Hebrews 11

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

²For by it the people of old received their commendation .

³By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God , so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible .

⁴By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain , through which he was commended as righteous , God commending him by accepting his gifts . And through his faith , though he died , he still speaks .

⁵By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death , and he was not found , because God had taken him . Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God .

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

⁷By faith Noah , being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen , in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household . By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith .

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

⁹By faith he went to live in the land of promise , as in a foreign land , living in tents with Isaac and Jacob , heirs with him of the same promise .

¹⁰For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations , whose designer and builder is God .

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

¹²Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead , were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore .

¹³These all died in faith , not having received the things promised , but having seen them and greeted them from afar , and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth .

¹⁴For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland .

¹⁵If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out , they would have had opportunity to return .

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

¹⁷By faith Abraham , when he was tested , offered up Isaac , and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son ,

¹⁸of whom it was said , Through Isaac shall your offspring be named .

¹⁹He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead , from which , figuratively speaking , he did receive him back.

²⁰By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau .

²¹By faith Jacob , when dying , blessed each of the sons of Joseph , bowing in worship over the head of his staff .

²²By faith Joseph , at the end of his life , made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones .

²³By 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 .

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

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

²⁶He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt , for he was looking to the reward .

²⁷By faith he left Egypt , not being afraid of the anger of the king , for he endured as seeing him who is invisible .

²⁸By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood , so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them .

²⁹By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land , but the Egyptians , when they attempted to do the same , were drowned .

³⁰By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days .

³¹By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient , because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies .

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

³³who through faith conquered kingdoms , enforced justice , obtained promises , stopped the mouths of lions ,

³⁴quenched the power of fire , escaped the edge of the sword , were made strong out of weakness , became mighty in war , put foreign armies to flight .

³⁵Women received back their dead by resurrection . Some were tortured , refusing to accept release , so that they might rise again to a better life .

³⁶Others suffered mocking and flogging , and even chains and imprisonment .

³⁷They were stoned , they were sawn in two , they were killed with the sword . They went about in skins of sheep and goats , destitute , afflicted , mistreated —

³⁸of whom the world was not worthy — wandering about in deserts and mountains , and in dens and caves of the earth .

³⁹And all these , though commended through their faith , did not receive what was promised ,

⁴⁰since God had provided something better for us , that apart from us they should not be made perfect .