Exhortation to constancy under their crosses. The danger of abusing the graces of the New Testament.

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.

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.

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.

⁴ For you have not yet resisted unto blood, while striving against sin.

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.”

⁶ For whomever the Lord loves, he chastises. And every son whom he accepts, he scourges.

⁷ Persevere in discipline. God presents you to himself as sons. But what son is there, whom his father does not correct?

⁸ But if you are without that discipline in which all have become sharers, then you are of adultery, and you are not sons.

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?

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.

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.

¹² Because of this, lift up your lazy hands and your lax knees,

¹³ and straighten the path of your feet, so that no one, being lame, may wander astray, but instead may be healed.

¹⁴ Pursue peace with everyone. Pursue sanctity, without which no one shall see God.

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,

¹⁶ lest any fornicator or worldly person be like Esau, who, for the sake of one meal, sold his birthright.

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.¹

1. 12:17He found, etc: That is, he found no way to bring his father to repent, or change his mind, with relation to his having given the blessing to his younger brother Jacob.(Challoner)

¹⁸ But you have not drawn near to a tangible mountain, or a burning fire, or a whirlwind, or a mist, 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.

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.

²¹ And what was seen was so terrible that even Moses said: “I am terrified, and so, I tremble.”

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,

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,

²⁴ and to Jesus, the Mediator of the New Testament, and to a sprinkling of blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

²⁹ For our God is a consuming fire.