlyson even though he had yet to receive what had been promised,	17 By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son,
18 and he had been told: Isaac is the one through whom your name will be carried on.	18 of whom it was said, "Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name."
19 He was confident that God had the power even to raise the dead; and so, figuratively speaking, hewas given back Isaac from the dead.	19 He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead, and he received Isaac back as a symbol.
20 It was by faith that this same Isaac gave his blessing to Jacob and Esau for the stil distant future.	20 By faith regarding things still to come Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, bowed in reverence, as he leanton his staff.	21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and "bowed in worship, leaning on the top of his staff."
22 It was by faith that, when he was about to die, Joseph mentioned the Exodus of the Israelites andgave instructions about his own remains.	22 By faith Joseph, near the end of his life, spoke of the Exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones.
23 It was by faith that Moses, when he was born, was kept hidden by his parents for three months;because they saw that he was a fine child; they were not afraid of the royal edict.	23 By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
24 It was by faith that, when he was grown up, Moses refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh'sdaughter	24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
25 and chose to be ill-treated in company with God's people rather than to enjoy the transitory pleasuresof sin.	25 he chose to be ill-treated along with the people of God rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin.
26 He considered that the humiliations offered to the Anointed were something more precious than althe treasures of Egypt, because he had his eyes fixed on the reward.	26 He considered the reproach of the Anointed greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the recompense.
27 It was by faith that he left Egypt without fear of the king's anger; he held to his purpose like someonewho could see the Invisible.	27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's fury, for he persevered as if seeing the one who is invisible.
28 It was by faith that he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood to prevent the Destroyer fromtouching any of their first-born sons.	28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.
29 It was by faith they crossed the Red Sea as easily as dry land, while the Egyptians, trying to do thesame, were drowned.	29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted it they were drowned.
30 It was through faith that the wal s of Jericho fel down when the people had marched round them forseven days.	30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell after being encircled for seven days.
31 It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute welcomed the spies and so was not killed with theunbelievers.	31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with the disobedient, for she had received the spies in peace.
32 What more shal I say? There is not time for me to give an account of Gideon, Barak, Samson,Jephthah, or of David, Samuel and the prophets.	32 What more shall I say? I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,
33 These were men who through faith conquered kingdoms, did what was upright and earned thepromises. They could keep a lion's mouth shut,	33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, did what was righteous, obtained the promises; they closed the mouths of lions,
34 put out blazing fires and emerge unscathed from battle. They were weak people who were givenstrength to be brave in war and drive back foreign invaders.	34 put out raging fires, escaped the devouring sword; out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle, and turned back foreign invaders.
35 Some returned to their wives from the dead by resurrection; and others submitted to torture, refusingrelease so that they would rise again to a better life.	35 Women received back their dead through resurrection. Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance, in order to obtain a better resurrection.
36 Some had to bear being pil oried and flogged, or even chained up in prison.	36 Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, or sawn in half, or kil ed by the sword; they were homeless, and wore only theskins of sheep and goats; they were in want and hardship, and maltreated.	37 They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword's point; they went about in skins of sheep or goats, needy, afflicted, tormented.
38 They were too good for the world and they wandered in deserts and mountains and in caves andravines.	38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered about in deserts and on mountains, in caves and in crevices in the earth.
39 These al won acknowledgement through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised,	39 Yet all these, though approved because of their faith, did not receive what had been promised.
40 since God had made provision for us to have something better, and they were not to reach perfectionexcept with us.	40 God had foreseen something better for us, so that without us they should not be made perfect.