Hebrews 11

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the proof of things not seen. [a] 2 For by this the elders were testified to. [b] 3 By faith we understand that the ages were put in order by a word of God, so that what is seen has not come out of things that appear. [c]

4 By faith Abel offered God a greater sacrifice than Cain, through which he was testified to as righteous, God testifying over his gifts; and through it, having died, he still speaks. [d] 5 By faith Enoch was taken away so as not to see death, and he was not found, because God took him away. For before he was taken away he had been testified to as having pleased God well; [e] † 6 and without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who comes to God must trust that he is, and that he becomes a rewarder to those who seek him out. 7 By faith Noah, instructed about things not yet seen, in reverence built an ark for the rescue of his household; through it he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that is according to faith. [f]

8 By faith Abraham, being called, obeyed and went out to a place he was going 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 land of the promise as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; [g] 10 for he was waiting for the city that has the foundations, whose craftsman and maker is God. 11 By faith, together with Sarah herself, he received power for the depositing of seed even past the season of his age, since he counted faithful the one who had promised. [h] 12 And so from one man — and him as good as dead — they were born, as many as the stars of heaven in number and as the sand along the shore of the sea, which cannot be counted.

13 In faith all these died, not having received the promises but having seen them from far off and greeted them, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and temporary visitors on the earth. [i] 14 For those who say such things make it plain that they are seeking a homeland. 15 And if they were remembering the one they had gone out from, they would have had time to turn back; 16 but as it is, they reach for a better one — that is, a heavenly one. That is why God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God; for he prepared a city for them.

17 By faith Abraham, when he was being put to the test, has offered up Isaac — and the one who had welcomed the promises was offering up his only son, [j] 18 the one to whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed will be named,” [k] 19 counting that God is able to raise even from the dead — from which he also received him back, as a parable. [l]

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, and about things to come. 21 By faith Jacob, dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and bowed low, leaning on the top of his staff. [m] 22 By faith Joseph, at his end, remembered the exodus of the children of Israel, and gave a command about his bones.

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his fathers, because they saw the child was fine, and they were not afraid of the king’s decree. [n] 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be ill-treated along with the people of God than to have the enjoyment of sin for a season, 26 counting the reproach of the Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking away to the reward. [o] 27 By faith he left Egypt behind, not fearing the fury of the king, for he held out as one seeing the unseen. 28 By faith he has kept the Passover and the pouring of the blood, so that the one destroying the firstborn would not touch them. [p]

29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as through dry land; and when the Egyptians tried it, they were swallowed up. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after they had been circled for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish along with those who disobeyed, having welcomed the spies in peace. [q] †

32 And what more shall I say? For the time will fail me as I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, and David and Samuel and the prophets — 33 who through faith fought down kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, [r] 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the mouths of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, made the armies of foreigners give way.

35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were beaten to death on the drum, not accepting the ransoming, so that they might obtain a better resurrection. [s] 36 And others took their turn at mockings and scourgings, and further at chains and prison. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they died by the slaughter of the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, in need, afflicted, ill-treated — [t] † 38 of whom the world was not worthy — wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and the holes of the earth.

39 And all these, testified to through faith, did not receive back what was promised, 40 God having foreseen something better for us, so that they would not be made complete apart from us.