² This is what the ancients were commended for.^(A)

⁴ By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended^(A) as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.^(B) And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.^(C)

⁵ 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](D) For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.

³⁹ These were all commended^(A) for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,^(B)