Hebrews 10:28-39

10:28 Someone who rejected the law of Moses was put to death ¹  without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²  10:29 How much greater punishment do you think that person deserves who has contempt for ³  the Son of God, and profanes ⁴  the blood of the covenant that made him holy, ⁵  and insults the Spirit of grace? 10:30 For we know the one who said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” ⁶  and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” ⁷  10:31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

10:32 But remember the former days when you endured a harsh conflict of suffering after you were enlightened. 10:33 At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and afflictions, and at other times you came to share with others who were treated in that way. 10:34 For in fact you shared the sufferings of those in prison, ⁸  and you accepted the confiscation of your belongings with joy, because you knew that you certainly ⁹  had a better and lasting possession. 10:35 So do not throw away your confidence, because it ¹⁰  has great reward. 10:36 For you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised. ¹¹  10:37 For just a little longer ¹²  and he who is coming will arrive and not delay. ¹³  10:38 But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I ¹⁴  take no pleasure in him. ¹⁵  10:39 But we are not among those who shrink back and thus perish, but are among those who have faith and preserve their souls. ¹⁶ 

¹ tn Grk “dies.”

² sn An allusion to Deut 17:6.

³ tn Grk “tramples under foot.”

⁴ tn Grk “regarded as common.”

⁵ tn Grk “by which he was made holy.”

⁶ sn A quotation from Deut 32:35.

⁷ sn A quotation from Deut 32:36.

⁸ tc Most witnesses, including some important ones (א D² 1881 Ï), read δεσμοῖς μου (desmoi" mou, “my imprisonment”) here, a reading that is probably due to the widespread belief in the early Christian centuries that Paul was the author of Hebrews (cf. Phil 1:7; Col 4:18). It may have been generated by the reading δεσμοῖς without the μου (so Ì⁴⁶ Ψ 104 pc), the force of which is so ambiguous (lit., “you shared the sufferings with the bonds”) as to be virtually nonsensical. Most likely, δεσμοῖς resulted when a scribe made an error in copying δεσμίοις (desmioi"), a reading which makes excellent sense (“[of] those in prison”) and is strongly supported by early and significant witnesses of the Alexandrian and Western texttypes (A D* H 6 33 81 1739 lat sy co). Thus, δεσμίοις best explains the rise of the other readings on both internal and external grounds and is strongly preferred.

⁹ tn Grk “you yourselves.”

¹⁰ tn Grk “which,” but showing the reason.

¹¹ tn Grk “the promise,” referring to the thing God promised, not to the pledge itself.

¹² sn A quotation from Isa 26:20.

¹³ sn A quotation from Hab 2:3.

¹⁴ tn Grk “my soul.”

¹⁵ sn A quotation from Hab 2:4.

¹⁶ tn Grk “not…of shrinking back to perdition but of faith to the preservation of the soul.”