| New King James Version | New International Version |
| 1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. | 1Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. |
| 2For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. | 2This is what the ancients were commended for. |
| 3By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. | 3By 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. |
| 4By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. | 4By 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. |
| 5By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. | 5By 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." For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. |
| 6But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. | 6And 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. |
| 7By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. | 7By 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. |
| 8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. | 8By 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. |
| 9By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; | 9By 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. |
| 10for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. | 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. |
| 11By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. | 11And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. |
| 12Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. | 12And 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. |
| 13These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. | 13All 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. |
| 14For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. | 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. |
| 15And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. | 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. |
| 16But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. | 16Instead, 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. |
| 17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, | 17By 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, |
| 18of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” | 18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." |
| 19concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. | 19Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. |
| 20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. | 20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. |
| 21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. | 21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. |
| 22By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones. | 22By 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. |
| 23By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command. | 23By 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. |
| 24By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, | 24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. |
| 25choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, | 25He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. |
| 26esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. | 26He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. |
| 27By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. | 27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. |
| 28By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. | 28By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. |
| 29By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned. | 29By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. |
| 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. | 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. |
| 31By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. | 31By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. |
| 32And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: | 32And 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, |
| 33who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, | 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, |
| 34quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. | 34quenched 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. |
| 35Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. | 35Women 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. |
| 36Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. | 36Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. |
| 37They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— | 37They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- |
| 38of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. | 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. |
| 39And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, | 39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, |
| 40God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. | 40since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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