Hebrews 12

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Furthermore, since we also have so great a cloud of witnesses over us, let us set aside every burden and sin which may surround us, and advance, through patience, to the struggle offered to us.	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.
2 Let us gaze upon Jesus, as the Author and the completion of our faith, who, having joy laid out before him, endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and who now sits at the right hand of the throne of God.	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.
3 So then, meditate upon him who endured such adversity from sinners against himself, so that you may not become weary, failing in your souls.	3 Think of the way he persevered against such opposition from sinners and then you will not lose heartand come to grief.
4 For you have not yet resisted unto blood, while striving against sin.	4 In the fight against sin, you have not yet had to keep fighting to the point of bloodshed.
5 And you have forgotten the consolation which speaks to you like sons, saying: “My son, do not be willing to neglect the discipline of the Lord. Neither should you become weary, while being rebuked by him.”	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,
6 For whomever the Lord loves, he chastises. And every son whom he accepts, he scourges.	6 for the Lord trains those he loves, and chastises every son he accepts.
7 Persevere in discipline. God presents you to himself as sons. But what son is there, whom his father does not correct?	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?
8 But if you are without that discipline in which all have become sharers, then you are of adultery, and you are not sons.	8 If you were not getting this training, as all of you are, then you would be not sons but bastards.
9 Then, too, we have certainly had the fathers of our flesh as instructors, and we reverenced them. Should we not obey the Father of spirits all the more, and so live?	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.
10 And indeed, for a few days and according to their own wishes, they instructed us. But he does so to our benefit, so that we may receive his sanctification.	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.
11 Now every discipline, in the present time, does not seem a gladness, of course, but a grief. But afterwards, it will repay a most peaceful fruit of justice to those who become trained in it.	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.
12 Because of this, lift up your lazy hands and your lax knees,	12 So steady al weary hands and trembling knees
13 and straighten the path of your feet, so that no one, being lame, may wander astray, but instead may be healed.	13 and make your crooked paths straight; then the injured limb wil not be maimed, it wil get betterinstead.
14 Pursue peace with everyone. Pursue sanctity, without which no one shall see God.	14 Seek peace with al people, and the holiness without which no one can ever see the Lord.
15 Be contemplative, lest anyone lack the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness spring up and impede you, and by it, many might be defiled,	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.
16 lest any fornicator or worldly person be like Esau, who, for the sake of one meal, sold his birthright.	16 And be careful that there is no immoral person, or anyone worldly minded like Esau, who sold hisbirthright for one single meal.
17 For you know that afterwards, when he desired to inherit the benediction, he was rejected. For he found no place for repentance, even though he had sought it with tears.	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.
18 But you have not drawn near to a tangible mountain, or a burning fire, or a whirlwind, or a mist, or a storm,	18 What you have come to is nothing known to the senses: not a blazing fire, or gloom or totaldarkness, or a storm;
19 or the sound of a trumpet, or a voice of words. Those who had experienced these things excused themselves, lest the Word be spoken to them.	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.
20 For they could not bear what was said, and so, if even a beast would have touched the mountain, it would have been stoned.	20 They could not bear the order that was given: If even a beast touches the mountain, it must bestoned.
21 And what was seen was so terrible that even Moses said: “I am terrified, and so, I tremble.”	21 The whole scene was so terrible that Moses said, 'I am afraid and trembling.'
22 But you have drawn near to mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of Angels,	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,
23 and to the Church of the first-born, those who have been inscribed in the heavens, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect,	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;
24 and to Jesus, the Mediator of the New Testament, and to a sprinkling of blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.	24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to purifying blood which pleads more insistentlythan Abel's.
25 Be careful not to reject the One who is speaking. For if those who rejected him who was speaking upon the earth were not able to escape, so much more we who might turn away from the One who is speaking to us from heaven.	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?
26 Then, his voice moved the earth. But now, he makes a promise, saying: “There is still one more time, and then I will move, not only the earth, but also heaven itself.”	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 .
27 And so, in saying, “There is still one more time,” he declares the transfer of the moveable things of creation, so that those things which are immoveable may remain.	27 The words once more indicate the removal of what is shaken, since these are created things, so thatwhat is not shaken remains.
28 Thus, in receiving an immoveable kingdom, we have grace. So, through grace, let us be of service, by pleasing God with fear and reverence.	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.
29 For our God is a consuming fire.	29 For our God is a consuming fire.