Hebrews 12:4-11
Expanded Bible
God Is like a Father
4 You are struggling against sin, but your ·struggles [resistance; opposition] have not yet ·caused you to be killed [resulted in bloodshed/L blood]. 5 ·You have forgotten [or Have you forgotten…?] the ·encouraging words [exhortation] that ·call you his [or address you as] ·children [or sons]:
“My ·child [or son], don’t ·think the Lord’s discipline is worth nothing [scorn/treat lightly/make light of the Lord’s discipline],
and don’t ·stop trying [get discouraged] when he ·corrects [rebukes] you.
6 [L For; Because] The Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he ·punishes [chastises; severely disciplines] everyone he accepts as his child [Prov. 3:11–12].”
7 ·So hold on through your sufferings, because they are like a father’s discipline [L Persevere in discipline]. God is treating you as ·children [or sons]. ·All children are [L For what child/son is not…?] disciplined by their fathers. 8 If you are never disciplined (and every ·child [or son] must be disciplined), you are ·not true children [L illegitimate and not (true) children/sons]. 9 [Furthermore; Moreover] We have all had ·fathers [or parents] here on earth who disciplined us, and we respected them. So it is even more important that we accept discipline from ·the Father of our spirits [or our spiritual Father; or the Father of all spirit beings; 12:23; Num. 16:22] so we will have [C eternal or true spiritual] life. 10 ·Our fathers on earth [L They] disciplined us for a short time in the way they thought was best. But God disciplines us ·to help us [for our good/benefit], so we can ·become holy as he is [L share in his holiness]. 11 We do not enjoy being disciplined. It is painful at the time, but later, after we have ·learned from [been trained by] it, ·we have peace [L it produces/bears the fruit of peace], ·because we start living in the right way [or …and righteousness].
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Hebrews 12:4-11
New International Version
God Disciplines His Children
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.(A) 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart(B) when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,(C)
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”[a](D)
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.(E) For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline(F)—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits(G) and live!(H) 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.(I) 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace(J) for those who have been trained by it.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 12:6 Prov. 3:11,12 (see Septuagint)
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