Hebrews 12

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before 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 while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right 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 Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
4 In the fight against sin, you have not yet had to keep fighting to the point of bloodshed.	4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
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 You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons: "My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him;
6 for the Lord trains those he loves, and chastises every son he accepts.	6 for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges."
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 Endure your trials as "discipline"; God treats you as sons. For what "son" is there whom his father does not discipline?
8 If you were not getting this training, as all of you are, then you would be not sons but bastards.	8 If you are without discipline, in which all have shared, you are not sons but bastards.
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 Besides this, we have had our earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not (then) submit all the more to 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 They disciplined us for a short time as seemed right to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we may share his holiness.
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 At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.
12 So steady al weary hands and trembling knees	12 So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees.
13 and make your crooked paths straight; then the injured limb wil not be maimed, it wil get betterinstead.	13 Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed.
14 Seek peace with al people, and the holiness without which no one can ever see the Lord.	14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
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 See to it that no one be deprived of the grace of God, that no bitter root spring up and cause trouble, through which many may become 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 that no one be an immoral or profane person like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.
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 you know that later, when he wanted to inherit his father's blessing, he was rejected because he found no opportunity to change his mind, even though he sought the blessing with tears.
18 What you have come to is nothing known to the senses: not a blazing fire, or gloom or totaldarkness, or a storm;	18 You have not approached that which could be touched and a blazing fire and gloomy 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 a trumpet blast and a voice speaking words such that those who heard begged that no message be further addressed 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 could not bear to hear the command: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned."
21 The whole scene was so terrible that Moses said, 'I am afraid and trembling.'	21 Indeed, so fearful was the spectacle that Moses said, "I am terrified and trembling."
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 No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering,
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 the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and 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 Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently 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 do not reject the one who speaks. For if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much more in our case if we turn away from the one who warns 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 His voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, "I will once more shake not only earth but heaven."
27 The words once more indicate the removal of what is shaken, since these are created things, so thatwhat is not shaken remains.	27 That phrase, "once more," points to (the) removal of shaken, created things, so that what is unshaken may remain.
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, we who are receiving the unshakable kingdom should have gratitude, with which we should offer worship pleasing to God in reverence and awe.
29 For our God is a consuming fire.	29 For our God is a consuming fire.