ESV 1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. MSG 1 The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. ESV 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. MSG 2 The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. ESV 3 By 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. MSG 3 By faith, we see the world called into existence by God's word, what we see created by what we don't see. ESV 4 By 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. MSG 4 By an act of faith, Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. It was what he believed, not what he brought, that made the difference. That's what God noticed and approved as righteous. After all these centuries, that belief continues to catch our notice. ESV 5 By 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. MSG 5 By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. "They looked all over and couldn't find him because God had taken him." We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken "he pleased God." ESV 6 And 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. MSG 6 It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. ESV 7 By 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. MSG 7 By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn't see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God. ESV 8 By 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. MSG 8 By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God's call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. ESV 9 By 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. MSG 9 By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. ESV 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. MSG 10 Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations - the City designed and built by God. ESV 11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. MSG 11 By faith, barren Sarah was able to become pregnant, old woman as she was at the time, because she believed the One who made a promise would do what he said. ESV 12 Therefore 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. MSG 12 That's how it happened that from one man's dead and shriveled loins there are now people numbering into the millions. ESV 13 These 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. MSG 13 Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. ESV 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. MSG 14 People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. ESV 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. MSG 15 If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. ESV 16 But 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. MSG 16 But they were after a far better country than that - heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them. ESV 17 By 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, MSG 17 By faith, Abraham, at the time of testing, offered Isaac back to God. Acting in faith, he was as ready to return the promised son, his only son, as he had been to receive him - ESV 18 of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." MSG 18 and this after he had already been told, "Your descendants shall come from Isaac." ESV 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. MSG 19 Abraham figured that if God wanted to, he could raise the dead. In a sense, that's what happened when he received Isaac back, alive from off the altar. ESV 20 By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. MSG 20 By an act of faith, Isaac reached into the future as he blessed Jacob and Esau. ESV 21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. MSG 21 By an act of faith, Jacob on his deathbed blessed each of Joseph's sons in turn, blessing them with God's blessing, not his own - as he bowed worshipfully upon his staff. ESV 22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones. MSG 22 By an act of faith, Joseph, while dying, prophesied the exodus of Israel, and made arrangements for his own burial. ESV 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. MSG 23 By an act of faith, Moses' parents hid him away for three months after his birth. They saw the child's beauty, and they braved the king's decree. ESV 24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, MSG 24 By faith, Moses, when grown, refused the privileges of the Egyptian royal house. ESV 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. MSG 25 He chose a hard life with God's people rather than an opportunistic soft life of sin with the oppressors. ESV 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. MSG 26 He valued suffering in the Messiah's camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff. ESV 27 By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. MSG 27 By an act of faith, he turned his heel on Egypt, indifferent to the king's blind rage. He had his eye on the One no eye can see, and kept right on going. ESV 28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. MSG 28 By an act of faith, he kept the Passover Feast and sprinkled Passover blood on each house so that the destroyer of the firstborn wouldn't touch them. ESV 29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. MSG 29 By an act of faith, Israel walked through the Red Sea on dry ground. The Egyptians tried it and drowned. ESV 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. MSG 30 By faith, the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho for seven days, and the walls fell flat. ESV 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. MSG 31 By an act of faith, Rahab, the Jericho harlot, welcomed the spies and escaped the destruction that came on those who refused to trust God. ESV 32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets-- MSG 32 I could go on and on, but I've run out of time. There are so many more - Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets. . . . ESV 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, MSG 33 Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. They were protected from lions, ESV 34 quenched 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. MSG 34 fires, and sword thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. ESV 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. MSG 35 Women received their loved ones back from the dead. There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring something better: resurrection. ESV 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. MSG 36 Others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. ESV 37 They 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-- MSG 37 We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless - ESV 38 of whom the world was not worthy--wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. MSG 38 the world didn't deserve them! - making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world. ESV 39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, MSG 39 Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. ESV 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. MSG 40 God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours.
MSG 1 The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. MSG 2 The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. MSG 3 By faith, we see the world called into existence by God's word, what we see created by what we don't see. MSG 4 By an act of faith, Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. It was what he believed, not what he brought, that made the difference. That's what God noticed and approved as righteous. After all these centuries, that belief continues to catch our notice. MSG 5 By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. "They looked all over and couldn't find him because God had taken him." We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken "he pleased God." MSG 6 It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. MSG 7 By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn't see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God. MSG 8 By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God's call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. MSG 9 By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. MSG 10 Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations - the City designed and built by God. MSG 11 By faith, barren Sarah was able to become pregnant, old woman as she was at the time, because she believed the One who made a promise would do what he said. MSG 12 That's how it happened that from one man's dead and shriveled loins there are now people numbering into the millions. MSG 13 Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. MSG 14 People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. MSG 15 If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. MSG 16 But they were after a far better country than that - heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them. MSG 17 By faith, Abraham, at the time of testing, offered Isaac back to God. Acting in faith, he was as ready to return the promised son, his only son, as he had been to receive him - MSG 18 and this after he had already been told, "Your descendants shall come from Isaac." MSG 19 Abraham figured that if God wanted to, he could raise the dead. In a sense, that's what happened when he received Isaac back, alive from off the altar. MSG 20 By an act of faith, Isaac reached into the future as he blessed Jacob and Esau. MSG 21 By an act of faith, Jacob on his deathbed blessed each of Joseph's sons in turn, blessing them with God's blessing, not his own - as he bowed worshipfully upon his staff. MSG 22 By an act of faith, Joseph, while dying, prophesied the exodus of Israel, and made arrangements for his own burial. MSG 23 By an act of faith, Moses' parents hid him away for three months after his birth. They saw the child's beauty, and they braved the king's decree. MSG 24 By faith, Moses, when grown, refused the privileges of the Egyptian royal house. MSG 25 He chose a hard life with God's people rather than an opportunistic soft life of sin with the oppressors. MSG 26 He valued suffering in the Messiah's camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff. MSG 27 By an act of faith, he turned his heel on Egypt, indifferent to the king's blind rage. He had his eye on the One no eye can see, and kept right on going. MSG 28 By an act of faith, he kept the Passover Feast and sprinkled Passover blood on each house so that the destroyer of the firstborn wouldn't touch them. MSG 29 By an act of faith, Israel walked through the Red Sea on dry ground. The Egyptians tried it and drowned. MSG 30 By faith, the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho for seven days, and the walls fell flat. MSG 31 By an act of faith, Rahab, the Jericho harlot, welcomed the spies and escaped the destruction that came on those who refused to trust God. MSG 32 I could go on and on, but I've run out of time. There are so many more - Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets. . . . MSG 33 Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. They were protected from lions, MSG 34 fires, and sword thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. MSG 35 Women received their loved ones back from the dead. There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring something better: resurrection. MSG 36 Others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. MSG 37 We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless - MSG 38 the world didn't deserve them! - making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world. MSG 39 Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. MSG 40 God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours.