Hebrews 12:4-13

12:4 You have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed ¹  in your struggle against sin. 12:5 And have you forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons?

“My son, do not scorn ²  the Lord’s discipline

or give up when he corrects ³  you.

12:6 “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts.” ⁴ 

12:7 Endure your suffering ⁵  as discipline; ⁶  God is treating you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? 12:8 But if you do not experience discipline, ⁷  something all sons ⁸  have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons. 12:9 Besides, we have experienced discipline from ⁹  our earthly fathers ¹⁰  and we respected them; shall we not submit ourselves all the more to the Father of spirits and receive life? ¹¹  12:10 For they disciplined us for a little while as seemed good to them, but he does so for our benefit, that we may share his holiness. 12:11 Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful. ¹²  But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness ¹³  for those trained by it. 12:12 Therefore, strengthen ¹⁴  your listless hands and your weak knees, ¹⁵  12:13 and make straight paths for your feet, ¹⁶  so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but be healed.

[12:4]  ¹ tn Grk “until blood.”

[12:5]  ² tn Or “disregard,” “think little of.”

[12:5]  ³ tn Or “reproves,” “rebukes.” The Greek verb ἐλέγχω (elencw) implies exposing someone’s sin in order to bring correction.

[12:6]  ⁴ sn A quotation from Prov 3:11-12.

[12:7]  ⁵ tn Grk “endure,” with the object (“your suffering”) understood from the context.

[12:7]  ⁶ tn Or “in order to become disciplined.”

[12:8]  ⁷ tn Grk “you are without discipline.”

[12:8]  ⁸ tn Grk “all”; “sons” is implied by the context.

[12:9]  ⁹ tn Grk “we had our earthly fathers as discipliners.”

[12:9]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “the fathers of our flesh.” In Hebrews, “flesh” is a characteristic way of speaking about outward, physical, earthly life (cf. Heb 5:7; 9:10, 13), as opposed to the inward or spiritual dimensions of life.

[12:9]  ¹¹ tn Grk “and live.”

[12:11]  ¹² tn Grk “all discipline at the time does not seem to be of joy, but of sorrow.”

[12:11]  ¹³ tn Grk “the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

[12:12]  ¹⁴ tn Or “straighten.”

[12:12]  ¹⁵ sn A quotation from Isa 35:3. Strengthen your listless hands and your weak knees refers to the readers’ need for renewed resolve and fresh strength in their struggles (cf. Heb 10:36-39; 12:1-3).

[12:13]  ¹⁶ sn A quotation from Prov 4:26. The phrase make straight paths for your feet is figurative for “stay on God’s paths.”