Heb.12.14

Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you'll never get so much as a glimpse of God.

Heb.12.14

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Heb.12.14

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

Heb.12.14

Try to live in peace with everyone, and seek to live a clean and holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.

Heb.12.15

Make sure no one gets left out of God's generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time.

Heb.12.15

See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

Heb.12.15

looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

Heb.12.15

Look after each other so that none of you will miss out on the special favor of God. Watch out that no bitter root of unbelief rises up among you, for whenever it springs up, many are corrupted by its poison.

Heb.12.16

Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God's lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite.

Heb.12.16

See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.

Heb.12.16

lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.

Heb.12.16

Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau. He traded his birthright as the oldest son for a single meal.

Heb.12.17

You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God's blessing--but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.

Heb.12.17

Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.

Heb.12.17

For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.

Heb.12.17

And afterward, when he wanted his father's blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he wept bitter tears.

Heb.12.18

Unlike your ancestors, you didn't come to Mount Sinai--all that volcanic blaze and earthshaking rumble--

Heb.12.18

You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm;

Heb.12.18

For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest,

Heb.12.18

You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai when God gave them his laws.

Heb.12.19

to hear God speak. The earsplitting words and soul-shaking message terrified them and they begged him to stop.

Heb.12.19

to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them,

Heb.12.19

and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.

Heb.12.19

For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice with a message so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking.

Heb.12.20

When they heard the words--"If an animal touches the Mountain, it's as good as dead"--they were afraid to move.

Heb.12.20

because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned."

Heb.12.20

(For they could not endure what was commanded: "And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow."

Heb.12.20

They staggered back under God's command: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death."

Heb.12.21

Even Moses was terrified.

Heb.12.21

The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear."

Heb.12.21

And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.")

Heb.12.21

Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, "I am terrified and trembling."

Heb.12.22

No, that's not your experience at all. You've come to Mount Zion, the city where the living God resides. The invisible Jerusalem is populated by throngs of festive angels

Heb.12.22

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,

Heb.12.22

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,

Heb.12.22

No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to thousands of angels in joyful assembly.

Heb.12.23

and Christian citizens. It is the city where God is Judge, with judgments that make us just.

Heb.12.23

to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,

Heb.12.23

to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Heb.12.23

You have come to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge of all people. And you have come to the spirits of the redeemed in heaven who have now been made perfect.

Heb.12.24

You've come to Jesus, who presents us with a new covenant, a fresh charter from God. He is the Mediator of this covenant. The murder of Jesus, unlike Abel's--a homicide that cried out for vengeance--became a proclamation of grace.

Heb.12.24

to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Heb.12.24

to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

Heb.12.24

You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which graciously forgives instead of crying out for vengeance as the blood of Abel did.

Heb.12.25

So don't turn a deaf ear to these gracious words. If those who ignored earthly warnings didn't get away with it, what will happen to us if we turn our backs on heavenly warnings?

Heb.12.25

See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?

Heb.12.25

See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,

Heb.12.25

See to it that you obey God, the one who is speaking to you. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, how terrible our danger if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!

Heb.12.26

His voice that time shook the earth to its foundations; this time--he's told us this quite plainly--he'll also rock the heavens: "One last shaking, from top to bottom, stem to stern."

Heb.12.26

At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens."

Heb.12.26

whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven."

Heb.12.26

When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: "Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also."

Heb.12.27

The phrase "one last shaking" means a thorough housecleaning, getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakable essentials stand clear and uncluttered.

Heb.12.27

The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken--that is, created things--so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

Heb.12.27

Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Heb.12.27

This means that the things on earth will be shaken, so that only eternal things will be left.

Heb.12.28

Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander.

Heb.12.28

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,

Heb.12.28

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

Heb.12.28

Since we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be destroyed, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.

Heb.12.29

He's actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. God himself is Fire!

Heb.12.29

for our "God is a consuming fire."

Heb.12.29

For our God is a consuming fire.

Heb.12.29

For our God is a consuming fire.