Hebrews 11

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

أَمَّا الإِيمَانُ، فَهُوَ الثِّقَةُ بِمَا نَرْجُوهُ، وَالاقْتِنَاعُ بِأَنَّ مَا لَا نَرَاهُ مَوْجُودٌ حَقّاً.

This is what the ancients were commended for.

بِهَذَا الإِيمَانِ، كَسَبَ رِجَالُ اللهِ قَدِيماً شَهَادَةً حَسَنَةً أَمَامَ اللهِ وَالنَّاسِ.

By 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.

وَعَنْ طَرِيقِ الإِيمَانِ، نُدْرِكُ أَنَّ الْكَوْنَ كُلَّهُ قَدْ خَرَجَ إِلَى الْوُجُودِ بِكَلِمَةِ أَمْرٍ مِنَ اللهِ. حَتَّى إِنَّ عَالَمَنَا الْمَنْظُورَ، قَدْ تَكَوَّنَ مِنْ أُمُورٍ غَيْرِ مَنْظُورَةٍ!

By 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.

بِالإِيمَانِ، قَدَّمَ هَابِيلُ لِلهِ ذَبِيحَةً أَفْضَلَ مِنْ تِلْكَ الَّتِي قَدَّمَهَا قَايِينُ. وَعَلَى ذَلِكَ الأَسَاسِ، شَهِدَ اللهُ بِأَنَّ هَابِيلَ بَارٌّ، إِذْ قَبِلَ التَّقْدِمَةَ الَّتِي قَدَّمَهَا لَهُ. وَمَعَ أَنَّ هَابِيلَ مَاتَ قَتْلاً، فَإِنَّهُ مَازَالَ الآنَ يُلَقِّنُنَا الْعِبَرَ بِإِيمَانِهِ.

By 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.”^[a] For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.

وَبِالإِيمَانِ، انْتَقَلَ أَخْنُوخُ إِلَى حَضْرَةِ اللهِ دُونَ أَنْ يَمُوتَ. وَقَدِ اخْتَفَى مِنْ عَلَى هَذِهِ الأَرْضِ لأَنَّ اللهَ أَخَذَهُ إِلَيْهِ. وَقَبْلَ حُدُوثِ ذلِكَ، شُهِدَ لَهُ بِأَنَّهُ قَدْ أَرْضَى اللهَ.

And 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.

فَمِنَ الْمُسْتَحِيلِ إِرْضَاءَ اللهِ بِدُونِ إِيمَانٍ. إِذْ إِنَّ مَنْ يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَى اللهِ، لابُدَّ لَهُ أَنْ يُؤْمِنَ بِأَنَّهُ مَوْجُودٌ، وَبِأَنَّهُ يُكَافِئُ الَّذِينَ يَسْعَوْنَ إِلَيْهِ.

By 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.

وَبِالإِيمَانِ نُوحٌ، لَمَّا أَنْذَرَهُ اللهُ عَنْ طَرِيقِ الْوَحْيِ بِالطُّوفَانِ الآتِي، دَفَعَهُ خَوْفُ اللهِ إِلَى بِنَاءِ سَفِينَةٍ ضَخْمَةٍ كَانَتْ وَسِيلَةَ النَّجَاةِ لَهُ وَلِعَائِلَتِهِ، مَعَ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ قَدْ رَأَى طُوفَاناً مِنْ قَبْلُ. وَبِعَمَلِهِ هَذَا، حَكَمَ عَلَى الْعَالَمِ وَأَصْبَحَ وَارِثاً لِلْبِرِّ الْقَائِمِ عَلَى أَسَاسِ الإِيمَانِ.

By 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.

وَبِالإِيمَانِ، لَبَّى إِبْرَاهِيمُ دَعْوَةَ اللهِ، فَتَرَكَ وَطَنَهُ وَانْطَلَقَ إِلَى أَرْضٍ أُخْرَى وَعَدَهُ اللهُ بِأَنْ يُوَرِّثَهُ إِيَّاهَا. وَلَمَّا خَرَجَ مِنْ بَيْتِهِ، لَمْ يَكُنْ يَعْرِفُ أَيْنَ يَتَوَجَّهُ.

By 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.

وَبِالإِيمَانِ، كَانَ يَرْحَلُ كَالْغَرِيبِ مِنْ مَكَانٍ إِلَى آخَرَ فِي الأَرْضِ الَّتِي وَعَدَهُ اللهُ بِها، وَكَأَنَّهَا أَرْضٌ غَرِيبَةٌ. وَكَانَ يَسْكُنُ فِي الْخِيَامِ مَعَ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ، شَرِيكَيْهِ فِي إِرْثِ الْوَعْدِ عَيْنِهِ.

For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَنْتَظِرُ الانْتِقَالَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ السَّمَاوِيَّةِ ذَاتِ الأُسُسِ الثَّابِتَةِ، الَّتِي صَانِعُهَا وَبَانِيهَا هُوَ اللهُ.

And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she^[b] considered him faithful who had made the promise.

وَبِالإِيمَانِ أَيْضاً، نَالَتْ سَارَةُ زَوْجَةُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قُدْرَةً عَلَى الإِنْجَابِ، فَوَلَدَتِ ابْناً مَعَ أَنَّهَا كَانَتْ قَدْ جَاوَزَتْ سِنَّ الْحَمْلِ. وَذَلِكَ لأَنَّهَا آمَنَتْ بِأَنَّ اللهَ، الَّذِي وَعَدَهَا بِذَلِكَ، لابُدَّ أَنْ يُحَقِّقَ وَعْدَهُ.

And 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.

وَهكَذَا وُلِدَ مِنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَقَدْ كَانَ مَيِّتاً مِنْ حَيْثُ الْقُدْرَةِ عَلَى الإِنْجَابِ، شَعْبٌ كَبِيرٌ «كَنُجُومِ الْفَضَاءِ عَدَداً، وَكَالرَّمْلِ الَّذِي عَلَى شَطِّ الْبَحْرِ، لَا يُحْصَى».

All 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.

هَؤُلاءِ جَمِيعاً، حَافَظُوا عَلَى إِيمَانِهِمْ إِلَى النِّهَايَةِ. وَمَاتُوا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَتَحَقَّقَ وُعُودُ اللهِ لَهُمْ فِي أَثْنَاءِ حَيَاتِهِمْ. وَلَكِنَّهُمْ رَأَوْهَا مِنْ بَعِيدٍ، وَتَوَقَّعُوا تَحْقِيقَهَا كَامِلَةً فِي الْمُسْتَقْبَلِ. وَإِذْ آمَنُوا بِتِلْكَ الْوُعُودِ الإِلَهِيَّةِ اعْتَرَفُوا بِأَنَّهُمْ لَيْسُوا إِلّا غُرَبَاءَ عَلَى الأَرْضِ يَزُورُونَهَا زِيَارَةً عَابِرَةً.

People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.

وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ ذَلِك، يُوْضِحُونَ أَنَّ عُيُونَهُمْ عَلَى وَطَنِهِمِ الْحَقِيقِيِّ.

If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.

وَلَوْ تَذَكَّرُوا الْوَطَنَ الأَرْضِيَّ الَّذِي هَجَرُوهُ، لاغْتَنَمُوا الْفُرْصَةَ وَعَادُوا إِلَيْهِ.

Instead, 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.

وَلَكِنْ، لا، فَهُمُ الآنَ يَتَطَلَّعُونَ إِلَى وَطَنٍ أَفْضَلَ، أَيِ الْوَطَنِ السَّمَاوِيِّ. بِسَبَبِ إِيمَانِهِمْ هَذَا لَا يَسْتَحِي اللهُ أَنْ يُدْعَى إِلَهَهُمْ، فَهُوَ قَدْ أَعَدَّ لَهُمْ مَدِينَةً!

By 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,

وَبِالإِيمَانِ، إِبْرَاهِيمُ أَيْضاً، لَمَّا امْتَحَنَهُ اللهُ، قَدَّمَ إِسْحَاقَ ابْنَهُ. فَإِنَّهُ، إِذْ قَبِلَ وُعُودَ اللهِ، قَدَّمَ ابْنَهُ الْوَحِيدَ ذَبِيحَةً،

even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”^[c]

مَعَ أَنَّ اللهَ قَالَ لَهُ: «بِإِسْحَاقَ سَوْفَ يَكُونُ لَكَ نَسْلٌ يَحْمِلُ اسْمَكَ!»

Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

فَقَدْ آمَنَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بِأَنَّ اللهَ قَادِرٌ عَلَى إِقَامَةِ إِسْحَاقَ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ. وَالْوَاقِعُ أَنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ اسْتَعَادَ ابْنَهُ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ، عَلَى سَبِيلِ الْمِثَالِ أَوِ الرَّمْزِ.

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.

بِالإِيمَانِ، بَارَكَ إِسْحَاقُ يَعْقُوبَ وَعِيسُو.

By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

وَبِالإِيمَانِ، بَارَكَ يَعْقُوبُ، قُبَيْلَ مَوْتِهِ، كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنِ ابْنَيْ يُوسُفَ، وَسَجَدَ مُتَوَكِّئاً عَلَى رَأْسِ عَصَاهُ.

By 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.

وَبِالإِيمَانِ، اسْتَنَدَ يُوسُفُ عَلَى وَعْدِ اللهِ بِإِخْرَاجِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مِنْ بِلادِ مِصْرَ، فَتَرَكَ وَصِيَّةً بِأَنْ يَنْقُلُوا رُفَاتَهُ مَعَهُمْ.

By 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.

بِالإِيمَانِ مُوسَى خَبَّأهُ وَالِدَاهُ حَتَّى صَارَ عُمْرُهُ ثَلاثَةَ أَشْهُرٍ، لأَنَّهُمَا رَأَيَاهُ طِفْلاً جَمِيلاً، وَلَمْ يَخَافَا الْمَرْسُومَ الَّذِي أَصْدَرَهُ الْمَلِكُ.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.

وَبِالإِيمَانِ، مُوسَى نَفْسُهُ، لَمَّا كَبُرَ، رَفَضَ أَنْ يُدْعَى ابْناً لاِبْنَةِ فِرْعَوْنَ.

He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

بَلِ اخْتَارَ أَنْ يتَحَمَّلَ الْمَذَلَّةَ مَعَ شَعْبِ اللهِ، بَدَلاً مِنَ التَّمَتُّعِ الْوَقْتِيِّ بِلَذَّاتِ الْخَطِيئَةِ.

He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

فَقَدِ اعْتَبَرَ أَنَّ عَارَ الْمَسِيحِ، هُوَ ثَرْوَةٌ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ كُنُوزِ مِصْرَ، لأَنَّهُ كَانَ يَتَطَلَّعُ إِلَى الْمُكَافَأَةِ.

By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.

بِالإِيمَانِ، تَرَكَ أَرْضَ مِصْرَ وَهُوَ غَيْرُ خَائِفٍ مِنْ غَضَبِ الْمَلِكِ. فَقَدْ مَضَى فِي تَنْفِيذِ قَرَارِهِ، كَأَنَّهُ يَرَى بِجَانِبِهِ اللهَ غَيْرَ الْمَنْظُورِ.

By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

وَبِالإِيمَانِ، أَقَامَ الْفِصْحَ وَرَشَّ الدَّمَ، لِكَيْ لَا يَمَسَّ مُهْلِكُ الأَبْكَارِ أَحَداً مِنْ أَبْنَاءِ شَعْبِهِ.

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.

بِالإِيمَانِ اجْتَازَ الشَّعْبُ فِي الْبَحْرِ الأَحْمَرِ كَأَنَّهُ أَرْضٌ يَابِسَةٌ. أَمَّا الْمِصْرِيُّونَ، فَإِذْ حَاوَلُوا ذَلِكَ غَرِقُوا!

By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.

بِالإِيمَانِ انْهَارَتْ أَسْوَارُ مَدِينَةِ أَرِيحَا، بَعْدَمَا دَارَ الشَّعْبُ حَوْلَهَا لِمُدَّةِ سَبْعَةِ أَيَّامٍ.

By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.^[d]

وَجَزَاءً لِلإِيمَانِ، نَجَتْ رَاحَابُ الزَّانِيَةُ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ الْمُحَتَّمِ مَعَ الْمُتَمَرِّدِينَ، بَعْدَمَا اسْتَقْبَلَتِ الْجَاسُوسَيْنِ بِسَلامٍ.

And 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,

وَهَلْ مِنْ حَاجَةٍ بَعْدُ لِمَزِيدٍ مِنَ الأَمْثِلَةِ؟ إِنَّ الْوَقْتَ لَا يَتَّسِعُ لِي حَتَّى أَسْرُدَ أَخْبَارَ الإِيمَانِ عَنْ: جِدْعُونَ وَبَارَاقَ وَشَمْشُونَ وَيَفْتَاحَ وَدَاوُدَ وَصَمُوئِيلَ وَالأَنْبِيَاءِ.

who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,

فَبِالإِيمَانِ، تَغَلَّبَ هؤُلاءِ عَلَى مَمَالِكِ الأَعْدَاءِ، وَحَكَمُوا حُكْماً عَادِلاً وَنَالُوا مَا وَعَدَهُمْ بِهِ اللهُ. وَبِهِ، سَدُّوا أَفْوَاهَ الأُسُودِ،

quenched 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.

وَأَبْطَلُوا قُوَّةَ النَّارِ، وَنَجَوْا مِنَ الْمَوْتِ قَتْلاً بِالسَّيْفِ. وَبِهِ أَيْضاً نَالُوا القُوَّةَ بَعْدَ ضَعْفٍ، فَصَارُوا أَشِدَّاءَ فِي الْمَعَارِكِ، وَرَدُّوا جُيُوشاً غَرِيبَةً عَلَى أَعْقَابِهَا.

Women 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.

وَبِالإِيمَانِ، اسْتَرْجَعَتْ بَعْضُ النِّسَاءِ أَمْوَاتَهُنَّ بَعْدَمَا أُعِيدُوا إِلَى الْحَيَاةِ. وَبِهِ، تَحَمَّلَ كَثِيرُونَ الْعَذَابَ وَالضَّرْبَ، وَمَاتُوا رَافِضِينَ النَّجَاةَ، لِعِلْمِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ سَوْفَ يَقُومُونَ إِلَى حَيَاةٍ أَفْضَلَ.

Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.

وَكَثِيرُونَ غَيْرُهُمْ تَحَمَّلُوا الْمُحَاكَمَاتِ الظَّالِمَةَ تَحْتَ الإِهَانَةِ وَالْجَلْدِ، وَالإِلْقَاءَ فِي السُّجُونِ مُقَيَّدِينَ بِالسَّلاسِلِ.

They were put to death by stoning;^[e] they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—

وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ حُوكِمُوا فَمَاتُوا رَجْماً بِالْحِجَارَةِ، أَوْ نَشْراً بِالْمِنْشَارِ، أَوْ ذَبْحاً بِالسَّيْفِ. وَبَعْضُهُمْ، تَشَرَّدُوا مُتَسَتِّرِينَ بِجُلُودِ الْغَنَمِ وَالْمِعْزَى، يُعَانُونَ مِنَ الْحَاجَةِ وَالضِّيقِ وَالظُّلْمِ،

the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

وَلَمْ يَكُنِ الْعَالَمُ يَسْتَحِقُّهُمْ، تَائِهِينَ فِي الْبَرَارِي وَالْجِبَالِ وَالْمَغَاوِرِ وَالْكُهُوفِ.

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,

إِنَّ هؤُلاءِ لَمْ يَحْصُلُوا جَمِيعاً عَلَى تَحْقِيقِ كُلِّ مَا وَعَدَهُمُ اللهُ بِهِ، مَعَ أَنَّهُمْ حَاصِلُونَ عَلَى شَهَادَةٍ حَسَنَةٍ مِنْ جِهَةِ الإِيمَانِ.

since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

وَلَكِنَّ اللهَ سَبَقَ فَأَعَدَّ لَنَا مَا هُوَ أَفْضَلُ، وَذَلِكَ حَتَّى لَا يُكَمَّلُوا بِمَعْزِلٍ عَنَّا.