| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. | 1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see. |
| 2This is what the ancients were commended for. | 2For by it the people of old received God's commendation. |
| 3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. | 3By faith we understand that the worlds were set in order at God's command, so that the visible has its origin in the invisible. |
| 4By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. | 4By faith Abel offered God a greater sacrifice than Cain, and through his faith he was commended as righteous, because God commended him for his offerings. And through his faith he still speaks, though he is dead. |
| 5By 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." For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. | 5By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death, and he was not to be found because God took him up. For before his removal he had been commended as having pleased God. |
| 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. | 6Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. |
| 7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. | 7By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, with reverent regard constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family. Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. |
| 8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. | 8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, and he went out without understanding where he was going. |
| 9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. | 9By faith he lived as a foreigner in the promised land as though it were a foreign country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were fellow heirs of the same promise. |
| 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. | 10For he was looking forward to the city with firm foundations, whose architect and builder is God. |
| 11And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. | 11By faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was too old, he received the ability to procreate, because he regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy. |
| 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. | 12So in fact children were fathered by one man--and this one as good as dead--like the number of stars in the sky and like the innumerable grains of sand on the seashore. |
| 13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. | 13These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth. |
| 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. | 14For those who speak in such a way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. |
| 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. | 15In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. |
| 16Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. | 16But as it is, they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. |
| 17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, | 17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He had received the promises, yet he was ready to offer up his only son. |
| 18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." | 18God had told him, "Through Isaac descendants will carry on your name," |
| 19Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. | 19and he reasoned that God could even raise him from the dead, and in a sense he received him back from there. |
| 20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. | 20By faith also Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future. |
| 21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. | 21By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped as he leaned on his staff. |
| 22By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones. | 22By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave instructions about his burial. |
| 23By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. | 23By faith, when Moses was born, his parents hid him for three months, because they saw the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king's edict. |
| 24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. | 24By faith, when he grew up, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, |
| 25He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. | 25choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to enjoy sin's fleeting pleasure. |
| 26He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. | 26He regarded abuse suffered for Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for his eyes were fixed on the reward. |
| 27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. | 27By faith he left Egypt without fearing the king's anger, for he persevered as though he could see the one who is invisible. |
| 28By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. | 28By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the one who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. |
| 29By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. | 29By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if on dry ground, but when the Egyptians tried it, they were swallowed up. |
| 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. | 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell after the people marched around them for seven days. |
| 31By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. | 31By faith Rahab the prostitute escaped the destruction of the disobedient, because she welcomed the spies in peace. |
| 32And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, | 32And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets. |
| 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, | 33Through faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised, shut the mouths of lions, |
| 34quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. | 34quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, put foreign armies to flight, |
| 35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. | 35and women received back their dead raised to life. But others were tortured, not accepting release, to obtain resurrection to a better life. |
| 36Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. | 36And others experienced mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. |
| 37They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- | 37They were stoned, sawed apart, murdered with the sword; they went about in sheepskins and goatskins; they were destitute, afflicted, ill-treated |
| 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. | 38(the world was not worthy of them); they wandered in deserts and mountains and caves and openings in the earth. |
| 39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, | 39And these all were commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised. |
| 40since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. | 40For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us. |
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