1Now faith is a realization of things being hoped for, an evidence of things not seen. ¹³⁶

2By it the ancients were approved.

3By faith we understand that the ages ¹³⁷were created by a word from God, so that the things that are seen were made out of things invisible.

Abel, Enoch, Noah

4By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than did Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, ¹³⁸God testifying concerning his gifts; and by means of it he still speaks, even though being dead.

5By faith Enoch was transferred so as not to see death, and could not be found because God had translated him; before his translation he had obtained witness that he was pleasing to God. ¹³⁹

6Now without faith it is impossible to please Him, because the one approaching God must believe that He exists and that He becomes a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him. ¹⁴⁰

7By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, ¹⁴¹moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that is according to faith. ¹⁴²

Abraham and Sarah

8By faith Abraham, upon being called to go forth to the place that he would receive as an inheritance, obeyed and went, though not being acquainted with where he was going. ¹⁴³

9By faith he migrated into the land of promise as into a foreign country, dwelling in tents, along with Isaac and Jacob, the fellow heirs of the same promise;

10for he was waiting expectantly for the city with the real foundations, whose designer and builder is God.

11By faith Sarah herself also received power to conceive seed, and she bore a child ¹⁴⁴when she was past the normal age, since she judged Him faithful who had promised.

12And so from one man, actually an impotent, ¹⁴⁵were begotten descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Seeking a heavenly homeland

13These all died believing—not having received the promises, but having seen and welcomed them from a distance, thus confessing that they were aliens and sojourners on the earth.

14Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.

15If they were actually remembering that land from which they had departed, they would have had opportunity to return.

16Instead they are aspiring to a better home—a heavenly one. ¹⁴⁶Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; in fact He has prepared a city for them.

Patriarchs

17By faith Abraham, upon being tested, offered up Isaac; yes, he who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his only begotten, ¹⁴⁷

18of whom it had been said, “Through Isaac will your seed be reckoned,” ¹⁴⁸

19calculating that God was indeed able to raise him from the dead; from whence in fact he did receive him, figuratively speaking.

20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. ¹⁴⁹

22By faith Joseph, near the end, thought of the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave orders concerning his bones. ¹⁵⁰

Moses

23By faith Moses was hidden for three months by his parents, after he was born, because they saw he was a fine child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.

24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, ¹⁵¹

25choosing rather to be maltreated along with God's people than to have the temporary pleasure of sin,

26considering the reproach of Christ ¹⁵²to be greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; because he was looking ahead to the reward.

27By faith he left Egypt behind, not fearing the king's rage, ¹⁵³because he persevered as though seeing Him who is invisible.

28By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch them.

29By faith they passed through the Red Sea as on dry ground, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were swallowed up. ¹⁵⁴

30By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, having been encircled for seven days. ¹⁵⁵

31By faith the prostitute Rahab, having received the spies in peace, did not perish with the disobedient. ¹⁵⁶

Exploits achieved through faith

32And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell about Gideon, about Barak and Samson and Jephtha, about David and Samuel and the prophets,

33who through faith subdued kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, closed lions' mouths,

34quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became mighty in battle, put to flight foreign armies.

35Women received their dead back by resurrection; while others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, so that they might obtain a better resurrection. ¹⁵⁷

36Still others were tried by mockings and scourgings, and even by chains and imprisonment.

37They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were tempted, they were murdered by sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, mistreated

38—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. ¹⁵⁸

39Now all these did not receive the promise, though having been approved through faith,

40God having planned something better for us, ¹⁵⁹so that they should not be perfected without us.