Hebrews 12

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 With so many witnesses in a great cloud all around us, we too, then, should throw off everything thatweighs us down and the sin that clings so closely, and with perseverance keep running in the race which liesahead of us.	1 And therefore we also having so great a cloud of witnesses over our head, laying aside every weight and sin which surrounds us, let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us:
2 Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection: for the sakeof the joy which lay ahead of him, he endured the cross, disregarding the shame of it, and has taken his seat atthe right of God's throne.	2 Looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who having joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and now sitteth on the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Think of the way he persevered against such opposition from sinners and then you will not lose heartand come to grief.	3 For think diligently upon him that endured such opposition from sinners against himself; that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds.
4 In the fight against sin, you have not yet had to keep fighting to the point of bloodshed.	4 For you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin:
5 Have you forgotten that encouraging text in which you are addressed as sons? My son, do not scorncorrection from the Lord, do not resent his training,	5 And you have forgotten the consolation, which speaketh to you, as unto children, saying: My son, neglect not the discipline of the Lord; neither be thou wearied whilst thou art rebuked by him.
6 for the Lord trains those he loves, and chastises every son he accepts.	6 For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth; and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 Perseverance is part of your training; God is treating you as his sons. Has there ever been any sonwhose father did not train him?	7 Persevere under discipline. God dealeth with you as with his sons; for what son is there, whom the father doth not correct?
8 If you were not getting this training, as all of you are, then you would be not sons but bastards.	8 But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are made partakers, then are you bastards, and not sons.
9 Besides, we have all had our human fathers who punished us, and we respected them for it; al themore readily ought we to submit to the Father of spirits, and so earn life.	9 Moreover we have had fathers of our flesh, for instructors, and we reverenced them: shall we not much more obey the Father of spirits, and live?
10 Our human fathers were training us for a short life and according to their own lights; but he does it al for our own good, so that we may share his own holiness.	10 And they indeed for a few days, according to their own pleasure, instructed us: but he, for our profit, that we might receive his sanctification.
11 Of course, any discipline is at the time a matter for grief, not joy; but later, in those who haveundergone it, it bears fruit in peace and uprightness.	11 Now all chastisement for the present indeed seemeth not to bring with it joy, but sorrow: but afterwards it will yield, to them that are exercised by it, the most peaceable fruit of justice.
12 So steady al weary hands and trembling knees	12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,
13 and make your crooked paths straight; then the injured limb wil not be maimed, it wil get betterinstead.	13 And make straight steps with your feet: that no one, halting, may go out of the way; but rather be healed.
14 Seek peace with al people, and the holiness without which no one can ever see the Lord.	14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness: without which no man shall see God.
15 Be careful that no one is deprived of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness should begin togrow and make trouble; this can poison a large number.	15 Looking diligently, lest any man be wanting to the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up do hinder, and by it many be defiled.
16 And be careful that there is no immoral person, or anyone worldly minded like Esau, who sold hisbirthright for one single meal.	16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau; who for one mess, sold his first birthright.
17 As you know, when he wanted to obtain the blessing afterwards, he was rejected and, though hepleaded for it with tears, he could find no way of reversing the decision.	17 For know ye that afterwards, when he desired to inherit the benediction, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance, although with tears he had sought it.
18 What you have come to is nothing known to the senses: not a blazing fire, or gloom or totaldarkness, or a storm;	18 For you are not come to a mountain that might be touched, and a burning fire, and a whirlwind, and darkness, and storm,
19 or trumpet-blast or the sound of a voice speaking which made everyone that heard it beg that nomore should be said to them.	19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words, which they that heard excused themselves, that the word might not be spoken to them:
20 They could not bear the order that was given: If even a beast touches the mountain, it must bestoned.	20 For they did not endure that which was said: And if so much as a beast shall touch the mount, it shall be stoned.
21 The whole scene was so terrible that Moses said, 'I am afraid and trembling.'	21 And so terrible was that which was seen, Moses said: I am frighted, and tremble.
22 But what you have come to is Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalemwhere the mil ions of angels have gathered for the festival,	22 But you are come to mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of angels,
23 with the whole Church of first-born sons, enrolled as citizens of heaven. You have come to Godhimself, the supreme Judge, and to the spirits of the upright who have been made perfect;	23 And to the church of the firstborn, who are written in the heavens, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect,
24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to purifying blood which pleads more insistentlythan Abel's.	24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new testament, and to the sprinkling of blood which speaketh better than that of Abel.
25 Make sure that you never refuse to listen when he speaks. If the people who on earth refused tolisten to a warning could not escape their punishment, how shal we possibly escape if we turn away from avoice that warns us from heaven?	25 See that you refuse him not that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke upon the earth, much more shall not we, that turn away from him that speaketh to us from heaven.
26 That time his voice made the earth shake, but now he has given us this promise: I am going to shakethe earth once more and not only the earth but heaven as wel .	26 Whose voice then moved the earth; but now he promiseth, saying: Yet once more, and I will move not only the earth, but heaven also.
27 The words once more indicate the removal of what is shaken, since these are created things, so thatwhat is not shaken remains.	27 And in that he saith, Yet once more, he signifieth the translation of the moveable things as made, that those things may remain which are immoveable.
28 We have been given possession of an unshakeable kingdom. Let us therefore be grateful and useour gratitude to worship God in the way that pleases him, in reverence and fear.	28 Therefore receiving an immoveable kingdom, we have grace; whereby let us serve, pleasing God, with fear and reverence.
29 For our God is a consuming fire.	29 For our God is a consuming fire.