Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of ¹witnesses who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness, ^astripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us ^brun with ^cendurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, 2 looking away from all that will distract us and focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the ^aAuthor and Perfecter of faith the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity, who for the joy of accomplishing the goal set before Him ^bendured the cross, ^1cdisregarding the shame, and ^dsat down at the right hand of the throne of God revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work. Ps 110:1

3 Just ^aconsider and meditate on Him who endured from sinners such bitter hostility against Himself consider it all in comparison with your trials, so that you will not grow weary ^band lose heart.

4 ^aYou have not yet struggled ^bto the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5 and you have ¹forgotten the divine word of encouragement which is addressed to you as sons,“^aMY SON, DO NOT MAKE LIGHT OF THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,AND DO NOT ^bLOSE HEART and GIVE UP WHEN YOU ARE CORRECTED BY HIM;

7 You must submit to correction for the purpose of discipline; ^aGod is dealing with you as with sons; for ¹what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 Now if you are exempt from correction and without discipline, ^ain which all of God’s children share, then you are illegitimate children and not sons at all. 9 Moreover, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we ^asubmitted and respected them for training us; shall we not much more willingly submit to ^bthe Father of ¹spirits, and ^clive by learning from His discipline? 10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for only a short time as seemed best to them; but He disciplines us for our good, ^aso that we may share His holiness. 11 ^aFor the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems sad and painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the ^bpeaceful fruit of righteousness right standing with God and a lifestyle and attitude that seeks conformity to God’s will and purpose.

12 So then, ^astrengthen hands that are weak and knees that tremble. Is 35:3 13 Cut through and ^amake smooth, straight paths for your feet that are safe and go in the right direction, so that the leg which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather may ^bbe healed.

14 ^aContinually pursue peace with everyone, and the ^bsanctification without which no one will ever ^csee the Lord. 15 See to it that no one ^afalls short of God’s grace; that no ^broot of resentment springs up and causes trouble, and by it many be ^cdefiled; 16 and see to it that no one is ^aimmoral or ^bgodless like Esau, ^cwho sold his own birthright for a single meal. Gen 25:29-34 17 For you know that later on, ^awhen he wanted to regain title to his inheritance of the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance there was no way to repair what he had done, no chance to recall the choice he had made, even though he sought for it with bitter tears. Gen 27:30-40

18 ^aFor you have not come as did the Israelites in the wilderness to ^ba mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to gloom and darkness and a raging windstorm, 19 and to the ^ablast of a trumpet and a ^bsound of words such that those who heard it ^cbegged that nothing more be said to them. Ex 19:12-22; 20:18-21; Deut 4:11, 12; 5:22-27 20 For they could not bear the command, “^aIF EVEN A WILD ANIMAL TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED to death.” Ex 19:12, 13 21 In fact, so terrifying was the sight, that Moses said, “^aI AM FILLED WITH FEAR and trembling.” Deut 9:19 22 But ^ayou have come to Mount Zion and to ^bthe city of ^cthe living God, ^dthe heavenly Jerusalem, and to ^emyriads of angels in festive gathering, 23 and to the general assembly and ^aassembly of the firstborn who ^bare registered as citizens in heaven, and to God, who is ^cJudge of all, and to the ^dspirits of the righteous (the redeemed in heaven) who have been made perfect bringing them to their final glory, 24 and to Jesus, the ^aMediator of a new covenant uniting God and man, and to the ^bsprinkled blood, which speaks of mercy, a better and nobler and more gracious message than ^cthe blood of Abel which cried out for vengeance. Gen 4:10

25 ^aSee to it that you do not refuse to listen to Him who is ^bspeaking to you now. For ^cif those sons of Israel did not escape when they ^drefused to listen to him who ^ewarned them on earth revealing God’s will, how much less will we escape if we turn our backs on Him who ^fwarns from heaven? Heb 2:1-4 26 ^aHis voice shook the earth at Mount Sinai then, but now He has given a promise, saying, “^bYET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE starry HEAVEN.” Hag 2:6 27 Now this expression, “Yet once more,” indicates ^athe removal and final transformation of all those things which can be shaken—that is, of that which has been created—so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Ps 102:26 28 Therefore, since we receive a ^akingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, and ^boffer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship with reverence and awe; 29 for ^aour God is indeed a consuming fire. Deut 4:24