Hebrews 11

¹ Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

² For by it the people of old were commended.

³ By faith we understand that the worlds were formed at the command of God, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

⁴ By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God testifying about his gifts; and through it, though he is dead, he still speaks.

⁵ By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him up. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.

⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever comes to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

⁷ By faith Noah, warned about things not yet seen, in reverent fear built an ark to save his household. By this he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

⁸ By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went out to a place he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

⁹ By faith he lived as a stranger in the promised land, as in a foreign country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.

¹⁰ For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

¹¹ By faith even Sarah herself, though she was past the age, received power to conceive, since she considered him faithful who had promised.

¹² And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

¹³ All these died in faith without having received the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from afar, confessing that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

¹⁴ People who say such things show that they are seeking a homeland of their own.

¹⁵ If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.

¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; he who had received the promises was about to offer up his one and only son,

¹⁸ the one of whom it was said, "Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned."

¹⁹ Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

²⁰ By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning their future.

²¹ By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

²² By faith Joseph, as his end drew near, spoke of the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones.

²³ By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,

²⁵ choosing rather to be mistreated along with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

²⁶ He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

²⁷ By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.

²⁸ By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch them.

²⁹ By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do the same, they were drowned.

³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.

³¹ By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had welcomed the spies in peace.

³² And what more shall I say? Time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,

³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,

³⁴ quenched the fury of the flames, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, and routed foreign armies.

³⁵ Women received back their dead, raised to life again. But others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection.

³⁶ Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.

³⁷ They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted, mistreated—

³⁸ the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in caves and holes in the ground.

³⁹ And all of these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised,

⁴⁰ since God had planned something better for us, so that only together with us would they be made perfect.