Letters to the Churches

by faith he did sojourn in the land of the promise as a strange country, in tabernacles having dwelt with Isaac and Jacob, fellow-heirs of the same promise,

for he was looking for the city having the foundations, whose artificer and constructor is God.

By faith also Sarah herself did receive power to conceive seed, and she bare after the time of life, seeing she did judge Him faithful who did promise;

wherefore, also from one were begotten--and that of one who had become dead--as the stars of the heaven in multitude, and as sand that is by the sea-shore--the innumerable.

In faith died all these, not having received the promises, but from afar having seen them, and having been persuaded, and having saluted them , and having confessed that strangers and sojourners they are upon the earth,

for those saying such things make manifest that they seek a country;

and if, indeed, they had been mindful of that from which they came forth, they might have had an opportunity to return,

but now they long for a better, that is, an heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for He did prepare for them a city.

By faith Abraham hath offered up Isaac, being tried, and the only begotten he did offer up who did receive the promises,

of whom it was said--`In Isaac shall a seed be called to thee;'

reckoning that even out of the dead God is able to raise up, whence also in a figure he did receive him .

By faith, concerning coming things, Isaac did bless Jacob and Esau;

by faith Jacob dying--each of the sons of Joseph did bless, and did bow down upon the top of his staff;

by faith, Joseph dying, concerning the outgoing of the sons of Israel did make mention, and concerning his bones did give command.

By faith Moses, having been born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw the child comely, and were not afraid of the decree of the king;

by faith Moses, having become great, did refuse to be called a son of the daughter of Pharaoh,

having chosen rather to be afflicted with the people of God, than to have sin's pleasure for a season,

greater wealth having reckoned the reproach of the Christ than the treasures in Egypt, for he did look to the recompense of reward;

by faith he left Egypt behind, not having been afraid of the wrath of the king, for, as seeing the Invisible One--he endured;

by faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, that He who is destroying the first-born might not touch them.

By faith they did pass through the Red Sea as through dry land, which the Egyptians having received a trial of, were swallowed up;

by faith the walls of Jericho did fall, having been surrounded for seven days;

by faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with those who disbelieved, having received the spies with peace.

And what shall I yet say? for the time will fail me recounting about Gideon, Barak also, and Samson, and Jephthah, David also, and Samuel, and the prophets,

who through faith did subdue kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped mouths of lions,