Now  ¹faith is the  ²substantiation of things  ³hoped for, the  ⁴conviction of things  ⁵not seen.

For in this the elders have obtained a good testimony.

 ¹By faith we understand that the  ²universe has been framed by the  ³word of God, so that what is seen has not come into being out of things which appear.

By faith Abel offered to God a  ¹more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying to his gifts; and through  ²faith, though he has died, he still speaks.

By faith Enoch was translated so that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God had translated him. For before his translation he obtained the testimony that he had been well pleasing to God.

But without faith it is impossible to  ¹be well pleasing to Him, for he who comes forward to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who  ²diligently seek Him.

By faith Noah, having been divinely instructed concerning things not yet seen and being moved by pious fear, prepared an ark for the salvation of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

By faith Abraham, being called, obeyed to go out unto a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out,  ¹not knowing where he was going.

By faith he dwelt as a foreigner in the land of promise as in a foreign land, making his home in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the fellow heirs of the same promise;

For he eagerly waited for the  ¹city which has the foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God.

By faith also Sarah herself received power to conceive seed, even beyond the season of age, since she considered Him faithful who promised.

Therefore also there were born of one, and that of him who had become dead, as many as even the  ¹stars of heaven in multitude and as the  ¹sand by the  ²seashore innumerable.

All these died  ¹in faith, not receiving the promises but seeing them from afar and joyfully greeting them and confessing that they were strangers and  ²sojourners on the earth.

For those who say such things make it manifest that they seek after a country of their own.

And if indeed they continued to remember that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return;

But as it is, they long after a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

By faith Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac; indeed he who gladly received the promises was offering up his only begotten,

Of whom it was said, “In Isaac shall your seed be called”;

Counting that God was able to raise men even from the dead, from which he also received him back in  ¹figure.

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come.

By faith Jacob, while he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshipped God, while  ¹leaning on the top of his staff.

By faith Joseph, nearing his end, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave orders concerning his bones.

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents because they saw that the child was lovely, and they did not fear the king's decree.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,

Choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to have the  ¹temporary  ²enjoyment of sin,

 ¹Considering the  ²reproach of the Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked away to the  ³reward.

By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he  ¹persevered as one seeing the unseen One.

By faith he instituted the Passover and the pouring out of the blood so that the one destroying the firstborn would not touch them.

By faith they passed through the Red Sea as through dry land, in which the Egyptians, while making the attempt, were swallowed up.

 ¹By faith the walls of Jericho fell, having been encircled for a period of seven days.

By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with those who were disobedient, since she had received the spies with peace.

And 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,

Who through faith overcame kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

Quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong in weakness, became mighty in war, routed the armies of foreigners.

Women received their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured to death, not accepting  ¹deliverance, in order that they might obtain a  ²better resurrection.

And still others underwent the trial of mockings and scourgings, even, moreover, of bonds and imprisonment.

They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they died by the murder of the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated

(Of  ¹whom the world was not worthy), wandering over deserts and mountains and in caves and holes of the earth.

And these all, having obtained a good testimony through their faith, did not obtain the promise,

Because God has  ¹provided something  ²better for us, so that  ³apart from us they would not be made perfect.

 ¹I am the man who has seen affliction
By the rod of His wrath.

He has driven me and brought me
Into darkness and not light.

Surely against me He has turned His hand
Again and again all the day.

He has wasted my flesh and my skin;
He has broken my bones.

He has built up a siege against me
And encircled me with gall and travail.

He has made me dwell in dark places,
Like those who have long been dead.

He has walled me about so that I cannot go forth;
He has made my bronze chain heavy.

Indeed, when I cry out and call for help,
He shuts out my prayer.

He has walled in my ways with hewn stone;
He has made my paths crooked.

He is to me like a bear lying in wait,
Like a lion in hidden places.

He has turned aside my ways and torn me to pieces;
He has made me desolate.

He bent His bow
And set me as a target for the arrow.

He has caused the arrows of His quiver
To enter my inward parts.

I have become a derision to all my people,
Their mocking song all the day.

He has filled me with bitterness;
He has made me drunk with wormwood.

He has also crushed my teeth with gravel;
He has covered me with ashes.

And You have removed my soul far from peace;
I have forgotten prosperity.

And I said, My strength has perished
As well as my hope in Jehovah.

Remember my affliction and my  ¹wandering,
The wormwood and the gall.

My soul remembers them well
And is bowed down within me.

This I recall to my heart;
Therefore I have hope.

It is Jehovah's lovingkindness that we are not  ¹consumed,
For His compassions do not fail;

They are new  ¹every morning;
Great is Your  ²faithfulness.

Jehovah is my  ¹portion, says my soul;
Therefore I hope in Him.

Jehovah is good to those who  ¹wait on Him,
To the soul that seeks Him.

It is good for one to hope, and to do so in silence,
For the salvation of Jehovah.

It is good for a man to bear
The yoke in his youth.

Let him sit alone and be silent,
Because He has laid it upon him.

Let him put his mouth in the dust —
Perhaps there is hope.

Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him;
Let him be filled with reproach.

For the Lord will not
Cast off forever.

But even if He causes grief, He will have compassion
According to the multitude of His lovingkindness;

For He does not afflict willingly
Or grieve the children of men.

The crushing under his foot
Of all the prisoners of the earth,

The turning aside of the justice due a man
Before the face of the Most High,

The wronging of a man in his cause —
Will not the Lord see all these?

Who is he who says, and it comes to pass,
What the Lord has not commanded?

Out of the mouth of the Most High
Do there not proceed evil things and something good?

Why does a living man complain,
A man for the punishment of his sins?

Let us examine our ways and try them,
And let us turn again to Jehovah.

Let us lift up our heart with our hands
Unto God in the heavens.

We have transgressed and rebelled;
You have not pardoned.

You have covered Yourself with anger and have pursued us;
You have slain; You have not spared.

You have covered Yourself with a cloud
That prayer might not pass through.

You have made us offscouring and refuse
In the midst of the peoples.

All our enemies have opened
Their mouths against us.

Fear and the pit are upon us,
Devastation and destruction.

My eye runs down with streams of water
For the destruction of the daughter of my people.

My eye pours forth and does not stop;
There is no cessation,

Until Jehovah looks down
And sees from the heavens.

My eye pains my soul
Because of all the daughters of my city.

They have hunted me down like a bird,
They who are my enemies without cause.

They have brought my life to its end in the pit
And have thrown a stone upon me.

Water streamed over my head;
I said, I have been cut off.

I  ¹called upon Your name, O Jehovah,
From the lowest pit.

You have heard my voice; do not hide
Your ear at my breathing, at my cry.

You drew near in the day that I called upon You;
You said, Do not fear.

Lord, You have pleaded my soul's case;
You have redeemed my life.

You have seen, O Jehovah, my oppression;
Judge my cause.

You have seen all their vengeance,
All their plans, against me.

You have heard their reproach, O Jehovah,
All their plans against me,

The lips of those who rise up against me
And their meditation against me all the day.

Look upon their sitting down and their rising up;
I am their mocking song.

You will render to them a recompense, O Jehovah,
According to the work of their hands.

You will give them hardness of heart;
Your curse be upon them.

You will pursue them in anger and will destroy them
From under the heavens of Jehovah.