Totally Free Bible Version

Return to TFBV Index

Hebrews 11

¹Now faith is the substantial nature of things we hope for, the clear conviction of things we don't see. ²By this means the elders were approved.

³By faith we understand that the universe was made by the word of God, so that things which are seen didn't come out of things already visible.

Abel

⁴By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice to God than did Cain, by which he was approved as being righteous, God bearing witness on his gifts, and by this means, though he is dead, he still speaks.

Enoch

⁵By faith Enoch was removed so that he would not see death, and "he was not found, because God has removed him." [Genesis 5:24] For before his removal he had this testimony, that he was pleasing to God.

Faith Pleases God

⁶For without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who comes to God must believe both that he exists and that he is the rewarder of those who seek him.

Noah

⁷By faith Noah, being warned about things that were not yet seen, acted with reverence and prepared an ark for the salvation of his house. By this means he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes in accordance with faith.

Abraham and Sarah

⁸By faith Abraham, when he was called to go to a place which he would soon receive as an inheritance, obeyed. He went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹By faith he lived as a stranger in the land of promise, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, his fellow-heirs of the same promise. ¹⁰For they were looking for a city with foundations, whose designer and builder is God. ¹¹By faith-and Sarah herself sterile-he received power to bring forth seed after the appropriate time, since he counted the one who promised as faithful. ¹²Therefore those borne of one person, and that one dead, became as the stars of heaven in number and as the stand on the seashore-innumerable. ¹³In faith these all died, not having received the promises, but they saw and reached out to them from afar, and they confessed that they were strangers and wanderers on the earth, ¹⁴for those who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵If they had been remembering the land they had gone out from, there might have been opportunity to return. ¹⁶But now they aspire to a better place, which is heavenly. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, because he has prepared a city for them.

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph

¹⁷By faith Abraham offered Isaac when he was tested, and he offered the only son, the one who was to receive the promises. ¹⁸Concerning whom it was said, "In Isaac shall your seed be called." [Genesis 21:12] ¹⁹Because he reckoned that God could raise him even from the dead. And speaking as a parable he did receive him from there. ²⁰By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things which were about to happen. ²¹By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, "and he worshipped leaning on the top of his staff." [Genesis 47:31] ²²By faith Joseph when he was dying gave thought to the exodus of the children of Israel, and he gave a command concerning his bones.

Moses

²³By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a healthy and good child, and they were not afraid of the king's command. ²⁴By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, ²⁵counting it better to suffer together with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a short time. ²⁶For he counted the reproach of Christ better than the treasures of Egypt, since he looked forward to the reward. ²⁷By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured, as one who sees what is invisible. ²⁸By faith he carried out the passover and the pouring out of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn should not touch him. ²⁹By faith he crossed the Red Sea as on dry land and when the Egyptians tried it they were drowned.

Invasion of Canaan

³⁰By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were encompassed for seven days. ³¹By faith Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the disobedient, since she had received the spies in peace.

Other People of Faith

³²And what more shall I say? Time would run out if I told of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and all the prophets, ³³who through faith defeated kings, did righteousness, received promises, shut the mouths of lions, ³⁴quenched the violence of fire, fled the edge of the sword, were strengthened from weakness, became strong in war, put to flight armies of foreigners. ³⁵Women received their dead raised to life. But others were tortured, not grasping release, so that they might receive a better resurrection. ³⁶Others received testing of scorn and beating, and others of chains and prison. ³⁷They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they died by the sword, they went about in sheepskins, in skins of goats. They were in want, they were tormented, they were maltreated. ³⁸The world was not worthy of them, wandering in deserts and mountains and in the caves and cracks of the earth.

Something Better

³⁹And these all, having received approval of faith, did not receive the promise, ⁴⁰since God concerning us foresaw something better, so that without us they would not come to completion.

Average revision: 4 (Draft # 2 by individual translator)