The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

by faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, that He who is destroying the first-born might not touch them.

By faith they did pass through the Red Sea as through dry land, which the Egyptians having received a trial of, were swallowed up;

by faith the walls of Jericho did fall, having been surrounded for seven days;

by faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with those who disbelieved, having received the spies with peace.

And what shall I yet say? for the time will fail me recounting about Gideon, Barak also, and Samson, and Jephthah, David also, and Samuel, and the prophets,

who through faith did subdue kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped mouths of lions,

quenched the power of fire, escaped the mouth of the sword, were made powerful out of infirmities, became strong in battle, caused to give way camps of the aliens.

Women received by a rising again their dead, and others were tortured, not accepting the redemption, that a better rising again they might receive,

and others of mockings and scourgings did receive trial, and yet of bonds and imprisonment;

they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tried; in the killing of the sword they died; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins — being destitute, afflicted, injuriously treated,

of whom the world was not worthy; in deserts wandering, and [in] mountains, and [in] caves, and [in] the holes of the earth;

and these all, having been testified to through the faith, did not receive the promise,

God for us something better having provided, that apart from us they might not be made perfect.

Therefore, we also having so great a cloud of witnesses set around us, every weight having put off, and the closely besetting sin, through endurance may we run the contest that is set before us,

looking to the author and perfecter of faith — Jesus, who, over-against the joy set before him — did endure a cross, shame having despised, on the right hand also of the throne of God did sit down;

for consider again him who endured such gainsaying from the sinners to himself, that ye may not be wearied in your souls — being faint.

Not yet unto blood did ye resist — with the sin striving;

and ye have forgotten the exhortation that doth speak fully with you as with sons, 'My son, be not despising chastening of the Lord, nor be faint, being reproved by Him,

for whom the Lord doth love He doth chasten, and He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth;'

if chastening ye endure, as to sons God beareth Himself to you, for who is a son whom a father doth not chasten?

and if ye are apart from chastening, of which all have become partakers, then bastards are ye, and not sons.

Then, indeed, fathers of our flesh we have had, chastising [us], and we were reverencing [them]; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of the spirits, and live?

for they, indeed, for a few days, according to what seemed good to them, were chastening, but He for profit, to be partakers of His separation;

and all chastening for the present, indeed, doth not seem to be of joy, but of sorrow, yet afterward the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those exercised through it — it doth yield.

Wherefore, the hanging-down hands and the loosened knees set ye up;

and straight paths make for your feet, that that which is lame may not be turned aside, but rather be healed;

peace pursue with all, and the separation, apart from which no one shall see the Lord,

looking diligently over lest any one be failing of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up may give trouble, and through this many may be defiled;

lest any one be a fornicator, or a profane person, as Esau, who in exchange for one morsel of food did sell his birthright,

for ye know that also afterwards, wishing to inherit the blessing, he was disapproved of, for a place of reformation he found not, though with tears having sought it.

For ye came not near to the mount touched and scorched with fire, and to blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

and a sound of a trumpet, and a voice of sayings, which those having heard did entreat that a word might not be added to them,

for they were not bearing that which is commanded, 'And if a beast may touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or with an arrow shot through,'

and, (so terrible was the sight,) Moses said, 'I am fearful exceedingly, and trembling.'

But, ye came to Mount Zion, and to a city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of messengers,

to the company and assembly of the first-born in heaven enrolled, and to God the judge of all, and to spirits of righteous men made perfect,

and to a mediator of a new covenant — Jesus, and to blood of sprinkling, speaking better things than that of Abel!

See, may ye not refuse him who is speaking, for if those did not escape who refused him who upon earth was divinely speaking — much less we who do turn away from him who [speaketh] from heaven,

whose voice the earth shook then, and now hath he promised, saying, 'Yet once — I shake not only the earth, but also the heaven;'

and this — 'Yet once' — doth make evident the removal of the things shaken, as of things having been made, that the things not shaken may remain;

wherefore, a kingdom that cannot be shaken receiving, may we have grace, through which we may serve God well-pleasingly, with reverence and religious fear;

for also our God [is] a consuming fire.

Let brotherly love remain;

of the hospitality be not forgetful, for through this unawares certain did entertain messengers;

be mindful of those in bonds, as having been bound with them, of those maltreated, as also yourselves being in the body;

honourable [is] the marriage in all, and the bed undefiled, and whoremongers and adulterers God shall judge.

Without covetousness the behaviour, being content with the things present, for He hath said, 'No, I will not leave, no, nor forsake thee,'

so that we do boldly say, 'The Lord [is] to me a helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me.'

Be mindful of those leading you, who did speak to you the word of God, whose faith — considering the issue of the behaviour — be imitating,

Jesus Christ yesterday and to-day the same, and to the ages;

with teachings manifold and strange be not carried about, for [it is] good that by grace the heart be confirmed, not with meats, in which they who were occupied were not profited;

we have an altar, of which to eat they have no authority who the tabernacle are serving,

for of those beasts whose blood is brought for sin into the holy places through the chief priest — of these the bodies are burned without the camp.

Wherefore, also Jesus — that he might sanctify through [his] own blood the people — without the gate did suffer;

now, then, may we go forth unto him without the camp, his reproach bearing;

for we have not here an abiding city, but the coming one we seek;

through him, then, we may offer up a sacrifice of praise always to God, that is, the fruit of lips, giving thanks to His name;

and of doing good, and of fellowship, be not forgetful, for with such sacrifices God is well-pleased.

Be obedient to those leading you, and be subject, for these do watch for your souls, as about to give account, that with joy they may do this, and not sighing, for this [is] unprofitable to you.

Pray for us, for we trust that we have a good conscience, in all things willing to behave well,

and more abundantly do I call upon [you] to do this, that more quickly I may be restored to you.

And the God of the peace, who did bring up out of the dead the great shepherd of the sheep — in the blood of an age-during covenant — our Lord Jesus,

make you perfect in every good work to do His will, doing in you that which is well-pleasing before Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom [is] the glory — to the ages of the ages! Amen.

And I entreat you, brethren, suffer the word of the exhortation, for also through few words I have written to you.

Know ye that the brother Timotheus is released, with whom, if he may come more shortly, I will see you.

Salute all those leading you, and all the saints; salute you doth those from Italy:

the grace [is] with you all! Amen.

James, of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ a servant, to the Twelve Tribes who are in the dispersion: Hail!

All joy count [it], my brethren, when ye may fall into temptations manifold;

knowing that the proof of your faith doth work endurance,

and let the endurance have a perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire — in nothing lacking;

and if any of you do lack wisdom, let him ask from God, who is giving to all liberally, and not reproaching, and it shall be given to him;

and let him ask in faith, nothing doubting, for he who is doubting hath been like a wave of the sea, driven by wind and tossed,

for let not that man suppose that he shall receive anything from the Lord —

a two-souled man [is] unstable in all his ways.

And let the brother who is low rejoice in his exaltation,

and the rich in his becoming low, because as a flower of grass he shall pass away;

for the sun did rise with the burning heat, and did wither the grass, and the flower of it fell, and the grace of its appearance did perish, so also the rich in his way shall fade away!

Happy the man who doth endure temptation, because, becoming approved, he shall receive the crown of the life, which the Lord did promise to those loving Him.

Let no one say, being tempted — 'From God I am tempted,' for God is not tempted of evil, and Himself doth tempt no one,

and each one is tempted, by his own desires being led away and enticed,

afterward the desire having conceived, doth give birth to sin, and the sin having been perfected, doth bring forth death.

Be not led astray, my brethren beloved;

every good giving, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no variation, or shadow of turning;

having counselled, He did beget us with a word of truth, for our being a certain first-fruit of His creatures.

So then, my brethren beloved, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

for the wrath of a man the righteousness of God doth not work;

wherefore having put aside all filthiness and superabundance of evil, in meekness be receiving the engrafted word, that is able to save your souls;

and become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves,

because, if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one hath been like to a man viewing his natural face in a mirror,

for he did view himself, and hath gone away, and immediately he did forget of what kind he was;

and he who did look into the perfect law — that of liberty, and did continue there, this one — not a forgetful hearer becoming, but a doer of work — this one shall be happy in his doing.

If any one doth think to be religious among you, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, of this one vain [is] the religion;

religion pure and undefiled with the God and Father is this, to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation — unspotted to keep himself from the world.

My brethren, hold not, in respect of persons, the faith of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ,

for if there may come into your synagogue a man with gold ring, in gay raiment, and there may come in also a poor man in vile raiment,

and ye may look upon him bearing the gay raiment, and may say to him, 'Thou — sit thou here well,' and to the poor man may say, 'Thou — stand thou there, or, Sit thou here under my footstool,' —

ye did not judge fully in yourselves, and did become ill-reasoning judges.

Hearken, my brethren beloved, did not God choose the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the reign that He promised to those loving Him?

and ye did dishonour the poor one; do not the rich oppress you and themselves draw you to judgment-seats;