Hebrews 11 (New International Version)

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By Faith

1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for¹ and certain of what we do not see.² 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.³ 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command,⁴ so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended⁵ as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings.⁶ And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.⁷ 5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away.⁸ For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him⁹ must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen,¹⁰ in holy fear built an ark¹¹ to save his family.¹² By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.¹³ 8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance,¹⁴ obeyed and went,¹⁵ even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land¹⁶ like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents,¹⁷ as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.¹⁸ 10 For he was looking forward to the city¹⁹ with foundations,²⁰ whose architect and builder is God.²¹ 11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren²²--was enabled to become a father²³ because he^a considered him faithful²⁴ who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead,²⁵ came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.²⁶ 13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;²⁷ they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.²⁸ And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.²⁹ 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.³⁰ 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one.³¹ Therefore God is not ashamed³² to be called their God,³³ for he has prepared a city³⁴ for them. 17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.³⁵ He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring^b will be reckoned."^c³⁶ 19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead,³⁷ and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. 20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.³⁸ 21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons,³⁹ and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.⁴⁰ 23 By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born,⁴¹ because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.⁴² 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.⁴³ 25 He chose to be mistreated⁴⁴ along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26 He regarded disgrace⁴⁵ for the sake of Christ⁴⁶ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.⁴⁷ 27 By faith he left Egypt,⁴⁸ 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 destroyer⁴⁹ of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.⁵⁰ 29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea^d as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.⁵¹ 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.⁵² 31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.^e⁵³ 32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon,⁵⁴ Barak,⁵⁵ Samson,⁵⁶ Jephthah,⁵⁷ David,⁵⁸ Samuel⁵⁹ and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms,⁶⁰ administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,⁶¹ 34 quenched the fury of the flames,⁶² and escaped the edge of the sword;⁶³ whose weakness was turned to strength;⁶⁴ and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.⁶⁵ 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again.⁶⁶ Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging,⁶⁷ while still others were chained and put in prison.⁶⁸ 37 They were stoned^f;⁶⁹ they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword.⁷⁰ They went about in sheepskins and goatskins,⁷¹ destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves⁷² and holes in the ground. 39 These were all commended⁷³ for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.⁷⁴ 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us⁷⁵ would they be made perfect.⁷⁶

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Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version)

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Wesley's Explanatory Notes

a. Hebrews 11:11 - Or "By faith even Sarah, who was past age, was enabled to bear children because she"

b. Hebrews 11:18 - Greek "seed"

c. Hebrews 11:18 - Gen. 21:12

d. Hebrews 11:29 - That is, Sea of Reeds

e. Hebrews 11:31 - Or "unbelieving"

f. Hebrews 11:37 - Some early manuscripts "stoned; they were put to the test;"

1. Hebrews 11:1 - S Heb 3:6

2. Hebrews 11:1 - Ro 8:24; S 2Co 4:18

3. Hebrews 11:2 - ver 4,39

4. Hebrews 11:3 - Ge 1; Jn 1:3; Heb 1:2; 2Pe 3:5

5. Hebrews 11:4 - ver 2,39

6. Hebrews 11:4 - Ge 4:4; 1Jn 3:12

7. Hebrews 11:4 - Heb 12:24

8. Hebrews 11:5 - Ge 5:21-24

9. Hebrews 11:6 - Heb 7:19

10. Hebrews 11:7 - S ver 1

11. Hebrews 11:7 - Ge 6:13-22

12. Hebrews 11:7 - 1Pe 3:20

13. Hebrews 11:7 - Ge 6:9; Eze 14:14,20; S Ro 9:30

14. Hebrews 11:8 - Ge 12:7

15. Hebrews 11:8 - Ge 12:1-4; Ac 7:2-4

16. Hebrews 11:9 - Ac 7:5

17. Hebrews 11:9 - Ge 12:8; 18:1,9

18. Hebrews 11:9 - Heb 6:17

19. Hebrews 11:10 - Heb 12:22; 13:14

20. Hebrews 11:10 - Rev 21:2,14

21. Hebrews 11:10 - ver 16

22. Hebrews 11:11 - Ge 17:17-19; 18:11-14

23. Hebrews 11:11 - Ge 21:2

24. Hebrews 11:11 - S 1Co 1:9

25. Hebrews 11:12 - Ro 4:19

26. Hebrews 11:12 - Ge 22:17

27. Hebrews 11:13 - ver 39

28. Hebrews 11:13 - S Mt 13:17

29. Hebrews 11:13 - Ge 23:4; Lev 25:23; Ps 39:12; Php 3:20; 1Pe 1:17; 2:11

30. Hebrews 11:15 - Ge 24:6-8

31. Hebrews 11:16 - 2Ti 4:18

32. Hebrews 11:16 - Mk 8:38

33. Hebrews 11:16 - Ge 26:24; 28:13; Ex 3:6,15

34. Hebrews 11:16 - ver 10; Heb 13:14

35. Hebrews 11:17 - Ge 22:1-10; Jas 2:21

36. Hebrews 11:18 - Ge 21:12; Ro 9:7

37. Hebrews 11:19 - Ro 4:21; S Jn 5:21

38. Hebrews 11:20 - Ge 27:27-29,39,40

39. Hebrews 11:21 - Ge 48:1,8-22

40. Hebrews 11:22 - Ge 50:24,25; Ex 13:19; Jos 24:32

41. Hebrews 11:23 - Ex 2:2

42. Hebrews 11:23 - Ex 1:16,22

43. Hebrews 11:24 - Ex 2:10,11

44. Hebrews 11:25 - ver 37

45. Hebrews 11:26 - Heb 13:13

46. Hebrews 11:26 - Lk 14:33

47. Hebrews 11:26 - Heb 10:35

48. Hebrews 11:27 - Ex 12:50,51

49. Hebrews 11:28 - 1Co 10:10

50. Hebrews 11:28 - Ex 12:21-23

51. Hebrews 11:29 - Ex 14:21-31

52. Hebrews 11:30 - Jos 6:12-20

53. Hebrews 11:31 - Jos 2:1,9-14; 6:22-25; Jas 2:25

54. Hebrews 11:32 - Jdg 6-8

55. Hebrews 11:32 - Jdg 4-5

56. Hebrews 11:32 - Jdg 13-16

57. Hebrews 11:32 - Jdg 11-12

58. Hebrews 11:32 - 1Sa 16:1,13

59. Hebrews 11:32 - 1Sa 1:20

60. Hebrews 11:33 - 2Sa 7:11; 8:1-3

61. Hebrews 11:33 - Da 6:22

62. Hebrews 11:34 - Da 3:19-27

63. Hebrews 11:34 - Ex 18:4

64. Hebrews 11:34 - 2Ki 20:7

65. Hebrews 11:34 - Jdg 15:8

66. Hebrews 11:35 - 1Ki 17:22,23; 2Ki 4:36,37

67. Hebrews 11:36 - Jer 20:2; 37:15

68. Hebrews 11:36 - Ge 39:20

69. Hebrews 11:37 - 2Ch 24:21

70. Hebrews 11:37 - 1Ki 19:10; Jer 26:23

71. Hebrews 11:37 - 2Ki 1:8

72. Hebrews 11:38 - 1Ki 18:4; 19:9

73. Hebrews 11:39 - ver 2,4

74. Hebrews 11:39 - ver 13; Heb 10:36

75. Hebrews 11:40 - Rev 6:11

76. Hebrews 11:40 - S Heb 2:10

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