Bible Gateway passage: Hebrews 11:1-14 - New International Version (2024)

Faith in Action

11Now faith is confidence in what we hope for^(A) and assurance about what we do not see.^{(B) 2}This is what the ancients were commended for.^(C)

³By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command,^(D) so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

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

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.”^[a](H) For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. ⁶And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him^(I) must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

⁷By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen,^(J) in holy fear built an ark^(K) to save his family.^(L) By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.^(M)

⁸By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance,^(N) obeyed and went,^(O) even though he did not know where he was going. ⁹By faith he made his home in the promised land^(P) like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents,^(Q) as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.^{(R) 10}For he was looking forward to the city^(S) with foundations,^(T) whose architect and builder is God.^{(U) 11}And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age,^(V) was enabled to bear children^(W) because she^[b] considered him faithful^(X) who had made the promise. ¹²And so from this one man, and he as good as dead,^(Y) came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.^(Z)

¹³All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;^(AA) they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,^(AB) admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.^{(AC) 14}People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.

Footnotes

1. Hebrews 11:5 Gen. 5:24
2. Hebrews 11:11 Or By faith Abraham, even though he was too old to have children—and Sarah herself was not able to conceive—was enabled to become a father because he

Cross references

1. Hebrews 11:1 : S Heb 3:6
2. Hebrews 11:1 : S 2Co 4:18
3. Hebrews 11:2 : ver 4, 39
4. Hebrews 11:3 : Ge 1; Jn 1:3; Heb 1:2; 2Pe 3:5
5. Hebrews 11:4 : ver 2, 39
6. Hebrews 11:4 : Ge 4:4; 1Jn 3:12
7. Hebrews 11:4 : Heb 12:24
8. Hebrews 11:5 : Ge 5:21-24
9. Hebrews 11:6 : Heb 7:19
10. Hebrews 11:7 : S ver 1
11. Hebrews 11:7 : Ge 6:13-22
12. Hebrews 11:7 : 1Pe 3:20
13. Hebrews 11:7 : Ge 6:9; Eze 14:14, 20; S Ro 9:30
14. Hebrews 11:8 : Ge 12:7
15. Hebrews 11:8 : Ge 12:1-4; Ac 7:2-4
16. Hebrews 11:9 : Ac 7:5
17. Hebrews 11:9 : Ge 12:8; 18:1, 9
18. Hebrews 11:9 : Heb 6:17
19. Hebrews 11:10 : Heb 12:22; 13:14
20. Hebrews 11:10 : Rev 21:2, 14
21. Hebrews 11:10 : ver 16
22. Hebrews 11:11 : Ge 17:17-19; 18:11-14
23. Hebrews 11:11 : Ge 21:2
24. Hebrews 11:11 : S 1Co 1:9
25. Hebrews 11:12 : Ro 4:19
26. Hebrews 11:12 : Ge 22:17
27. Hebrews 11:13 : ver 39
28. Hebrews 11:13 : S Mt 13:17
29. Hebrews 11:13 : Ge 23:4; Lev 25:23; Php 3:20; 1Pe 1:17; 2:11