論信心
1信心是對盼望的事有把握，對還沒看見的事很確定。 2古人因有這樣的信心而得到了讚許。 3我們憑信心知道宇宙是藉著上帝的話造成的，所以看得見的是從看不見的造出來的。
4亞伯憑信心向上帝獻祭，比該隱所獻的更美，蒙了上帝的悅納，被稱為義人。他雖然死了，卻仍然藉著信心說話。
5以諾因為信而被接到天上，沒有經歷死亡。世人找不到他，因為上帝已經把他接走了。其實他在被接之前，已經得到了肯定，是一個蒙上帝喜悅的人。 6沒有信心的人不能得到上帝的喜悅，因為來到上帝面前的人必須相信上帝存在，並相信祂會賞賜一切尋求祂的人。
7挪亞因為有信心，在上帝指示他未來要發生的事之後，就懷著敬畏的心建造方舟，來救全家的人。他藉著信心定了那個世代的罪，並承受了因信而來的義。
8亞伯拉罕因為有信心，聽到上帝的呼召後，就遵命前往他將要承受為產業的地方，但他出發的時候還不知道自己要去哪裡。 9他憑信心像異鄉人一樣寄居在上帝應許給他的地方。他住在帳篷裡，與同受一個應許的以撒和雅各一樣。 10因為他盼望的是一座有根基的城，是由上帝設計、建造的。
11撒拉過了生育年齡後憑信心仍然得到了孕育後代的能力，因為她認定賜她應許的上帝言出必行。 12所以，從一個垂暮之年的人生出許多子孫，好像天上的星、海邊的沙那麼多。
13這些人到死都滿懷信心。他們雖然沒有得到上帝所應許的，卻從遠處望見了，就歡喜快樂，承認自己在世上不過是寄居的異鄉人。 14他們抱這樣的態度，表明他們正在尋找一個家鄉。 15如果他們想念的是自己離開的家鄉，就找機會回去了。 16然而，他們渴慕的是天上更美的家鄉。所以，上帝不以被他們稱為上帝為恥，因為祂已經為他們預備了一座城。
17亞伯拉罕被試驗時憑信心把以撒獻為祭物，承受應許的亞伯拉罕當時獻上了自己的獨生子。 18論到這兒子，上帝曾說：「以撒生的才可算為你的後裔。」 19他認定上帝能使死人復活，從象徵意義上說，他也確實從死亡中得回了以撒。
20以撒憑信心指著將來的事為雅各和以掃祝福。
21雅各憑信心在臨終之時分別為約瑟的兩個兒子祝福，並拄著拐杖敬拜上帝。
22約瑟臨終之時憑信心提到以色列人將來要離開埃及，並交代要如何處理自己的骸骨。
23摩西生下來時，他父母見他長得俊美，就憑信心把他藏了三個月，不怕違抗王的命令。
24摩西長大成人後，憑信心拒絕做法老之女的兒子， 25寧願與上帝的子民一同受苦，也不肯享受一時的罪中之樂。 26在他眼中，為基督所受的凌辱遠比埃及的財富更有價值，因為他盼望的是將來的賞賜。 27他憑信心離開埃及，不怕王的憤怒。他堅忍不拔，好像看見了肉眼不能看見的主。 28他憑信心守逾越節，行灑血的禮，免得那位殺長子的傷害以色列人。
29以色列人憑信心渡過紅海，如履乾地，埃及人試圖過去，卻被海水淹沒。 30以色列人憑信心繞著耶利哥城走了七天，城牆就倒塌了。
31妓女喇合憑信心善待以色列的探子，沒有與那些不順服的人一同滅亡。
32我還要再說下去嗎？我沒有時間一一細說基甸、巴拉、參孫、耶弗特、大衛、撒母耳和眾先知的事了。 33他們憑信心戰勝了敵國，行了公義，得到了應許，堵住了獅子的口， 34熄滅了猛烈的火焰，刀下逃生，由軟弱變為剛強，作戰勇猛，擊退外敵。
35有些婦女得回了從死裡復活的親人；有些人受盡嚴刑拷打，仍不肯苟且偷生，為要得到一個復活後更美好的生命。 36有些人遭受戲弄和鞭打，還有些人遭受捆鎖和囚禁。 37他們被人用石頭打死，受威逼利誘11·37 有聖經抄本在此處無「受威逼利誘」。，被鋸成兩截，喪生刀劍之下，披著綿羊和山羊的皮四處奔跑，受盡貧乏、迫害和虐待， 38在曠野、群山、山洞和地穴中漂流不定。他們是世界不配有的！
39這些人都因信心而獲得讚許，但他們並未得到上帝的應許， 40因為上帝為我們預備了更美的，要叫他們與我們一同得到才算完美。
Faith in Action
1Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for.
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.
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.
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.”11:5 Gen. 5:24 For before he was taken, he was commended as one who 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.
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.
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. 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. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she11:11 Or By faith Abraham, even though he was too old to have children—and Sarah herself was not able to conceive—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 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.
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. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country 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.
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, 18even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”11:18 Gen. 21:12 19Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their 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.
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.
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.
24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as 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. 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. 27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him 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.
29By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
30By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.
31By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.11:31 Or unbelieving
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, 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who 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. 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. 36Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37They were put to death by stoning;11:37 Some early manuscripts stoning; they were put to the test; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
