Letters to the Churches

may we hold fast the unwavering profession of the hope, (for faithful is He who did promise),

and may we consider one another to provoke to love and to good works,

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as a custom of certain is , but exhorting, and so much the more as ye see the day coming nigh.

For we--wilfully sinning after the receiving the full knowledge of the truth--no more for sins doth there remain a sacrifice,

but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery zeal, about to devour the opposers;

any one who did set at nought a law of Moses, apart from mercies, by two or three witnesses, doth die,

of how much sorer punishment shall he be counted worthy who the Son of God did trample on, and the blood of the covenant did count a common thing, in which he was sanctified, and to the Spirit of the grace did despite?

for we have known Him who is saying, `Vengeance is Mine, I will recompense, saith the Lord;' and again, `The Lord shall judge His people;' --

fearful is the falling into the hands of a living God.

And call to your remembrance the former days, in which, having been enlightened, ye did endure much conflict of sufferings,

partly both with reproaches and tribulations being made spectacles, and partly having become partners of those so living,

for also with my bonds ye sympathised, and the robbery of your goods with joy ye did receive, knowing that ye have in yourselves a better substance in the heavens, and an enduring one.

Ye may not cast away, then, your boldness, which hath great recompense of reward,

for of patience ye have need, that the will of God having done, ye may receive the promise,

for yet a very very little, He who is coming will come, and will not tarry;

and `the righteous by faith shall live,' and `if he may draw back, My soul hath no pleasure in him,'

and we are not of those drawing back to destruction, but of those believing to a preserving of soul.

And faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of matters not seen a conviction,

for in this were the elders testified of;

by faith we understand the ages to have been prepared by a saying of God, in regard to the things seen not having come out of things appearing;

by faith a better sacrifice did Abel offer to God than Cain, through which he was testified to be righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and through it, he being dead, doth yet speak.

By faith Enoch was translated--not to see death, and was not found, because God did translate him; for before his translation he had been testified to--that he had pleased God well,

and apart from faith it is impossible to please well, for it behoveth him who is coming to God to believe that He is, and to those seeking Him He becometh a rewarder.

By faith Noah, having been divinely warned concerning the things not yet seen, having feared, did prepare an ark to the salvation of his house, through which he did condemn the world, and of the righteousness according to faith he became heir.

By faith Abraham, being called, did obey, to go forth to the place that he was about to receive for an inheritance, and he went forth, not knowing whither he doth go;